The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-11-17
ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
he electoral college OF 1852 is constituted as

Col. TIL omas III. Benton's Opinion of Pierce.
Col. Benton addressed the people of Jackson
Mo-, on Saturday previous to the election. In
The concluding part of his speech, he spoke of
Cen. Pierce in terms of eloquent praise and
wildly portrayed the duty of the democracy
Col. Benton has now arrived at that good old
age,-when ambition is in a great measure sa-
tiated-whcn mea live more in obedience to a
law of their being, than any pleasures to be de
rived from an existence of infrmty; when the
labors Of life are consumed in preparations for
eternity-and when the mind instinc,ively, and
dispassionately surveys the past for the sake OF
an impartial judgment-and therefore should
his voice commend a,tenti IN and his opinions
challenge respect.
His views Of the duty of the democracy, will
be equally interesting with his description of
the President elect. The democracy are SOL
EMMY pledged to reform and it will be a sore re-
Fiction upon their character as party, if they
fail to respect their position and meet the re-
quirements of the popular Judgment. A grea'
work is before them. A work commanding all
their ability, care and devotion. A NATIONAL work
for statesmen Il patriots to well consider. We
have tina: confidence in both the ability and in
tegrity of Gen. P. as the head of The government
and those whom he may hereafter call around
him, that we harbor no donbts as to the result
But to Col. Bentons speech.
CITIZENS IL did not come here to speak Of
the impending Presidential election, nor is The
result to be affected by any thing now to be
said but knowing our candidate personally,
and the event being near at hand, it may be
| agreeable TO many TO hear my opinion both Of
the man and of his chance Of election. | then
say that he is very proper man, and pretty
sure, in my opinion, to be elected. | know him
well, having not only served in the Senate, blu,
lived in the same house with him, and seen him
tried when il required pure metal TO stand the
fire. He was in the United States Bank war
and one Of the supporters of Jackson in those
heroic times when, to be unterrifed and mncom
promising, constituted the glory of democracy
To be sure, we have rather run down since those
times. and to get scared and to compromise, is
now the creed Of some. But he has material
enou!y h in him to be President of the Jackson
school, If elected as | thiak he will be. And
then, after the third day Of March next, all the
departments of the government, executive and
legislative, will be in the hands of the democra-
cy. And what then? deliver ourselves up to
the joys Of vctory-do as king Pyrrhus propos.
ed to do after he should have CONG lered the
world, eat, drink and be merry9 No ! but work
hard work! gravity and labor is to be our por-
ton, and the fulflment of great PROMISES
We have complained Of abuses it is our duty
to correct them. We have complained of ex.
travagance it is our duty to reduce it. We
have reproached the Wings with latitudinous
.tr oct l,a -
duty to stick 10 strict obstruction. In all these
complaints and reproaches we have promised
amendment, gwen our bond to correct what we
condemn, and to avoid what we reproach. We
have made ourselves debtors for great services
and must pay. In all my long observance the
workings of this Government, l have not seen
a time which required more steadness and firm
ness, more prudence and intelligence, more iron
and less milk, in our public men, than in the
four years which will commence on the fourth
day Of March next.
For myself, feel all the gravity and respon
sibility of my position. Time and events give
admonitions winch cannot be dlsregarded time
which hurries US along to that .'bourne from
which no traveller returns;" and erents, which
thin the ranks of our contemporaries, and leave
solltudes where associates stood Four times |
in the short space of two years, ito 90 no fur |
Their back,) have seen the departure of some
one of those with whom | have long been asso
ciated, often matched in fierce political contest,
never in malice or envy. Calhoun, Woodbury., |
Clay, Webster-have all gone ! leaving voids !
where they ste cd, and the reflex Of light which
shines through the world, and vii! be seen by
after ages to the latest posterity. In the pres.
pnce of such impressive events, and on the
verge ofsuch time, can have no feelings blu,
those of good will TO the departed, good wishes
for the living, solicitude for the national honor
and prosperity, and an anxious desire to save for
myself the good opinion, valuable beyond all
price, with which my counlrymen have honor
I'd me.