The southern press., 1852-01-10
Letter Of Col. Benton to the Democracy Of
Jefferson County.
ST.. LOUIS, December 10, 1856


your meeting on the 18th instant, but tele-
graph despatch just received calls me to New
York on business which cannot be delayed or
neglec ed owe cordial visit to your county,
which mean to pay and hope this will be the
last promise which precedes the performance.
Your county is a star, and bright one, in the
political armament of Missouri, and true to the
name which il bears. 1t is not only always right
in the elections, but in all its acts and sent.
ments When the nullifers undertook TO get
their secession resolutions sanctioned by pop
ular meetings in the counties, in the spring OF
l849, and had actually succeeded in some half
dozen counties, they were first baked and re-
pulsed in yours. Now, when the reunion OF
Democracy is proposed, your county is among
the first to make principle the basis OF re UNION,
and to repe all approaches on the basis Of d.
viding spoil, or Of prescribing man. admire
the spirit Of the resolutions which Won adopted
at your late preliminary meeting, and comseng
them to the favorable consideration OF all Tie
friends Of the cause. They contain the prlnci-
pies on which every true Dem crat can unite,
and have only to be made known and under
stood, to reconcile all who have been ihnocently
and temporarily led astray.
FIRST, The reputation Of the secession reso-
luions adopted by the general assembly in
lS49. There is no longer room for any candid
man to be deceived about the reasonable char
acter of these resolutions There was room
for deception at first, and great many good
men were deceived. Increduliiy was excusable
two wears ago, and even honorable to the hearts
of those who could not then believe in the
enormity Of settled design to break this Union.
and to establish new confederacy of the slave
holding States. Few could believe then, even
upon the sto ng proofs which exhibited but
the season for increduty has passed by.
The events of 1850 have proved everything
which proclaimed in l849, and which knew
in I847 That was a proud day for ine--that
Friday, nth February, l847--when Mr.. Calhoun
first produced in the American Senate those dis
union resolutions, afterwards adopted in Mis-
sour, and some other States. struck them
upon the spot--procaimed them fire brands
and in fierce passage with their author, told
him where should be found when he came to
their trial: on The side Of my country" Where
were the great defenders OF The Union then =
Sound asleep and sleeping on till 1850, when
the thunder Of disunion, loud enough to awaken
the dead, Weakened them also. ] saw the cloud
that was charged with that thunder when it first
appeared above the horizon in l847, and drove
il out of the Senate. 1t was then cent to Mis-
souri, to be gathered up by the little Jupiters
e,
ate: and they were sent back accordingly. But
the end is not vet | saw what they were at
came home, aud appealed to the people; and, al
though that appeal shared the fate Of movements
which are ahead of the times, and what said
could not be credited, yet it fonnd credit enough
to do one thing-to SAGE The Staie " Missouri
from the infamy of beng represented az The Nash
pille Convention! There is no room for any
candid man 10 doubt now.
The intent of the resolu tions is proved by facts,
and will be recorded by history, and all who noac
adhere TO them Though innocent in the begin
ninc) will take their place by the side of the
original conspirators. Though not carried into
effect in 1850, these resolutions are still upon
the statute book of the State, and Missouri now
stands upon the record precisely on the same
footing with South Carona--a cooperation
State. bound by legislative pledge TO "cO-opsr-
ote', with other slave-hodng States, when they
mite for secession. The Wings in the general
assembly of the last session were faithess to
their principles! and to their previous conduct,
in not Joining the Democratic members in ex-
misunderstanding If that word recalls pain
ful reIniniscence-that reasonable pledge from
. the journal. They disappointed my expectations.
expected them 10 have been true Ia that On
the contrary they were false. And this sacrifice
n
explained To be bargain by the events of the
session. and by the address Of the fifty-sx Dem
ocratic members, ard received new aggravatinn
from that cause. IL ,oas hs price (pdrt IF The
price) paid by The Wings 10 The rottens and null
6ers far their corrupt and trditorous UOtes during
he last session declare war during life against
these traitorous resolutions--the same winch
declared in the Senate Of the United States
AGAINST the notification aud bank. Wing vote of
censure upon General Jackson Ol835-war to
the knife-and in which war the American
democracy sustained me, and enabled me, in
two wears. to inscribe upon the journal of the
Ssnate certain black line agram, pretty much
in the shape of coffin and TO write therein these
words: "a Erpunged, according 10 The piH Of The
people" Now, as then, expunge Is the word
and life the limit Of the war that is to d. II, and
confidence the same in the virtue of the people
Secondiy You repudiate the vote Of the re.
creant. self.caled Democrats OF the last session
of our general assembly, for Wing Senator
This ia right. That vote and those who gave
Il. and those who were too Jory to give II them
selves, while encouraging DINERS 10 do u, aud
all who approve il, were forever outlawed from
the Democratic p rty. IL was crime against
the Democrats party. II was not anti Benton
hnt ant. Democratic It was against the Demo.
OF hllSSOufl-HBhl'sb stt SbA'S ShoboN'ci
and position, which had much better have been
un.represented two years than nis-represented
six and has no excuse except in the corrupt
consi Iteration which was paid for it. TO refer
the election back to the people was the Demo.
cratic course--the one dictated by principle, and
followed in all Democratic States. AL the
Democracy in the legislature proposed that
course but the traitors who had sold themselves
b IN the Wings were afraid of the people, and
also afraid Of losing their pay; and so screwd
themselves up, and were screwed up by Others
Ito the commission Of the deed. They did It
and in doing il betrayed the Democracy OF the
State, and committed that treason to their par.
ty which involves n breach of allegiance, and
which, in the feudal law upon treason, taints
the name and forfeits the rights of the offender
and cuts him Off from the community which he
had betrayed, and which can no longer trust
him. To complete their iuiamy, some OF these
traitors violated the special pledge on which
they we're elected, especially one in Boone
county, whose name Is the synonym of pclitca
~ ,,boc, I amid mama "a uniak