New-York daily tribune., 1854-05-17

motives Of the actors must be allowed aleading place
OF these actors. besides Gen. Jackson and Mr.
Benton himself the only who appear his pages
in the possession Of anything Ike personal identity.
are Mr. Calhoun, Mr.. Clay md Mr.. Webster, three
great champions, whose cooperating assaults. aimed
at Gen jackson, the faithful Benton catches his
.Lied retorting at the same time deadly blows. till
at ,st these three doughty combatans lie PROSTATE in
the dust behoding ike chained csptiyes conquered
and helpless and grinding their teeth, the eIpunging
from tie Journals OF the Senate OF that condemn
ton Which they had recorded there of Gen. Jack
sons policy and conduct. But even Of these three
persOns-the only ones excepting himself and Gen.
jackson whom be has chosen to bring st all into the
foreground OF his told very little except
by extracts from their speeches As to many others,
not conspicuous by their elOquence, but whose IN
fuence the course of events perhaps OF equal
weight We learn absolutely nothing. The speeches
md oil the historical information to be got out OF them
We possessed before Mr. Benton compiled bis book.
1t is Of those members of Congress, active and lnhu-
entail but not takers and who therefore have lett
traces Of themselves or but slight ones in the
Congressional debates, that we most desire to md
some account in contemporary memoirs. But for any
thing OF ts sort shall search in vain in the pages OF
Mr. Benton. We very much doubt whether he at all
POSSESSES the talent of verbal daguerreoype but he
does the circumstances under which he has published
and the real object of bis publication. have efectuay
prevented the exercise Of III that his work looked
at in historical point OF view, is just defective
in the exhibition of details il is in the general
grouping. The same prudential reasons haye even
caused him to leave entirely unnoticed matters
Of frst-rate Importance. The histor! and proceed
ings of the Convention by which Mr. Van Buren, was
nominated as Gen. Jackson's successor. and the
second breach thus produced in the Jackson party
are totslly omtted and this omission is the
markabe when we recollect that the scheme of Pres
Dental nominations by National Convention-of
which the one that nominated Mr.. Van Buren the
frst-s regarded by Mr. Benton as disastrous nno-
vation threatening indeed, to undermine the very
foundations OF our Government
But it is unreasonable to demand in any work
thar which does not enter into the writer's plan, and
especially that which would be inconsistent with it.
This Thirty Years View is to be ud. .ed of not reg
uar hisory-any pretension to that character beng
indeed specially disclamed by the author OF it; nor
vet as a contribution of materials TO history, since the
position which the author still occupies active
politician must very essentially interfere with his
freedom in making such contributions but as polltl-
cal work. Yet in that character it seems to us
by no means to fulfill that which its author holds ont
in lis preface as its main obecan exposition of the
practical working of our duplicate form of govern
ment State and Federal We the other hand, should
be inclined to characterize it more political
treatise than il is history but rather as an immense
pamphlet Of which the object to make TO the public OF
to-day a favorable presentation of Mr.. Benton, e'-
pecally as the man who has always held the scales
even between the North and the South: avoiding
far as possible anything that might give oense to any
body except TO those extremes which the author has
no hope of concating and aiming especially to prove
that on the subject OF Slavery Mr. Benton stands on
that fortunate middle ground which ought at the pres
ent moment to render him particularly available
Having thus endcavored faithfully TO convey to our
readers the impression which this volume has made
upon us considered whole we now propose TO
call attention number Of particular passages which
seem open to criticism This portion of our remarks
must however be deferred to another day.