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

4
speedy ss it was conspicuous and total
! Without stopping to consider other incidents OF
General Jacksons second term, and especially the
commencement of the agitation of the Slavery ques-
ton and its Introduction into the foreground OF pot
cs topics TO which Benton fails altogether of his
torcsl completeness, these few observations will
suffice TO show the ground Of our opinion that M Ben
ton is mistaken in the idea that the history of the times
Of which he treats is to find in his book its permanent
memorial The qualities necessary for historian ac-
cordng TO present prevailing ideas of history are ex-
ceedngly different from those which 90 to the compost
ton OF popular orator and active politician. The
great talent of popular orator is the talent OF exag
seraon, while active politicians in the habit of
contemplating new measures and events almost ex-
clusiyely they may bear upon some Immediately ap
preaching election. We do not discover in Mr. Ben
ton those essential qualities of historian capacity
Tor comprehensive views and for penetrating into the
origin and causes Of political events which are to be
sought and found not much in the breasts Of indvii
uals in the prevailing states of public sentiment
How little he ID given 20 any original or critical views
how implicitly he yields himself to the superficial
popular currents is apparent from the idea which he
to entertain of the history of the United States
during the age preceding that which forms the imme
date subject of his volume. With him Jefferson,
Madison and even Monroe are not any longer men
who. though they have passed from this mortal scene
still stand TO be judged at the tribunal of his
tory,-but mythical heroes, canonized polit-
cal saints who can hardly be supposed to
have been in the wrXg, and whose
mere opinions to carry with them somewhat of the
sanciy of political revelation; while the war with
Great Britain stands with him article Of political
faith which faith he is bound oasseverate just in pro-
, portion as he gives reasons against it.
But if Mr. BentOns intellectual characteristics and
habits not such to qualify him for adding the rep
utatiOn of finished historian TO that which he has
quired orator and politician he might at least
would suppose So have done excellent service in
furnishing materials for history. The expectation Of
the public has doubt been good deal raised as to
the Developments which he to make and the light
which his work to throw upon the origin, far at
least as individuals concerned, OF many great
movements, of which, from the part that he bore in
them, he must necessarily have been in the secret But
upon this point so far as the present volume is con-
cerned the public may as weprepare itself to put up
with total disappointment. The information
contained in it can hardly be said to amount to any
thing unless perhaps ought to except the account
private papers of Gen. Jackson figure on Mr.. Ben
tons title page one of the whence he draws
his materials. OF these papers we are told he has
trunks full, but the only he has published of
which can find any trace in the book is an elabo
rate reply, drawn up by the General to the charge of
having exceeded his orders during the Seminole war
by seizing the Spanish forts of Pensacola and ST.
Marks-a subject which only comes incidentally within
the range OF Mr. Benton's thirty years. Considered
materials for history, half dozen private letters
such those which Jefferson used to write to his po
litcal cOnfederates would be worth than the
tire contents of this volume. AS 10 the Congressional
debates the republication of which forms the chief
staple of the work, that has been got up upon
a plan in which the interests of history have been
made quite subseryient to merely personal considera
tiOns Mr.. Benton, as he tells in his preface, hav
ing made in the of long life, a great many
speeches in some of which he said things both to
men and measures which he longer approves,
has hit upon this Thirty Years View as a method of
cung out for present readers and for pOstery those
parts of his speeches which he is now most desirous
of preserving and perpetuatng, with the hope that
what he has left out will be suffered TO sink into oblivion
1t is obvious then, that the Benton presented to the
readers of this book not by any means the same Ben
ton who actually figured the floor OF the Senate in
the interval from ls2l 1887 Instead of that Benton
man of flesh and blood and passion, Senator from
Missouri and cOnidant of Gen. Jackson, rough
and ready and speaking out his mind we have
here Benton shaved combed softened down by thirty
wears residence at Washington Modified by time and
political revolutions, and made presentable as Pres-
Dental candidate for the year 1856 should matters
turn; at all events, placed in such light and so
draped as to adapt him for becoming the subject of
one of those eulogums of which he has himself given
us specimens in the ease of John Taylor of Caroline.
Mr. Macon and other eminent deceased cotempo-
"raries"-pieces of composition, by the way, which
smack quite as much of tOmb-5One rhetoric OF his
torcal discrimination. Now, this is method of get
ting up materials for history against which we must
decidedly protest Mr.. Benton must be aware of the
loud clamor raised by the critics, both in Europe and
America at the discovery that Mr. Sparks had under
taken TO make small application OF this shaving and
washing process to few letters of Washington's
Mr. Eyeretts recent application of the same method
10 Mr. Webster by Omittng some OF his speeches and
altering others in his edition of them lately pub
Ished has also elected remark. We must not be I'M
dersood disputing the perfect right OF Mr. Benton
TO select at his own discretion such passages from his
speeches as he desires TO have republshed and pre-
served omitting all the rest thus suiting his own
taste and Judgment in making presentation OF his
past life to the public of to-day and to posery But
il must be obvious that for historical purposes such
selection is of triHng value compared with the
speccbes entire. since among the passages omitted
N 1 ;l-.l, D. h, md fhourh