Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-07-28

II ne cOuid not make some apology
for this glaring and absurd inconsistency.
BENTON, goaded and maddened at having his
tergiversations and contradictory course and
actions thus brought to light, and he exposed
to the gaze and scorn of all honest and intel
ligent men, wrote the above letter, which would
not be creditable to lunatic in an asylum, or
the guiltiest felon in penitentiary.
1t will be seen that he admits in this letter
all / charged him with; that is, he procured
the passage of the first act that violated,
changed, or repealed the act of 1920, by taking
part Of this free territory and making it Stare
by act of Congress in adding it to the State of
Missouri, whose constitution established and
protected slavery, thus creating slavery in ter
ritory larger than two of the small States, by
act of Congress. 1t did not leave it to the
people as the Kansas and Nebraska act does,
but forced slavery upon them by law. This is
the only instance where slavery has been ex-
tended over free territory since the organiza-
ton OF this government; and this was done by
act of Congress procured by Colonel BENTON,
and not by the people.
In this letter, Colonel Benton, unfortunately
for himself and his consistency, for had never
read line in his work BEFORE refers to his
Thirty Years, and, on turning to the first vol
ume Of that work, at page 626, find chapter
headed, Extension Of the Missouri Question"
which is as follows
"Ths was measure of great moment to Mis-
souri,, and full OF difficulties in ITSELF and requiring
double process TO accomplish tan act OF Con-
gress TO extend the boundary, and an Indian treaty
10 remove the Indians 10 new home. II was TO
extend the existing boundary of the State so as TO
include triangle between the existing line and
the Missouri river, large enough to form seven
counties Of the first class, and fertile enough to
sustain the densest population. The difficulties
were three fold:
81. To make still larger State which was al
ready one of the largest in the Union.
~, To remove Indians from possession which
had just been assigned TO them in perpetuity.
90. To alter the Missouri compromise line in
relation TO slave territory, and thereby convert free
soil into slave soil.
"The two first difficulties were serious-the
third formidable; and, in the then state Of the
public mind in relation TO slave territory, this en-
argement of great slave State, and by converting
free soil into slave, and impariing the compromise
line, was almost impossible undertaking. and
in no way TO be accomplished without generous
cooperation from the members of the free States.
They were majority in the House of Represen-
tatives, and no act Of Congress could pass for
altering the compromise line without their aid !;
they were equal in the Senate, where no treaty
for the removal of the Indians could be ratified
except by a concurrence of two thirds-and all
these difficulties TO be overcome at time when
Congress was infiamed with angry debates upon
abolition petitions transmission OF incendiary
publications, imputed designs to abolish slavery
and the appearance of the eliminating article in
South Carolina entitled the Crisis, announcing a
southern convention and a secession, if certain
northern States did not suppress the abolition
societies within their limits within limited time.
In the face OF all these discouraging obstacles
The two Missouri Senators, Messrs. Benton and
Linn, commenced their operations. The first step
was 10 procure bill for the alteration ofthe com
promise line and the extension of the boundary
1t was obtained from the Judiciary Committee re-
ported by Mr.. John NJ Clayton, OF Delaware, and
passed the Senate without material opposition il
went 10 the House OF Representatives, and found
there no serious opposition 10 It's passage. A
treaty was negotiated with The Sac and Fox In
dams, 10 whom the country had been assigned,
and was ratified by the requisite two thirds and
this, besides doing an act of generous justice 10
The State OF Missouri was the noble answer which
northern members gave 10 the imputed design of
aboishlng slavery in the States actually extend
ing II and by addition equal in extent 10
such States as Delaware and Rhode Island and
by It's fertility equal 10 Of the third class
OF States; and this accomplished by the ex-
traordinary process of altering compromise line
Intended 10 be perpetual, and the reconverson Of
soil which had been slave, and made free, back
again from free 10 slave and all this when, had
there been the least disposition 10 impede the
proper extension Of slave State, there were plau-
sihe reasons enough TO cover an opposition in
the serious objections 10 charging State already
the largest in the Union-to removing Indians
again from a home TO which they had Just been re.
moved under a national pledge of no more reno
vals-and 10 disturbing the compromise line of
1870, on which the Missouri question had been
settled and the line between free and slave terri
tory, fixed for national reasons, TO remain forever.
The author OF this view part aud parcel Of all
that ransaction-remembers well the anxiety OF
4 he Sfafa IN nbf air ths.a har IL
tanning 1.-THE gratitude which all felt 10 the north
ern members, without whose aid il could not have
been done, and whose magma nmous assistance
under such trying circumstances, he now records
as one of the proofs Ohis work contains many
others) OF the willingness of the non slaveholdne
part OF the Union 10 be just and generous 10 their
slaveholdng brethren, even in disregard OF cher
ished prejudices and offensive ordinations II
was the second great proof 10 this effect at this
identical session, the ratification Of the Georgia
Cherokee treaty being the other"
In this extract it will be seen that Colonel
Benton boasts Of, and prides himself upon, the
accomplishment Of this very thing, and Of driv.
ing the Indians from this very territory that
had then but lately been coded and promised
by treaty to them forever, and had greatly added
to the then largest State in the Union. One
would be led to believe, from reading this ex.
tract, that he regarded this alteration and re-
peal oil the missouri compromise as the bright
est, most dazzling, and triumphant achieve
ment Of his thirty year senatorial career. But
desire to call attention to a few extracts from
his Kansas and Nebraska speech of the 25th of
April last, to show his proneness TO falsehood,
the wickedness Of his heart or the imbecility Of
his head. On page first be says:
"Mr. Chairman: II any bill TO impair the Mis-.
sorri compromise line OF 1920 had been brought
into this House by member from a slave State,
or under the administration OF a President elected
from slave State, should have deemed il my
duty 10 have met IL at the threshold and 10 have
made the motion which the parliamentary law
prescrses for the repulse OF subjects which are
not fit 10 be considered; should have moved it's
rejection at the first reading"
This will be seen 10 be utterly false, and
mere pretence; for the bill Of 1886, that he
admits and boasts OF having procured TO be
brought in to impair the Missouri compromise
line Of 1920, was brought in by the Hon. JOHN
NJ. CLAYTON, then, as now, an honored senator
from Delaware, slave State and Andrew
jackson, Of Tennessee, slave State, was Pre-
sident Of the United States. What beautiful
and truthful consistency Mr.. BESTox is caught
in here. Again, he says,