New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-05
COL. BEVTOES BOOK.

Col. Bentons BIZ volume has Jared very well N the
,pd. OF the criiics especially a, the South but the io
lowing laudation OF from The Eretiag Pot seems TO
make up for the decrypg il has had elsewhere;
This We believe, il the first American book written
bv native Of slave State which make any preteh-
sion 10 permanent place in the literature o. our country
J.ferson genius culture and experience quaned MN 20
write for poserity, hut be was content win WORKING LOT
them and writing for h contemporaries. The Notes -
Virginia his most considerable literary performances
though embeli.hed with passages Of rare literary mer
and displaying powers Of description OF reasoning an. W
ss,e.uapship II the rs order were never designed 81
ANYTHING more than desuitory compilation OF scts sni
figures about his native State and country thrown iegeth
much for the instruction OF h. 9Fn
as disTe portion II the pruiounder Isnorahe OF Eu
ropeans in relation 10 American affair ne beck was
out OF pint before it, usous author del sas l. nc
rarely be found except IN OIL libraries anu aueuh
Mar.bsTs Life Of Washington, vhch : the mos;
yoluuinous work written by American sveholfer
i no longer read II IL bear any traces Of i's authors
uucou mon power Of mind, y Is IN the depths "i duhe-'
which he explored and the riGcr with which he IA. eX-
cuded every feature ct interest which mcht tssonao o.
Looked for In lie Of Washington from the pen ~ one 81 hs
mot intimate and eminent friends A. Of the earliest
bo-rarL. of one ii tie most remarkable OF men Mar
sbsi-s iook NAV continue 20 occupy place upon the
shelve. OF our public libraries until the edition. now IN
mint i. WON out. l. IL : reprinted, u Wall not DE
out of compliment any permanent htera or historical
merit which the work p"s-,~ses
prepared for and partly the expense Of slave y
The was a native Of New York and had achieved hs
full mental long before he becsae ciizen 81
Ioui-iena or wa known 10 the country r. author.
..Callouns Essay Government has fallen down
from the press and hrs entirely failed o. attract any ae-
ton beyond the political circle of which. during his life
he Was tie center We cannot learn from the European
pres single copy has ever been read the other SIDE Of
the Atlantic Though the work possesses many traces oil
TIA authr peculiar talent AMI may be rea. hereafter 10y
the diicent student Of political science who Is ambitious
Of leaving nothing upon the unread 4 has no more
title 10 permanent place in the literature ef the country
Political philosOTly SIfneys Dis
courses have permanent place in the literature Of
Great Britain.
gust toerahy successful essayis but both he and
Lis writings already forgotten though he IL scarce ten
wears dead The slave State have produced many other
writers who have the temporary admiration oi tneir
couniryInen bogaphers poets noveEsts GAd es-ays
but we canho name whose writings have any chance
of being read iy vears hence except perhaps, from
curiosity like that which induces people sometimes 70 pre-
serve the furniture and domestic utensils 81 their aces
tors mark the progress which the world has made IN
civilization since they departed.
The slave states of America have exhibited great
talents in the field, in the forum and in the council cham
ber but authorship they can scarcely be 'as to have
added ANYTHING TO the fame of their country. Thomas
Hart Benton native of slave State and all his life
citizen OF slave State, has proved the first exceptions
for by pretty nearly the unanimous adjudication of all
parties and classes Of his countrymen be has produced
work which literary power and vitality quite
Independent of the historical value which necessarily
attaches the recorded experience Of who was for
thirty of the evenU of political history,
member of the United States Senate; in the confidence
Of half the administrations, anu close observer Oh the
Others
"The literary execution OF this work the simplicity of
its STYLE and tie unexcepOnable taste which tempes all
lis author illusions 10 bis co;emporares have been the
subject Of universal admiration. The wenown fearless
ness of his characer-hs fierce energy-hs contempt for
all indirect methods of accomplishing bis ends-his tempt
alton embrace the opportunity which this work Afforded
him of taking complete vengeance upon the numerous po-
iica enemies he had made during his long and active
public life all these circumstances naturally created some
apprehension lest tie writer's retrospect OF his senatorial
life should be somewhat distempered by its cotemporane
partiates, animosities and preiudices
The appearance of the book has dispeled this appre
tension and though It's merits have been very generally
and quite deliberately discussed by the press during the
bret two months that has been before the public, its
freedom from those defects which would naturally be
looked for in work written by about the po-
tical controversies in which he himself took active
part has been universally recognized and almost uniform
" commended.
"The extraordinary popularity OF this work. which has
thus far exceeded that OF any work of its cost in this
any other country, has not surprised We have for
wears been in the habit of remirkn the wonderful eager
ness with which The least word that falls from Mr. Benton
lips or pen caught up by the press and the public III
most casual remark upon public affairs II finds Its way
into newspaper Is of being quoted from one end OF
the country 10 the other.
We doubt if there is another in the nation whose
sueeChes and writings whether brief elaborate whether
upon private or upon public affairs OF 50 large
and so eager body OF readers. Part of this interest
springs, undoubtedly, from the prominent political posi-
ton which he has always occupied part from his strongly
defined individuality but chiefly from the certainty that
whatever he writes speaks will bear the impress OF his
athletic intellect and heroic character