Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-06-15
SENATOR ATCHIsON's ADDRESS To
THE PEOPLE OF MISSOURI.


We have Just perused, with great pleasure,
an address to the people of Nilsson ri by Hon.
David R. Atchison, dated in this city on the
fifth of this month.
The address Of the distinguished senator
fully exposes the course of Mr.. Benton, whose
satellites have pursued him with SO much We
nom, whilst it shows the statesmanlike fore
caste OF its author.
The course which Mr.. Benton has seen fit to
pursue for the last ten years has divided the
democratic party in Missouri, and has added
infinitely to the rancor Of political controversy
in that State. His vain, egotistical and die
tatorial nature - intensified by inordinate
ambition, and soured by disappointment
seems to have infected his misguided followers
SO that they also have carried into political
controversy even more than the bitterness Of
rancorous personal warfare. Senator Atchi
son, to his honor be it spoken, has been, and
is now, the object of Mr.. Benton's special and
peculiar hatred; and the whole pack Of Mr..
Benton's bandogs have assailed him in the
true spirit Of their master.
Mr.. Benton himself has not been idle, as the
public prints will show. Not contented with
wearying thepublic ear by delivering speeches
whenever an opportunity was afforded or when
ever an opportunity could be made, he has vexed
the public eye with rapid succession Of letters
which needed no signature to announce the
source from which they emanated. In his
speeches and in his letters casual observer
would think that he perceived evidences that
their author had lost his senses about ten years
mp and repeated by all his satraps-is nulli6ca-
ton! notification! He reminds us of an actress
amongst us not long ago, who always attributed
her want of success-the disapprobation of the
audience or thin house-tothe hostile intrigues
of the Jesuits. She pretended to forget that
she was in the United States instead Of Europe.
So it is with Mr.. Benton. Whenever he wishes
to produce sensation or apologize for de-
feat he is ready to swear that the nulifers are
at work, as if this was not the year 1854 in
stead Of the year 1892
We rather think that there was more earnest
nesness in the actress than there is in the politi
clan. The casual observer we spoke of would be
much mistaken if he thought that Mr.. Benton
had lost his senses ten hears ago-General
Jackson, Mr.. flanagan and the Princeton gun
to the contrary Notwithstanding. He did not
lose his senses then, nor about that time. He
did not lose half of them. We are ready to
admit that he lost his judgment and turned his
back upon his political principles, but his cum
ming, pertinacity, vanity, egotism, ambition,
aud his dictatorial and revengeful spirit re-
mains in full force and vigor. After having
made himself conspicuous ASIAN eminent dem
ocrat he deserted the fold upon calculation.
He did not stray of like an idiot, without de-
sign. By trucking to the freesoil sentiment,
and by his magnificent Pacific railroad pro-
jects, he thought that he could rally around
him the forces Of northern fanaticism, unite the
northern factions, and buy up those who were
eager for plumber, SO as to build up Benton
party, whose leading idea should be-Benton,
aud whose leading principles should be--any-
thing that could further his interest
Senator Atchison fully exposes Mr. Benton''
past professions and performances, and does
full justice to his present position and future
aspirations. We wish that we could lay the
address before our readers but the space al
our disposal does not permit us to do so. We
would present extracts from it, but we do no,
wish to weaken its force by presenting it in
piece-meal-it being our intention to lay The
whole paper before our readers as soon as pos
sible, for the purpose of showing them, as
warning, how the ablest men may fall by aban
doning the straight road Of principle to follov
the crooked, devious, and dangerous paths o
cunning, though treacherous, expediency. T.
think of what Thomas II. Benton was ffteel
or twenty years ago, when he was in full com
munion with the democratic party, and the
consider what he is now, because he followe
after strange gods, and became the Magnu
Apollo Of freesoilism is sufficient to warn al
wayfarers, who have sense to be warned, agains
the way he has travelled.