Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-07-10
1)olitical.
Speec of Col. Benton at sc. T.ouis


.lon meeting at st. Louis, on Saturday evening,
June 81, 1856:
After the enthusiastic cheering which his an
pearance upon the stand excited, had subsided
Col Benton said
Citizens: appear before you in an unexpect-
ed character-that of candidate for the Governor
ship OF the State of Missouri. 1t was place
which had not sought, but which felt bound
to accept in the present condition of the country,
Its peace greatly endangered both at home and
abroad, and the services of all good citizens re-
quired to aid in preventing the double calamity
of civil and foreign war. The nomination for
President made at Cincinnati, encouraged me in
the hope of seeing these calamiies averted, and
has chiefly contributed to my present course.
will assist the new president. (for look upon
Mr. buchanan's election as cerain,) in doing,
what am sure he will do, that is to say. all in
his power TO preserve the peace of the country,
at houe and abroad, and to restore the fraternal
feelings between the different sections of the Un-
ion-now so lamentably impaired.
shall have TO make some speeches, but not
such as are usually made in a political canvass.
Attacks upon the opposite party Or parties usu-
ally constitute the burthen of such speeches
they are proper in other canvasses, but not COM
mendable in a canvass for the Governorship. If
elected, the candidate becomes the Governor of
the state not of n n.rtv ord ebonlJ or Jop,oo,
himself as to give evidence of an impartial ex-
animation: and assurance of respectful inter-
course with all who may have occasion, or who
may feel an inclination, to call upon him. Act
ing upon these principles, ] shall make no dis
paraging reference to the parties opposed to me-
| shall applaud my own party-the same which
twenty years ago gave an exalted democratic
character to the slate--but say nothing deroga-
tory of others. In standing where have stood
for forty years in this state, and for all my years
of manhood before came to the state, | suffci-
emily show the preference which give to my
own without impugning or disparaging others.
merely say that sectional, or one idea par
ties, have always received my opposition far
more than the whig party, which, being national,
and resting on broad foundation, was the same
with the democratic in the ultimate object-the
general good--,hough differing about the means
of obtaining it. With these few remarks, say
nothing more about parties, nor shall say any
thing about myself | rely upon long public
life, full of incident, to answer every question
that concerns me-merely reminding my fellow
citizens that am not man of changes-tha t
what they have known me in the rast, am still
in the present, and expect to be in the future
proceed to speak of the public affairs, now more
troubled and dsordered than have ever known
them.
Citizens, take for my text the farewell words
of the Father of his country addressing his last
advice to the children over whom he had watched
and guarded, and from whom he was about to be
parted forever. Four years ago we seemed to
have attained the highest point of our harmony
and felicity. We were in the full enjoyment OF
Washington's wish. The harmony and fratern.
, di dncCllUH vi VIC OIiOi was COHipitlC- lit
felicity of the people, both politically and social
w., was at the highest. A President was elect
ted with unparalleled unanlmity-twenty sever
states out of thirty one voting for the same man
and he northern man. Two thirds of eac
! House of Congress corresponded in sentmen
i with the President-showing unanmity in III
' -. 4. hac ! ,t.
accession of new Administration.
e The commencement of the session of Congress
e -ls53-54-was political millennium Univel
o sal harmony prevailed. A brothery feeling pei
Y vaded the two Houses. National good will, an
n desire to do well the public business, was lh
temper of all. 1t seemed that nothing coul
+ rufile or mar the universal good feeling whic
: prevailed Two members from the free stale
tried it and failed. They delivered their Gus
tomary harangues upon the evils of Slavery
J, their harangues fell dead upon the noor-an'
e were not repeated. They died out under th
t cold and silent Indifference Of the House Abo
e liiion agitation was dead-extinct under pub
n opinion and the laws of the land. which had set
r tied it everywhere, and left not an inch OF terri
o tory on which the question of Slavery could b
IL raised.
1t has been circulated that the compromis
W measures of 1850 settled it; it is mistake
70 was settled before; and the merit of that ses
sion was, not that of settling any question, br
,L, IS J,eturhn,, ,yb,t tba h,J n.
:, settled. Its non interference was non interfe
1t ence with law, and the lesson which it taugl
g was, the wise lesson to let the laws Alone
10 There was not an inch of territory at that tin
in the Union on which the Slavery question W;
g not already settled by law. Look over the ma
's of the Union and you will see it. In the rem
" nant of the northwest territory above WiscoI
IS SIM it was settled BY the ordinance of 1857;
t the former province of Louisiana it was settle
IN up 10 the Rocky Mountains and out TO the Br
8, ish line by the Missouri Compromise line {
s, 1890; in Oregon, it was settled by the organl
Territorial law OF ls4S; in New Mexico, uta
and California, it was settled by the laws
ly Mexico in the District of Columbia it was Sc
h. tied by the laws of the states from which tn
n, district had been acquired. This constitutes tn
ID entire extent of the United States territories
lie that time--al quiet under the operation of exis
in ing laws, and no way to open the Slavery que
Id tion anywhere, except by repeating some
ct these laws; and that was a thing which ii
n Congress of 1850 would not do-and did not d.
ii Attempts were made to repeal the Mexica
sw anti-slayery laws in New Mexico, Utah and Ca
ifornia Congress refused to do it. Attemp