Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-06-07
Letter from Col. Benton.

Col THOMAS H. Benton has written the
following reply to an official notice that he
had been nominated for Governor of Nilsson.
ri -
GENTLEMEN | have received your letter on
the subject of the nominations made by the
Democratic Convention at Jefferson City, and
am greatly pleased with the whole Of them, ex-
cept the one which relates to myself That
takes me by surprise, and must remain under
consideration until | return-which will be
soon, as | am nearly through the occupation
which has detained me here. In the mean time,
if any other person was thought of for the Go
vernor's nomination, in the event of my inabili-
ty to accept it, would wish him to be brought
forward at once, without awaiting any further
answer from me-
1t is my intention to speak on the state of
public affairs when | get to Missouri, but not
IN the way of a canvass nor as a candidate for
any Office, but to do my part as a citizen, in
trying to preserve the peace and harmony of
the Union, and to keep agitation and sectional
ism out of our borders-two evils now besettinc
the whole United States, and our own State
above ALL
] consider slavery agitation, (and its ma
tural offspring, sectional antagonism,) the
greatest curse, both socially and politically,
which could befal our Union !; and that curse
is now upon us, and brought upon US design
edly and for the worst of purposes The Mis-
souri, Compromise line, the work of patriotic
men, had stood above thirty years, and there
was not one among those contriying its repeal
who was not upon the record, (in votes or
Speechcs), for its support up to the time of its
abrogation and Mr. Calhoun himself, as late
as lS4S-only two years before his death, and
after he had broachcd the doctrine of no DOW
cr in Congress to legislate upon slavery in Ter
ritorieS-rcpudiated the idea of repeal, and de-
clared that the "0tempt" to do so would ''dis-
turb tie peace and harmony Of The Taioa." 1t
has been attempted and accomplished and the
peace and harmony of the Union has been de-
stroycd
Out Of the repeal of this Compromise has
sprung forth ncc test of Democracy, which
consists in eXacting party allegiance to the
principles of the Kansas-Nebraska bill. The
first inquiry upon the virtue of this new test is,
to find out what those principles are aud the
result is diametricaly opposite, as it comes
from one side or the other of the Potomac Ri
yer. From the North the answer is. Souatter
Sovereignty as being the inherent right of
the people of the Territory to decide the ques-
ton of slavery for themselves, and to have it
or not, just Us they please. In the South that
definition is held to be rank demagoguerv, and
that the people of the Territory, no more than
Congress- have not a particle of power on the
subject that the Constitution carries slavery
with it into every Territory, as soon as acquir-
ed, overriding and controlling all laws against
it, and keeping it there in defiance of the peo-
pie, or Of Congress, until the Territory becomes
State and excludes it.* Thus the advocates
of the test are as opposite as light and darkness
in telling what it is, and surely they ought to
agree upon it before they require others to be
lieve in it. 1t is impossible to believe in both
and | believe in neither / believe in the old
doctrine, that the Territories are the property
Of the United States, and under the guardian
ship of Congress, and subject to such laws as
Congress chooses to provide for them, Cor to
permit them to make for themselves until
they become States and after that (the chill
dren arrived at 81 years of age) they are out
of guardianship, and have all the rights of
their fathers. That is my belief, and has been
the belief of the whole United States until late
Iy, and especially the belief of those who now
deny it, and who are upon the record and that
Witness (to go no further back the bill for
the admission Of Texas in lS45, on which all
who voted for that admission voted for the re-
establishment of the Missouri Compromise line
in that part Of it south Of the Arkansas River
where it had been abrogated by the laws and
Constitution of Texas Witness also the de-
bates and speeches on the Oregon bill in lS4S
also the attempts to extend the Compromise
line to the Pacific in lS50-alS0 the votes of
some of these advocates in favor of the WiImot
Proviso aud, above all, the protest of the
;" But leny that the laws of Mexico can have the cf
feet attributed to them Chat of keeping Slavery of
New Mexico, California aud Utah) As soon as the rea-
ty between the two countries is ratified the sovereignty
and authority OF Mexico in the territory acquired by It,
become extinct and that of the United States is suhstitu
ted in its place carrying with it the Constitution, with
its overriding control all the laws and institutions of
Mexico, nc"n zi-tcnt with H'-1E T0iao"a's Oregon
SpCtch. lS4S,