Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-05-10
Mr.. Rcnjamin and the Cincinnati En-
quirer.
uItHJ stIFdUI,
JOHN S. BRIEN.

Mr.. benjamin and the Cincinnati En-
quirer.
His conversion to the principles of the
Kansas Bill is the more remarkable and i'm
pressive from the fact that in the contest be-
tween General Taylor and General Cass be
was one of the ablest assailants of the doc
trine of squatter sovereignty as proclaimed by
General Csss
We extract the above from the Cincin-
natl Enquirer of May 9th 1t is the con-
Guiding paragraph of an article headed
Accession" in which the editor is speak
ing of the late somerset Of Senator BEN
JAMIN of Louisiana, which has let him
down in the camp Of Democracy. We
have not seen Mr.. BENJAMINs speech on
the Kansas question, and do not know the
position he has assumed on the construc-
ton of that act He was in the Senate
at the date of its passage, and supported
it; and we have presumed that he gave it
the Southern construction, and repudiated
the Squatter Sovereignty version. But
from this rather remarkable paragraph
which we Judge to be from the pen Of Judge
WALKER formerly of New Orleans, and
now editor of the Enquirer, we are forced
TO conclude that he has straddled the
Northern hobby. We are not the less sur
prised at the position of Judge WALKER
himself.
He says Mr.. Benjamin's conversion"
mot to the Nebraska Bill for there was
no need Of conversion, to a measure
which he had supported on its original in
PRODUCTION but his conversion" to De
mocracy, is the more remarkable, in that
eight years ago he was zone of the ablest
aSsaiants of SoUATTER SOVEREIGNTY as pro-
claimed by Gen. CAss." IT'S true the par,
agraph says "his conversion TO the princi-
dies of the Kansas Bill" but this is equiva-
liant to Democracy, which claims the Kan
sas Bill as its peculiar property.
Are we to understand that when a man
becomes converted to the principle of the
Kansas Bill, or Democracy, he becomes
supporter of Squatter Sovereignty 1t
would seem so. For here we see South
ern man, the editor of Democratic paper
in Northern State, characterizing such
an event, as remarkable and impressive"
because in the canvass of '4S the convert
alluded to was opposed to Squatter Sover-
eighty. Why speak of Mr.. BENJAMN's
conversion to the principle Of the Kansas
Bill as remarkable and impressive" if it
did not involve an entire change in his con-
struction of that principle! Convert
means TO turn Ouer: 10 change; and when
man becomes converted, we say he has
changed.
Then the matter stands thus While
Mr.. BENJAMIN was Wing, he construed
the principle of the Kansas Bill to be nom
Intervention in the regulation of the slavery
question in the territories by any other
power than the people Of the territory,
in the capacity of formers of State con-
stitution; or in other words State soye-
reignty, as directly antagonistical to Squat
ter or Territorial sovereignty. But Mr..
BENJAMIN has changed; he has publicly
announced his adhesion 10 the Democratic
faith, and his intention to support Demo
cratic men, and we find a distinguished
Democratic editor hailing this change and
conversion" and characterizing it as ere
markable and impressive" from the fact
that he once held doctrine at variance
with that he now holds, and once was an
able "assailant" Of the faith he has now
become converted to. In other words Mr..
Benjamin opposed Squatter Sovereignty
in 1913, Mr.. Benjamin has become a con-
vert and supporter Of Squatter Sovereign
~ in 1856. Is not this an inevitable in
ference from the language Of this Demo-
cratic journal!
We await the arrival Of Senator BEN
JANNs speech with some degree Of anxiety.
We are curious to know if be has unequiy-
ocally asserted this most damnable doc
trine, or whether be has couched his avowal
in terms Of dubious import. The texture
Of the Jewish Senator's mind is said 20 be
peculiarly legal; that he is apt and facile
in making ''the worse appear the better
reason He has chosen a role which viii
give employment TO this faculty. A quaint
but sensible friend Of ours, once spoke Of
the Law as 'jargon Of words begotten ia
the night Of time II Mr. BENJAMIN ex-
poets 70 figure as Democrats politician,