Indiana American., 1856-07-18
BRO0KVIIE FRANKLIN COUNTY INDIANA FRIDAY JULY 49, 1856


"0o Il Jessis.'
Col. Tom Benton IL q great man.
sirI He always hss been . great man
since he has been any man at all. lie
was q great man, and Senator from
Missouri, with house 1t Washing-
ton. when John O. Fremont was q
poor draughtsmsn and msppist. Free
mont would not have dared 10 propose
to Col. Benton 10 run away with him.
Such = thing would not have occurred
to him. for ho regarded Col. Benton
with becoming awe. But Col. Benton
had daughter. sweet and amiabIe
girl. Of whom young Fremont Was not
At all 10 awe. He had passed many
an evening in her company. and the
oftener he saw her. the oftener he
wished to see her. Love overca.ne
timidity. until ono day he found him.
self. hat Ia hand. with heated breath.
IN the presence Of tho Great Tom
Benton. asking him Cor his daughter.
But Tom would not do It. He was
inexoriabIe, and he refused TO do what
in few days Afterwards be Was ready
to do-Tom refused "to give him Jes-
sie." He also forbade Fremont the
House: but that the draughisman
cared little for. because It was not the
house he wanted. Finding all persua-
sion uselsss, the young couple deter
mined to be married clandestinsly.
and % they set about the prelimins-
ries. They found the protestant cIer.
Qy over-awed by the awful dignity Of
Col. Benton, and afraid to act; but
they found . Catholic priest. who
stood in no such fear. and the knot
was tied. Jus. before the decisive
step was tsFen, and her last step lin
gered upon the paterual threshhold.
the sweet daughters heart ysarned
for the mother. who she was thus ab
ruptly leaving. perhaps forever. and
she hung her head and sol bed; the
carriage.door stood open. the horses
pronced. another moment and all
might have been lost. go It Jessie"
was the word from the bridegroom,
the bound was made from Benton to
Fremont. IL great leap at that time.
the horses tore the pavement in their
fight; the night wore on;
"Thsyrl have asss ssssds who follow,re
thought the young draughtsman. as
his arm encircled Jessie. and he look.
ed at the moon under which so many
things have transpired. Col. Benton
walked in the morning, descended to
the breakfast table. but found no Jes-
sic. Her room was explored. but no
Jessie was found. and her bed had not
even been occupied. There was the
great Col. in a great rage sirI He
fio,hed and loaned, and rosred and
rsnted. perhaps he swore. He prom
ised he'd give the rascal q cowhiding
he'd give him six years 10 the PEN
itentiary-he'd give him-"You had
better give him Jessie" was the quiet
suggestionof the mother-perhaps she
was above half right.
One Of the grossest accusations
against Col. Fremont 10 the running
away with Tom Benton's daughter;
yet after oil. there is much to be said
ia extenuation. He admired the FAM
lily. and felt that he must have mem
Der oft To run away with the old
lady would have created great scan
dal; and to run away with the Colonel
himself was out Of the question he
took the only one Of the family he
could get. . rsnoe ~
Old Cardinal Richelieu said to Louis
Kill. when that monarch fell in love
with Julia Do Mortimer. niece Of the
Cardinal. "ifyou love somebody, Sire,
lovs mel" Benton was still more un-
reasonable-he shut his doors against
Fremont. and forbade him TO love any
of the family. What could he do
then but what he did?
Every pro-slsvery newspaper from
"54 20 or 6ght." down to SO. 60. pa
rades before its readers the damning
fact. that Fremont had the audacity
to run away with Col. Benton's daugh-
ter in order to be msrried to her.
That he told her to "Go 1t JESSIE" at
the very moment Of her departure
This fact is mentioned with an air Of
decisiveness. ss IL be had run away
with Col. Benton's pocket-book. or
favorite race. horse. In this country.
society. the laws. and public-opiuion.
all make . broad distinction. and so il
stands. in respect to their tribunals.
that Col. Fremont 10 neither more nor
less Ct 10 be President OF the United
States upon that account; and his wife
Is neither more nor less ct to dispense
the hospitalilies Of the Executive man.
sion. He will not receive vote more
nor less because Of the fact which ID
Of such unchallenged notoriety that
denial IL useless. isa ssss.
There is now . vast political and
moral question before the people; and
that question is freedom or slavery
Col. Fremont has planted himself
squarely and firmly upon the platform
Of freedom. Mr.. Buchanan, the op
posing candidate. 10 - fully commit
ted to slavery.
Recent events have given to t;,s
subject an imperious urgency. which
admits Of no delay. and will take nj
procrastination. Now Is the time Il
settle upon the respective principles o
the contending parties, without mixing
up the campaign with personal con
siderations. The Republican part!
have made up their minds. and le
them go Il Jsssis. ."-Dsfroit Adper