New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-11-10

stege-.hOugh certainly in this speech they do cub
inmate. These boasts, however, on the part oil
Mr.. Benton, Of strength and vigor; Of his perpetual
iaboTs; Of his haste 10 finish great work only
IN ORDER TO commence another; OF the "coossai
labor" of his Thirty Years View, already pub
lsbed, and followed 10y the other "colossal labor
OF his ''Abridgment OF Congressional Debates,
Of which the first volume is already 10 the hands oil
the printer-both of them, Mr. Benton will permit
us to observe works far moIe "coossal Tor tue
printer and reader than for the compiler: bis snach
ing moment from these literary labors to travel
three nights and two days without rest or sleep,
in order to reach st. Louis in season to deliver this
speech: AZ Il even bis remarkable aud almost IN
credible feat Of "muffling himself up IN the
"coner Of seat as almost to escape Inc
scrutiny Of newspaper reporters and telegraph
men, and to have himself brought to 81.
Louis, where he arrived as flesh and vigorous
as when he set out, the news that he was coming;
all these boasts, though perhaps little extraEagant'
find certain support in what we know OF Col'
Benton's ysical constitution and habits OF He
man of such capacities and labors is Doubtless a
remsIhabe man; but, not conssnt with this, the
Colonel proceeds to set himself csrth as not merely
nan Of remarkable force and energy, which we
freely admit him to be, but as very miracle oil
political virtue, respecting which We must be al
lowed to entertain some doubts.
Tie Colonel tells biz It. Louis audtorS-and,
through his speech as reported, the rest oil
the WOrld-that in political life oil iorty
years and more he has been totally regardless
of himself AID his own personal interests and adj
vancement, having bad the public good in view as
bis sole and exclusive object. As the heart OF man,
even of such extraordinary men as Mr. Benton, Is,
according to high authority, not only desperately
wicked, but deceitful above all things, We do not
doubt that Mr.. Benton is a most firm and positive
believer in lis own diaintefesednets but the
grounds Of this faith in himself as he SEES them
forth in his St. Louis speech, do not seem TO us to
be absolutely conclusive. Thus he sets It forth as
convincing proof of his dsinterestedness, that al
though at the time personal enemy OF Gen. Jack
son, bayjDg been engaged with him in furious
and bloody quarrel, he yet came out in JacAson's
favor as presidents, candidate; while against the
charge made at the time that he did this in hopes OF
an Office, he trumphanty asserts the fact that
though several Offices in the way of foreign en-
bassies were teldcred to hun by Gen. jackson, he
never accepted any. Again he urges to the same
point bis refusal to support his iayOrte son-n-aw
for me Presidency, his adherence Instead to Bu-
chanau, with whom he has not been on speaking
terms for the last SIX or seven years, and his coming
all the way from Washington TO st. Louis to make
this speech in lis favor.
Now, taking into view the character of Mr. Ben
ton as displayed in his political career, we cannot
help being Of opinion that in supporting General
jackson be had himself in view AZ least quite as
much as tie country and its interests. Jackson
was the iayorie ca1 ddate Of the South, and to go
for him the nearest road to political promotion
AS to the argument derived from bis not having re.
ceiyed Office az General Jochsons hands we haze
TO reply that Mr. Benton preferred the position Of
leader of The Jackson party in the Senate, and con-
fdental adviser of tn, President, with all the
weight deri 'ed from that position, 10 any place
VII Oh the President could give him. He Judged
well Of bis own qualifications. His selfcoDcct, hot
temper and oserbearing disposition would have
made him a miserable diplomarst and bad Cabinet
officer. by nature fighter, if be could Dot head
army in the feld-which General Jackson as he
himself admits, had repeatedly promised him he
should do if occasion ofered-he preferred to
lead fororn hope in the Senate, feeling sure that
it wou,d soon swell, as it did, 10 a victorious
msjority.
AS to his preference of Buchtn nan to Fremont,
we do not doubt that he has been, as he says,
good father in-law to q sOn-in law whom he had so
many reasons to be proud Of But much as he
loves Fremont, he loves Thomas III. Benton more;
and when The question comes up between Fremont
as President of the United States aud Benton as
Senator from Missour-to promote which latter
result war planlytLe sole object of his rapid jour.
ney to st. Louis, as it is the evident one of bis
speech delivered Il ere-what great evidence Of Mr..
Benons dsinterestedness is it II at he forgets the
merits of Mr. Fremont, to say nothing Of the inter-
ess Of the batop, and shoyes both the one and the
other to the wall with the false imputation upon
Mr.. Fremont Of being sectional candidate; while,
in hopes to wrigge himself again into the Senate,
he holds out his hand ard gives lis vote TO Bu-
cbauar--a man whom he Knows to be utterly des-
ttute Of every qualification for the Presidency
which the crisis demands
Many Republican journals have expressed an
interest in the election Of Mr. Benton to the Sen.
ate We have no confidence ia him. and no desire
again TO see him there An AtchsOn or a String
fellow as Senator from Missouri would be much less
to be dreaded. Dir. Benton has occasionally given
the North some fair words-especially when he
thought LIZ had Il chance for Presidential nomna-
rion, vhich ike the f. in the fable, he affects SO
much to despise; but bis acts have always been
Ii =. Z Il