Washington sentinel., 1856-03-22
The Louisiana senators.

The Louisiana Senators.
The Mississippi Free Trader has an eloquent
correspondent at Baton Rouge, the political
seat of Louisiana. His sketches of character
are pungent and independent. We annex two
of Senators Slidell and Benjamin:
Mr.. SLIDELL came to Louisiana stranger.
By industry and ability he accumulated a
splendid fortune. He identified himself with
the Democratic party, and no popular clamor
no reyerses, no cajolery or temptation ever
seduced him from its standard A favorite of
our commercial classes deriving large por-
ton of his professional profits from their pat
ronage-always popular with the planting in
terest-and enjoying the confidence of our
capitalists, there have been periods Of his life
when, by changing his party, or merely modi
flying his opinions he might have been placed
at once at the head of the opposition, and at
tanned much earlier his present high rank
But he turned his back on every temptation,
and remained true to his friends in their darkest
period of disaster. And this it is--this polit,
cal integrity-this fxidity Of purpose-this
fidelity to friends that constitutes his strong
hold on public confidence. His friends, per-
sonal and POLITICAL repose in his integrity of
this is accompanied and sustained by iudg-
ment, discretion, tact frmness and ability such
as few statesmen possess. Few men have more
enthusiastic friends, and they attribute to him
in private life the kindness of heart, the gener-
osity and kindred social virtues without which
men may be honored, but not loved.
This is the portrait drawn for me here by
those who have known best and longest this
distinguished Senator, and / am proud to pre-
sent it to the public through your columns, be-
cause he occupies prominent position before
the country as one of the recognized leaders Of
our great national party.
Mr.. BENJAMIN, on the other hand, is one of
those rare men, who shine everywhere. He is
an able and logical writer. As a lawyer he
stands pre-eminent. As an advocate, few men
are his peers before the criminal tribunals In
the Senate he has Yon distinguished reputa
ton. He is, ! believe, native Of the West
Indies, but was brought when very young to
Charleston, and thence to New Orleans. He
read law in the Office of his colleague, the
Hon. John Slidell, with whom he has always
had the most friendly relations. He COM
menced life Wing, and has remained faithful
to the great men that adorned it, and to the
conservative principles they professed. True
to these-to the memory of Clay and Webster
Ito the glory of his country, and to his own
dignity, he refused to hold communion with
the Know-nothings, and has ever since acted
as patriot would, under the circumstances
with the Democratic party. Mr.. BENJAMIN is
man of mild and agreeable manners, with q
temper entirely under his control and habits of
personal industry that powerfully second his
eminent abilities.
The Washington Monument Mt n stand
StilI.
The National Monument to the Father of his
country, which has been for some years in pro-
gress at Washington, having fallen. into the
exclusive management Of a political party, 1.-THE
Know-nothings,) appears to have come to
dead-stand STILL Mr.. Vespasian Ellis, first Vice
President Of the new Monument Society, in his
official report says
/" The country cannot be reused to liberality.
nor even to gratitude and the agents who
have been appointed have, many of them, re-
turned to US disappointed and despairing and
deeply wounded by insult heaped upon them.
The scheme with which we entered upon the
work has been broken by the mistaken action
of our predecessors and it will be difficult,
indeed, IT not In vain, to renew it. The tide
had ebbed before our election, but we are not
responsible for the difficulties interposed by
others, which precluded us from taking at its
flood. We can only deplore it, and by renewed
and earnest effort endeavor to remedy the evil
which has already been done, to awaken public
feeling rather than go to Congress for legisla-
tive aid.
"The receipts of the year have been far less
than in any preceding year since the corner
stone was laid. The gross amount from all
sources has been but $7,740. We have now
$50 IN the treasury, and are in all responsible
for not exceeding $50 Of its debts contracted
by US, all OF which IS expected to be liquidated
| and paid by the end of this month Additional
accounts OF the receipts and expenditures are
prepared and ready for inspection.
All of these complaints are the natural re-
suits OF changing the original national anti
partizan design of the monument into a mere
speculation of political party. When the
know-nothings OF Washington elected them
selves to the management of the work, it was
given out, we believe, that the monument would
be speedily completed by collections from the
American party Councils throughout the Union.
This scheme having utterly failed, the only
alternative now is to re-invest the management
In society independent of all parties, and
open to subscriptions freely from all parties
nationalities, sects, and creeds of the American
people who may choose to contribute, flor
Washington was the benefactor of mankind,)
or else let the know-nothing Board of Man
agement, without further tinkering, turn over
the work TO Congress. We dare say that very
little will be raised for the monument from the
Councils Of the order this year, because all
their spare cash will be required to support
their newspaper organs, through the dry weather
OF the approaching season.--M T. Herald.
MIR. Boyce.
The Washington CorrespondentoftheC Charles
ton Mercury pays handsome tribute to Mr..
Boyce. He says: