Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-07-19
Benton on the State Of Politics
A SPEECH

SFE6CH
DsIiuereqat 81. Louis on Saturday, June 81, SO.
After the enthusiastic cheering which bis
appearance upon the stand excited, had sub
sided, Col. BENTON said
CITIZENS: / appear before you in an unex-
pected charscter-that of candidate for the
Governorship of the State of Missouri. 1t was
place which had Not sought, but which feel
bound to accept in the present condition of the
cOuntry-its peace greatly endangered both at
home and abroad, and service of all good citi-
zens required to aid in preventing the double
calamity of civil and foreign war The nom-
nation for President made at Cincinnati en-
Outraged me in the hope of seeing those caam-
tiles averted and has chiefly contributed TO
my present course. | will assist the new Pre-
sident Qor | look upon Mr.. Bnthsnan's e',c-
ton as certain in doing what | am very sure
be will do, thai is to say, all in his power TO
preserve the peace of the country, at home and
abroad, and TO restore the fraternal feelings
between the different sections Of the Union,
now so lamentably impaired / shall have TO
make some speeches, but not such as are usu-
ally made in political canvass. Attacks up
on the opposite party or parties usually con-
stitute the burden of such speeches: they are
proper in other canvasses, but not cOmmenda
bic in a canvass for the Governorship. If
elected, the candidate becomes the Governor
of the State, not of party; and should so de-
mean himself as TO give evidence of an impair
tial administration, and assurance of a respect
fnl intercourse with all who may have coca
sion or who may feel an inclination to call up
on him. Acting upon these principles, | shall
make no disparaging reference TO the parties
opposed to me. / shall applaud my own party
the same which twenty years ago gave an
exalted Democratic character TO the State
but say nothing derogstory of others. In
standing where | have stood for forty years
in this State, and for all my years Of manhood
before ! came to the State, | sufficiently show
the preference which give to my own with
out impugning or disparsging others. l mere
Iy say that sectional, or Une-idea parties, have
always received my Opposition-far more
than the Wing party, which, being national,
and resting on q broad foundation, the
same with the Democratic in the ultimate OBJ
ject-the general good-though differing
about the means of obtaining it. With these
few remarks say nothing more about parties,
nor shall | say anything about myself. rely
upon a long pub bic life, full of incident, TO an.
swer every question that concerns me-mereS
ly reminding my fellOw-citzens that | am not
man of changes-that What they have
known me in the past, am still in the pre-
sent, and expect TO be 10 the future. pro-
coed TO speak Of the public affairs, now more
troubled and dsnrdered than | have ever
known them. Citizens, take tor my textile
farewell words of the Father of bis Country,
addressing his last advice 10 the children over
whom he had watched al guardeI, and from
whom he Was about TO be parted forever. A
father about to die collects his children around
him, ,bestows his psternal benedictiOn upon
them; exhorts them to trsternsl affection; ut
tiers prayer for their happiness, and resigns
his .soul to his Maker. Uppermost in his
thoughts, and deepest n his heart, is the wish
for family harmony, and for brothery aud Sis
terly affection. Peace in the family circle Is
the last aspiration of his lips-the last pulsaton
of his bosom. He dies praying for peace
among his descendants. Such is the last fare
well Of the natural father, parting from the
offspring of his loins. Washington had no
children Of bis lons, but he took to himself
whole nation of beloved aud cherished child
rem. lie was the Father of his Country! and
dying, he initiated the natural father, and left
his benediotion, his psternal bleSsDg-his last
advice-Gnd bis eternal words TO the nation
al family which he had adopted. whose
infancy he had protected, and whose future
welfare and greatness was the supreme object
of bis heart. Peace and harmony was his
prayer. No jealouses or heart-burnings-no
sectional divisions or Antipathies-no geogrs-
phical distinction-no North-no South-was
the PRAYER of his soul and the burden of his
invocation; and that last and paternal prayer
has been granted until lately. traLsient
cloud, dark and portentous, had sometimes
threatened to mar the general harmony but
wise and patriotic men by safe aud gentle
measures, had always carried off the threaten
ing storm, and left peace and sunshine to over
-. FRaNN n
have attained the highest point OF our harmo-
ny aud felicity. We were in the fullest enjoy
ment of Washingtons wish. The harmony
and fraternRl affection Of the Union was com
plete. The felicity of the people, both political
ly aud socially, was at its highest. A Presi-
dent was elected with unparalleled unsDimty
--twenty-seven States out of thrty-one voting
for the same man, aud he a Northern man.
Two-thirds of each House of Congress cores
ponded in sentiment with the president
showing a unanimity in the national councils
never before witnessed at the accession of
new administration.
The commencement Of the session of Con
gress. 1854 was political miilenium. Uni
Versal harmony prevailed. A brotherly ieel-
ing pervaded the lwo Houses National good
will, and n desire TO do well the public busi-
ness was the temper of all. Ii seemed that
nothing could rutiie or msr tue universal good
feeling which prevailed. Two members from
the tree states trled IL and failed. They de-
livered their customary hsrAngues upon The
evils Of slavery; their bGrangues fell dead up
on the hoor-and were not repeated. They
died out under The cold and silent indifference
of the House. Abolition agitation was dead
extinct under public opinion and the laws OF
he land, which had settled It everywhere, aud
lett not an inch of territory on which the
question Of slavery could be raised. IL has
b en- circulated that the com2romlse measures
Of 1850 settled il; IL is q mistake, II Was set.
tied before, and the merit Of that session Wa,
Dot that of settling any question, bat that OF
Tot disturbing Whist had been already settled.
ltsnon interference was non-interierence with
the law, and the lesson il taught was, the
wise lesson TO let the laws aloEe. There was
not square inch Of territory al that time In
the Union, on which the slavery question was
not already settled by law. Look over the
ulAp Of the Union and you will see IL. Ia the
remnant Of the Northwest territory hboSs
Wisconsin, il was settled by the ordinance o.