Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-07-24
B. R. co#EN EDITOR s PRoPRIEToR.]

took hs seat on the 9th of July. The Le
gislature, during the following winter, elect
ed him tor the unexpired term, and in 1874,
ne was reelected for the full term of ST,
years, which expired in 1850. Owing t.
local difficulties, and 10 partial disorgan
za'lon resulting from jealou les and heat
burnings, the election of 1850 resulted mos
disas'rous'y for the Wings; the Democrat.
eiecting their Govern,r by a large majority
and securing sm II majority on ioint ballot
IN the Legislature. The Legislature met in
1851, and alter long struggle Commodore
StUckron was chosen Senator over Mr.. Day
ton by very close vote. -ar
Since the exoiration of his Senatorial
term Mr.. Dayton has devoted his time to
his profession, and his practice, which had
suffered from his aosenre, was at once re-
viVed and greatly extended, and he probably
to-day enj,ys as l1rge practice as any 9TH
er lawyer in the State. He was not, how
ever, an ind fferent spectator of the polite
al events of the day. He was delegate to
the Batlmore Conyention where he was
- -
.onsof ske most prominent Of. TIE many
eminent men who supported Gen. Scott
During the Campaign ne was &C; i've AMI un-
tlring in his exertons in behalf of tina,
gallant sOliier. Since that time Mr.. Day
ION took no prominent part in politics, until
the repeal of The Missouri compromise a.
reused every man of the North. This un-
Pardonable violation of good faith Judge
Dayton has never hesitateG to characterize
IN the terms it deserves. In his speech on
taking the chair to preside over the State
Convention Ut the 4ih of June, be, in an
eloquent and manly manner, set forth the
evils which had sprung from that infamous
measure, and unhesitatingly declared that
Kansas should be admitted into the Union
only as free State.
When Mr.. Dayton entered the Senate he
was youngest man in the body, having barely
attained zthe age OF thirty-hve. Benton.
S.las Wright, Berrien, Crittenden, Evans,
and Choate were then Senators, and Mr..
Dayton almost at once took rank with these
the leading minds of the nation. Subse-
quently he served with Clay, Webster, and
Calhoun, and even with these great men he
tock rank as among the first six men then
in the Senate. He never rose without COM
manding the fixed attention of his compeerS
and in the memorable debates on Texas an
nexation and questions arising from the
Mexican war his arm deal. some of the
heaviest blows. His first speech in the
Senate was in vindication of the character
and credit OF the Federal Government from
the aspersions which the temporary repudia-
ton of some States had brought upon il
In the debates on the Oregon difficulties,
the tariff, ihe annexation of Texas, the
treaty Of peace with Mexico, the Wi'mot
previso, ard compromise measures of 1850
ne :ook patriotic and conservative ground,
without regard to its effect upon himself
His able. manly, and unanswerable defence
of the policy of General Taylor's admins
tration on the slavery quest ion has been con
ceded On all hands to be one of the greatest
triumphs in debate ever witnessed in the
Unired St1tes Senate.
On the Compromise measures-that heal
ing balm which was TO close, without leav-
ing scar, the fi.e bleeding wOunds--Mr.
Dayton's course has been by the progress OF
events triumphantly vindicated. He urgeu
the admission of California as State with
the constitution her people had formed, and
he opposed with all his force the tacking of
any other measures upon it. When the
omnibus bill, as it was nicknamed, was lost,
and the different measures came up separate
ly, Mr.. Dayton opposed the Texas boundary
bill and the fugitive slave law, and support
ed the acts for the admission of CaIifurn ia
and abo!ishing the slave trade in the Dis
trict of Columbia. The wisdom and sagaci-
iy of the man who opposed the great con
cessions to the spirit of slavery contained
in the two first named of these bills has
been most clearly proved since BY the re-
moved aSssresSians npon The rights Of the
North, predicated upon this very compro-
mise of 1850, which was to be final settle
ment OF the whole question. The Kansas
Nebraska bill was the Legitimate fruit OF
the bills organ z'ng the Territories OF New
Mexico and Utth. 1t is but just to say
however. that he has never been an extreme
or radical man even on the question Of slav-
cry.