The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-28
GENERAL DUFF GREEN ~ REPLY TO
+. p. BLAIR, SEN

II.
oo, - t h n characteristic expose OF the ads given
nv him and the late Col Benton to the anti-slayey mem,
bers Of Congress 10 guide them IN the next piesaeai
canvass Ii purports to be reply to publication made
y Mr. Jones Col Bentons son in-law, hut Is libel on
lie presidntof the United States which my relation 10
him and TO the matters of which be speaks, makes IL
proper for to notice With the quarrel between r
blair and Mr. Jonesl have nothing TO do Whethcf oo'.
pnton at the time of his death was the friend or the
en,y OF the President would be to me matter OF IN
difference were not that Mr. Blair purpose u 10 give
weight aud influence to Col Benton opinions that they
NAV be used with effect in the next presidential canvass
He says;
shen he dcd ike Clay and Jackson len written
anIi declaring the confidence Mr. Buchanan
~ me ketc a hi, submitted his and 70 the
h ma .ore 81, fatal illness says supported
nhann against inaw Col Fremont aud assigns the
nples Of the ADMINISTRATION and tbs apprehension thai
ne sece Of Col would engsnder seouona fatal to
the Of thc Union ou' he Aas a soon p ne had &C
ea,.oa % chang toth cpinona'
The purpose of this extract from " the sketch Of he's h
,,bqa has rion and sent 10 he press By him. was 10
show that Col Benton had said that such was Mr.. Ben
IONS respect AMI confidence in Mr. Buchanan in 1856
that he voted for him in preference to his own son In
law and that the ground OF that preference "a
8lence that If elected Mr. Buchanan would restore the
prncipes of the Jackson administration and the appe
henso that the Of Col Fremont would engendcr
sectional parties fatal 10 the preservation OF the Union
hut soon after had occasion to change opinions.
1t is here admitted that Mr.. Benton had occasion 10
chance both Opinions hat WAS that occasion y Mr..
Blair tells us he dapproved of that part of the In
augura address which approved Of the opinion OF the Su-
preme Court the bred Scott case and would have ms
believe that Col Benton lost his condolences in Mr. Blu
cbanan because Mr.. Buchanan had confidence IN the
Supreme Court Ii admit this to be ''proper
occasion for losing confidence in MIR. Buchanan,
was it proper occasion to change his opinion
that the election Of Col Fremont '',rouM eyedr
nal parties fafai 10 The preservation 81 IN, Jnion? What
had TRANSFERRED to change his opinion of the effect Of the
election OF Fremont Had Fremont given any proofs
that he is less sectional now than he was then Is Col
Fremont more acceptable to the South than he
them Are the .,leads furnished by Colonel Benton
through Mr.. Blair to Mr.. King and Mr. Hamn to DO
by them Submitted to the caucus OF members OF Con
giess representing the republican anti slavery party in
Congress- organizing resistance to the whole system OF
administration founded the decision OF the
Supreme Court such to discountenance sectional
parties fatal to the preservation OF the Union r.
Mr. Blair would have believe that this declaration of
Col Benton preference for Mr. buchanan in 1856 and his
subsequent change of opinion is entitled to greater
spect because it given in ''sketch OF his life
submitted his revision and sent to the press just before
his death. Mr. Bair's purpose was to give to MI Ben
tons sketch the characteristics Of death bed declaration
BY proving that Col Benton cond thus on the verge OF
the grave give false for his conduct and
opinions Mr. Blair shows coneusively that Col Benton
was utterly unworthy Of belief when he dared to impute
dlshonorabe and reasonable motives to Others For he
who is ignorant of his motives who Intentionally
represents them falsely is utterly unfit to interpret the
motives of other persons The explanation Of Col Ben
ton support of Mr. Buchanan in 1856 and of his support
of Col Fremont in 1851 is on the surface In 1856 he
himself candidate before the people of Missouri and knew
that to intimate belief that Fremont would be elected
that he was opposed to Mr. Buchanan would utterly defeat
his aspirations He pretended to favor the election
Mr. Buchanan because he wished to obtain for himself
the votes of Mr. Buchlnans friends That his preference
for Mr. Buchanan then not sincere is proved by Mr.
Blair who publishes the following letter
srRKHr December /.
DEAN I'm z % 1.ahn print, 1a "a, s az y e corr :. as
taken a, the 0ina0 q tae session fotfes and fiy and wick
Respectfully THOMAS II. BENTON.
FRANCIS z BLAIR esq w saSgr sp,,n g,y
This letter. like the SKETCH is characteristic We
told that Mr. Benton for Mr.. Buchanan and against
Col Fremont in 1856, because he was then apprehen
sve that the of Fremont would engendcr sectional
parties fatal to the preservation of the Union On the
first of December 1857 he opposed to Mr.. Buchanan
and for Fremont because rociscc aud folly, and ,cick-
aiaess hare fired things to tie hands Of he friends IF harmony
and uoa and for them 10 apaa themselves Of The ddua-
tages
Col Benton admits in his sketch, that the character
and purposes of the party who for Fremont in 1856
such that he himself believed that Fremonts cleo
on would be fatal to the preservation of the Union
and yet in December 1851 he would rally these
supporters OF Fremont the friends Of harmony and
union In 1856, their would be fatal to the
Union In 1857 they the friends of the Union Is
il apparent that Col Bentons explanation of his
motives and conduct utterly unworthy of belief! IL
there be any who doubts this, refer them to Mr.
Blair who says
Tho leads given him submitted through Mcssrs
King aud amIn the the members Congress
party imboied
heretofore pubshedone organizing 10 the whole system
administrations founded The decision the
Court 10 spread slavery all the Territories Of the Union In
virtue Of the constitution Of the United States and another preamble
witha resolutions designed effect the principles
Of the ordinance Of 1887 in all newly acquired territory, beginning
with Arizona and prohibiting the existence OF slavery therein
aIr. Blair says further
These recognised fred ,.ey If the republican
patty dcte Congress public opinion
for their epectuafion =
The dead Benton and the living Blair are thus admit
ted to be the who have organized the opposition to
the administration, upon the basis OF resistance to the
Supreme Court and enforcing 1.-THE principles Of the
dnance Of 1887 in all the newly acquired Territories
beginning with Arizona and prohibiting the existence of
slavery therein.
And who are Col. Benton and f. p Blair 7 / forbear
to speak of their personal aneccdens Ispeak Of them
as claiming to be entitled 10 'iad the sfrcnds Of har
mony and union. Col Benton was a citizen of Mis-
souri, and the editor Of the st Louis Enquirer zeously
opposed the attempt to impose the principles Of the
ordinance Of 1881 that State and, reward
for that service elected to the Senate If il be right
to enforce that principle the Territories now why
did he oppose it then y The ia ON the surface
He candidate for the United States Senate then and
his sonn law is candidate for the Presidency now To
accomplish his selfish purpose it necessary to
oppose the principle then, and To support IL now.
Mr.. Blair the partisan and confidential correspon-
dent of Mr. Clay and furnished confidential letter from
Mr. Clay to prove the charge of bargain against Mr. Clay
He came to Washington and the organ and confidential
friend Of Dir. Van Buren, denounced the charge that Mr.
Van Buren, wished TO abolitionze the northern democracy
as libel on him aud his friends and urged his election
upon the ground thai he northern with south
ern principles pledged TO protect the rights of the South
At.ns r ....lA