M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-04-29
From the Washington Globe.
Biography Of Colonel Benton.

IHlllsborough, Orange county, North
Carolina, March IA, 1882. His father
died when he was eight years old.
He attended a grammar school, and
afterwards Chapel Fill, the Uniyersi-
ty of North Carolina, but did not
complete a course ofstudy. lie studied
law at William and Mary College, un-
der the direction ofSt. George Tucker,
and in 1911 commenced the practice
of law in Nashville, Tenn, to which
State his mother had previously re,
moved. lie was elected to the Legis.
lature, serving only asingle term, du-
ring which he effected change in the
judicial system, and obtained the pas.
sage of a law giving slaves the right OF
trial by jury.
Andrew Jackson, then Judge of the
Supreme Court of Tennessee, and af.
forwards Major General of the State
Militia, was one ofhis earliest friends.
Benton became his aid de. camp, and
during the war with Great Britain
raised q regiment of volunteers. -
About this time q misunderstanding,
which is said to have resulted from
the agency of Jackson in a duel in
which q brother Of Benton was severe
Il ly wounded, led to a violent conflict
between Benton and Jackson in ho-
tel !noNashville, causing an cstrango.
ment for many years. When their
country, in after years, required their
united support, they forgot private
passion in their equal love for the pub
/ lie good, became reconciled, and, du.
ring Jackson's administration, and
ever after, remained fast friends.
! In 1918, President Madison ap.
/ pointed Colonel Benton a lieutenant
colonel in the Army, but peace was
declared while he was OH his way to
Canada, and he resigned his commits,
sion. In 1915, he settled in st. Louis,
where he resumed the practice of law,
and edited the Missouri Argus. One
of the many disputes in which his po,
sition as political editor involved
him, led to the duel in which he killed
Mr.. Lucas. This event he is said to
have afterwards deeply regretted. In
his paper he strongly advocated the
admission of Missouri into the Urion,
notwithstanding the slavery clause in
her constitution; and in 1920, he was
elected by the Legislature to the Uni.
ted States Senate, in which be took
his seat on the adoption of the Missouri
compromise, in August, 1921. Hero
he remained, by successive elections,
thirty years; during which he stood
prominent among the first men Of the
nation.
As a representative Of the West, he
stroye successfully to liberalize the
land system of the General Govern
ment; his leading land measures, af.
ter a strenuous effort for years, being
finally adopted by Congress, Oh the
recommendation of Jackson. lie also
succeeded in opening to general occu
pancy the mineral and saline lands Of
the West, previously withdrawn from
sale, and farmed out by the Govern
ment, BY his energetic opposition to
imposts on the necessaries Of life, he
effected the removal of the duty on
salt. The exploration ofthe far West,
the occupation of the mouth of the
Columbia river, and the overland
transit to the Pacific, early engaged
his attention; and, more than any
other man, he may be said to have
originated the project Of the Pacific
railroad. The route which he consid-
cred preferable for such a road is that
discovered by Fremont, through the
passes ofthe Rocky Mountains, known
as the Coochetope, and debouching
upon California through the gaps Of
the Sierra Nevada.
In the debates on the currency, at
tending the expiration Of the charter
of the United States Bank, its renewal,
and the final veto message of Jackson,
Colonel Benton gained the greatest
glory of bis life. With the most mas
terly ability, he advocated the adop-
tion OF a gold and silver curreney as
The only constitutional and proper me-
dium Of Government receipts and dis
bursements, and was chiefly inStru-
mental in establishing the Sub Treas
ury system. From his support of the
hard money policy he derived bis SOU
briquet of"Old Bullion"
In 1887, after long and violent
contest, in which the great distin,
gushing features of bis mind and
character were mos. strikingly illus.
trated, he succeeded in procuring the
passage Of a resolution by the Senate
expunging Mr.. Clay's resolution, pass
ed three years before, censuring Gen
eral Jackson for the removal OF the
i deposits. 1t was on this occasion that
he uttered the celebrated words =
Solitary and alone set this ball il
, notion"
n l I l..