Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-13
THOMAS II, BENTON.
SKETCH or HIS LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES.
from the New American Cyclopa'iiH, Vol. HI u -
puhli.h.j on June l.

THOMAS II. BENTON.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES,
,From the New American Cyclopa.iia Vol. Hi' 10 NC
Published on June IL
Thomas HART BENTON was born near it7
horourh, Orange County, n. c., March IA, i,'.,-
III. father died when he was sight years Ola nis
sriv education imperfect; he was for some ,,oe
~ Grammar school, and siterwerd at Chapel I'M,
th. University Of North Carolina, but finished u"
rour,. of study there, rs his mother removed ~
Taune,.ee to settle tract Oh land belonging I'D
h, f,,her's estate. Thomss studied law, anu soon
WIS - .m;nence in that profession. lie was now
eI..d IN the Legislature serving only single tern'
,urinp which he procured the passage OIL ID" 10
formag the judicial system, ana OF anotiet eNiHE 10
slaves the benefit OF jury tr'a' ,he san,o % o
Andrew Jackson at that time Judge OF tne supreme
Court and subsequently, Majo .Genersi Oh t,e o.'le
Militia Benton became bis AID de'caiilp on" :. @
the war al.o raised regiment OF Vo1un.ee raio"o
from that service he derived the title Oh CoGn.
which has chung to him through life NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
the close intimacy between jackson aui n'a.. ID
which wss one of tho most cordial anu uhleseI'
chara,t.r rude aud sudden rupture took place "
which severe pistol and dagger wounds were sNec"
and produced a rencontre that es,rsnged them 'of
many years. ,,, NJ Madam
| After the volunteers were di.6snded Mr.. Mso's1h
appointed Colonel Benton, in 1918, lieutenant cor"
mel in the army, but his way To serve III oanaua'
in 1914 he heard the news OF the peace anu resigh
Ue now removed to Missouri. and took up MS apoas
in tho city of ST. Louis in lSl3 There ne ueso'ei
himself anew to his profession. Soon ho%efer' gu
ragng in the politics of the day. he was iea 10 le
Enlistment OF newspaper entitled the Missouri. ~ a.:
gus In this position he was involved IN many us
nm,ss and contentious Dues were usual at that tme'
and he had his share Of them, with their unhappy
consciousness. In of them, hich was iorcea up
on him, he killed his opponent Mr. Lucas-an EVEN
he despy regretted and all the private papers relating
10 which he has destroyed. His journal took ell onR
and vigorous stand in favor OF the admission Vi .i's
souri,, Notwithstanding her Slavery Constluuop' anu
when the angry controversy was terminated no "as
rewarded for his lsbors by being CHOSEN ons VI LUG
frat Senators from the new State
Ii il from this period lS2, thas ms poit'ca' il7
nv and the great influence he has exerted upon pup
lie affairs may be- said TO date. m.n III the ear
prime of life. possessed of commanding Wteileci
of arre and liberal culture, assdaous student, III
| dustrious temperate, resolute and endowed with
memory whose tenacity was marvellous, hs soo
placed himself in the front rank oil those VINO sHhpea
the councils of the nation. AS representative OF the
West, with the manifold intetesa OF frontier poPu
Is,ion in,rus,sd 10 his care Col Benton forthwith de
voted himself TO securing u reform in the land system
of the General Government pioneer himself u
early life he synoathised with the demands OF tns
class and his familiarity with the adin'nisira'iot
of Government taught him how fnllacious ana su'c'
Dial was the policy OF attempting TO derive reVenu.
from such a source. The general dlstress WINCH
prevailed throughout the country ID ioIo' alc
which bore with especial hardship upon the lana
|
subject, and afforded cause for the infiaSs WHICH
was taken in Congress in liberazlng the sYstem'-
A measure, devised by Mr.. Crawford Secretary
OF the Treasury, changing all iuture sH'ea ~ Wv
cash basis, reducing the price 10 81 - Pc! hete
and allowing discount equal TO the oine1emc'
10 former purchasers afforded material reli=t l5u
this wac not all thar was needed First, pre- enpu''
right all actual settlers; secondly, periodic reouc
ton according to the time sections had been 10 marh
et, to make the prices correspond WIN Tue qu
h;rll fh..d ar Mt
poverishpd but industrious persons who would cui'
vats the coil for given number Of years, and THEREBY
develop the resources OF the couniry-thtse were 81
points essential to the needed reform Col. beio'
apprehended the full scope OF these chsnSss anu w
ter mined to persst in urging ih-n nnlil Inty shou'
be accomplished The years 1874. 1870 1870 hccoru
. iuey found him doing bait fer such amehora''oh
the entire system. bill embracing these teh'u''
: was moved by him and renewed annually uh.l' u
| last took hold upon the public mind Al hrst ~
, soe.ches attracted more attention throughout th
country than in Congress- for there HE efforts wer
counterscted ty schemes for dividing The Puohc iai
or the proceeds Of their sale: among the States. III
, firmness and position in the Senate az supporter
the Administration of jackson. gave him great weigh
with that party and hs was thus enabled so Tar 10 n
press hi- views upon the President that tney wer
embodied in one of his messages, and from that oat
the ultimate triumph Of land reform became only
. question OF time. -,
} In his own State OF Missouri there were larg
= quantities of saline and mineral ands which II ma
been the object OF the General Government 10 Win
draw from sale and farm out. This injurious mono
; poly was also aimed nj in his measures, ana No sue
c.eded in elfectug change which threw all open U
occupancy. Intimately blended with the same SUP
D ject sad moved by the same considerations, Wer
the efforts which he began during the hrst term OF 81
senatorial service. 10 effect repeal OF Inc npori
upon all necessaries OF life. ffie duties bore VIII
great hardship upon the population Of the valley
the Mississippi Ii was tribute ieved upon then
in part 10 sustain Government and in part TO protrc
special interests. In some cases tins was most upe
quail as well oppreCsiye, and We may clio The sni
tax I'd one TINT at that lime nlet eth more nost
:hsn any other. During the Session OF lS!9- ~, u"
Benton delivered the first elaborate argument again'
r this burden upon primo necessary ana aiter"ar
followed II rp in suoh manner rs TO eject ha re
peal. A., e.
West in fixing the attention of Government upon In
D early occupancy of the mouth OF The COLUMBIA l
encouraging overland transit from the Atianhc 10 u
| Pacific, Col. Benton was hlso prominent. lie M
2 previously devoted himself 10 threa snhjecfa M
written largely upon them in 1915 and no sooner la
ba taken his seat in the Senate than he nnds dlrec
pforfs TO engage Congress and the pubic IN IN" gra
/ enterprise From the researches OF CLARK and 10
gers from tho Suggestions of Jefferson, from report
OF trappsrs and voyagers, and from inc courses
Continental streams, be first elaborated the pro)hc
of overland connection, and "a science expanded an
= knowledge of the intervening wilderness oeca'n
more dehnite. bis views took form in the proposes
. for great Central iislwsy. The roGte rrged b.
Il him M preferable to all others is through tn
passes of the Rocky Mountains discovered B.
! Fremont, Known A. the Coochetope, and dehon
? ching upon Caliioraio through gaps IN the slerr
! Nevada. For many years lie Wa :bs Leading adVo
cate and supporter in tho Senate OF the whole schrm
Z of western exploration. 1t will thus be asen Inn
Col Benton hecame. almost al the outset OF his career
the exponent OF wesIef Interests, and though large
participating in all the greet Ci6asErea am poitic"
Ie, ,rI.yt hafu
r what was due to his own immediate constituency
The success which hss s:eady attended land reform
the establishment fpreempnoH' ne Rraouauoi
price, The donations to works ot pnbiie improvement
all trace their origin to hs continuous aoors IN su
bordinaon TO these isading objs1s, be likewise az
much to open up and protect inc trsdH WIN we"
! Mexico, TO encourage the establishment OF hliiar
staors en- the Missouri and throughout the INFERIOR
TO cultivate sGicsble relations with ine lnGah t'Iss
and 10 favor the commerce OF our inland seas tna
u now bear ouch wealth of freighs. The marking
j. out Of post rosds, and securing appropriations i"
their maintenance, was especially WORK OF h's ow
undertaking, and Ia benefit has oeeh ueePy 1911
every branch OF weetern trGd6.
IJpon the wider theatre Of nationa! polite, tie ca
reer OF Col Benton was equally remarkable In IN
currency Disputes Which ATTENDED tue tx
the charter olthe Bank OF the United States thn re
charter sfterw ard and the final veto message OF Jack
son, Col, Benton addressed himsef tn consideration
of the whole question Of finance, circulating medium
and exchange, md brought fcrxsfd ha proposition
for gold and silver currency aS The true remedy 10
existing embarrdssmsn'H, and the only nghtful mai
um for Government disbursements and receipts. Up
On th:. subject hs made many Of the most elaborate
speechea OF his La speeches that bet,ay great re-
seurch clnes study Of Enanne, GEd full knowledg
Il the evils tina, often attend expanded paper Issues
In Europe, as we'll as in America his expeditions a.
tracted great attention, and extended widely his repu
tation HIS debater, thinker, and practical states
nan. At this time his oforatory wad deoer
ate and unimpassloued, bis matter full tc overhown!
with facts, figures, logical deduction end historical II
Iustrstion but almost wholly devoid Of that exube
rance Of w and raniness of huinor which character
ix- his lister disroarses. The elaboration which h
gave 10 ,hess views paved the way for subseqnen
legislation upon the national 6nence, oDd DID much Z
consolidate tho sentiment of the Democratic Purity il
favor of the Sub Treasury system which was eventu
ally adopted. 1t was from the financial policy which
he thus enuncated that be derived the sobriquei o