The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-28

eicnce 10 The abolition aud dsuniOn convention at Pitts
burgh In the spring of 1856 OF which his father Pre
dent, and in which he named AS delegate When his
reply to that use of his received in Washington
toldCol Benton my conviction that the younger
the same kidney the elder heaeer0u and that under
whatever name auspices he blair jr might be elected
not elected he would betry the democratic party be-
tray the Benton democracy OF Missouri and betray Col
Benton himself Col Benton annoyed ut Blair jr
eqaiyocaton and pronounced his reply not TO be manly
of mp 10 the OCCASION but he did not therefore turn
Blair arift for his attachments everybody knows We're
strong and not easily rooted ont Blair r himself how
ever by his conduct onyinced Col Benton Of that faint in
the man character that had ontedout After the State
election In Missouri was over in August 1856 and Col Ben
ton, by permitting his to be used for the governor
ship had secured the election of Blair junior Congress
democrat and the regular democratic ticket of
Buchanan and Breckinrdge, the affairs of Col Benton
called him back to this city But previous to the Pres
idential vote in November he returned to st louis
making that arduous journey three times in period of
about eleven weeksto participate in the final prepare
tons for the election and to perform his duty citizen
at the polls On has scay o he met al Lctayeae Id.ana
r. Blair junior, ,piiy aiedy from 81 Loais, escope
10 siraAe oery duties Aat he (Benton) mating Journey
q heo thousand mules forth and back 10 perform. Col
Benton told Of this when he returned to Washington
aud spoke Of it unexamped rccrcancy and in terms
OF indignation that have seldom heard him
From all this it will be very proper conclusion that
have not for time had exalted opinion of the char
acteiistics of either of the Messfs f. T. Blair But eturn
ing from long absence, had shaken hands with both
OF them, in august presence mortality
showed at the gates of DEATH and under circumstances
of peculiar solemnty l should. therefore, again
have used the OF either the other of them
in adisparagng way but for the Infamous piece which
they caused to be put anonymously into the Tribune
Nay, under that proyocation and with entire
tainty both from internal evidence in the piece ITSELF
and from circumstances that unsought to my know
ledge that they the guilty parties, avoided
shown above, the of their Names and any intma-
ton that could have pointed, called suspicion To
them They presumed on that forbeaance and avowed
finn, a utftt. linn
gravated it by additional caunes and aspersons Of the
great that they pretended to veneate Even under
the proyocuton OF that piece answered with moderation
that surprised myself 10 expose the fasty Of what
they had published originally and how their state
ments proved ii to draw attention to and sprove, and
with severity remark on, their bes was
obliged. But beyond that did not go, Beyond that,
restrained the just Indignation that in my breast
and withheld the castigation that their just desert
and that was well able to give them. month has
passed six weeks have passed without syllable from
them either in defence attack and now, the very
of your election, and to the same cardinal point
'MY SON, AND MS MISSOURI CANVASS and with the evil
dent purpose that it should reach St. Louis and do its
work. before and the truth could follow it,
comes the elder Hbeer and death bed defamer with
other three columns of the Tribune, not repeating,
but essentially altering his old fasifcatons Thereby
coniessng their original fasity) and adding still new
calunits and abuses In the face Of this last inlui
publication OF the elder Blair and of the circum
stances in which it is produced forbearance ceases.
of the preceding remarks and hence the additional
ration that go on to apply to those conscious de-
imquens
In the Joint letter before mentioned of the Messrs f.
z. Blair, in which Blair dii4s H. e., so amiably and
fifty introduces to the public the modest and retiring
Blair pae the latter offered the following paragraphs
Gin proof of The first position, give the following
extract of biographical notice Of him prepared by
intimate personal friend which subjected to Colonel
Denons revision, bears the mark Of it from his own pen,
and which, in giving the private motives and reasons Of
his conduct (Which could only be derived from himse
may be considered autobiography. Now, here he
declares
..In the Presidential election Of November 1885, Col
Benton supported Mr. Buchanan in opposition to his
in law, Col Fremont. The assigned by him
confidence that Mr. Buchanan, if elected would restore
the principles of the jackson administration, and the
apprehension that the SUCCESS of Col Fremont would
engcnder sectional parties fd 10 The peaneace Of Me Lnu
lie after change both opinions and although
retirement. he ealo,ly opposed The administration Of Baehan
an and inclined 10 nth The opposition that presented D
tie republican party
This citation 10y Blair, whether true false had
nothing 10 do with what had written said
in any way pertinent to what was called rcply' TO
me- But il opened TO new view, since become en-
rely distinct of the purpose of Blair seniors visit to Col
Benton of the 9th April and his pcrverson OF It, re-
Trained however in reoinder to that letter. to take
notice of the abovequote passage from it, In his
publication, therefore, New York Tribune 23d July,
1852 Blair senior has reproduced the matter in this
modified. and, in some respects mere positive ana de
clarative form
"When he died. Col. Benton, like Clay and Jackson,
left written testimonial declaring the forfeiture of his
confidence by Mr. Buchanan In the sketch of his life
submitted to his revision and sent to the press by him
lust before his fatal Illness he says that he had supported
Mr. Buchanan against his son-in-law, Col Fremont
and assigns as the confidence that MIR. Buchan
an if elected would restore the principles of the Jackson
administration and the apprehension that the success of
Col Fremont would engender sectional parties fatal to
the preservation of the Union but he adds that
after he had occasion 70 change both opaioas I"
AS have written line published, either in
writing or in print or by word of mouth, syllable
about the opinions of Col Benton either of the present
or any other administration, might with that for
reason pass this part of Blaa letter But after it
is thus twice repeated proedly in answer and certain
ly in spirit of defiance to me, aud with ccustantia
take notice of it would in the public apprehension
either to assent to it to shun it. i do neither.
pronounce 1t both in the form in which il is first present
ed by Blair and in its second modified and reduced shape
to be, in all its inendments AN absolute ialsehood and
the spurious so-called biography to have been gotten
up in the party interest in general and family in
tefcst the II r Blair family IN particular, Blairs
subsequent defamation of Col Bentons death bed and
the latter to be part and parcel of the plan embraced in
the former; and both preconcerted plot to take
possession for base uses and in the his depar
ture hence, of the name and fame OF the great man
whose voice Blair well says is potent from the grave
when its trumpet tones could ring through the continent
have not heretofore said anything, and do not now
anything OF the abstract question Of Col Benton
Opinions about any person, any party, any
TO make and draw into side issue of that sort is
part of Blair tactics to escape direct confronting and
confoundig of himself with his direct falsehoos What