Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-04-23
THOMAS HART BENTON.

WIS "a uhtlNt VI NtIlu 0Mollnhs u Otate which
has contributed many eminent men to the
service Of the repubic-He was born on the
10Th Of March, 1882. the same year with
Webster, Calhoun, Cass, and Van Buren,
lie studied law in Tennessee. and served a
term in the Legislature. during which he pro-
cured the jury trial for slaves the same as
white men was patronzed by Gen. Jackson,
and appointed his aid, whence he got the title
of Colonel. Removing to st. Louis in 1915,
/ he engaged in politics and edited a newspa-
per- which brought him into frequent personal
collisions. and he killed man named Lucas
| in a duel. Elected in 1920 one Of the first
/ U. S. Senators Of Miss 1uri, he served in that
body through five successive terrs, or with
out interruption till ls5l,--a length of SER
vice with but single parallel. the case of
William r. King, who was the Senator Of
Alabama from the time Of her admission in
1919 till his election to the vice presidency in
1852
During this long senatorial service, he took
a leading part in the important debates and
action Of Congress. and was especially prom
nent during President Jackson's administra-
ton. lie introduced and carried through the
famous expunging resolution, striking from
the records of the Senate a vote of censure
Of his iavorite President and distinguished
] ulllNtil III tht tIuHdut uHuluSb INC ANdAlphdA
1 Bank; his zeal carrying him against all paper
money, and winning for him the name of
| "Old Bullion" The debates of $50 on the
Compromise measures saw him take prom
inen. part and for the last time in the Senate
In 1852 Col Benton entered the L. S.
House Of Representatives, having been chosen
| to represent the st. Louis district He op-
| posed the repeal of the Missouri Comprom-
1 ise. failed of a recollection, and retired from
public life at the end of the 33d Congress,
March, 1855.
Col Benton's gradual divergence from the
democratic party standard, as that standard
fell more and more into the hands of the sla-
very leaders, carrying out the policy and
principles of John G. Calhoun,--as well as
his later and more interesting history and la
bors is recorded as follows in the New A
mercan Encyclopedia, whose publishers have
given their article on Col. Benton to the pub
lie in advance.
"On Feb. 10, ls47, Mr.. Calhoun introduce
ed a set of resolutions in the Senate, declar-
ing the doctrines he wished to insist upon in
regard to the territorial powers of Congress,
the admission of states and the use of COM
mon property, all bearing directly upon the
slavery question, and the exciting issue that
had been evoked by the proposed restriction
known as the 'Wilmot provso, which roquir-
ed the exclusion Of slavery from all new ter
ritory to be acquired by the United States
They were Immediately denounced by Col.
Benton as 'fire-b brand resolutions Mr. CAL
houn expressed his surprise, stating he had
expected the support of Col Benton, as he
was from a slave state Col. Benton retorted
that he had no right to expect such thing.
Then said Mr.. Calhoun, Il shall be found
in the right place-on the side Of my country
and the Union The resolutions never came
to a vote, but they we're sent to the legisla-
turo Of every slave state, were adopted by
some of them, and became the basis of after
conflict and party organization. 1t was de-
termined by their author to make them the
grounds of instruction to senators in Con-
gress and for this purpose they were sent to
Missouri and confded to the hands of dem
ocrats in the Legislature uniriendly to Col.
Benton's reelection Without exciting in
quiry, and under sanction of leading members
Of the party whose fealty was not then sus-
pected they were passed in both branches and
sent to Washington. Col. Benton no sooner
received the instructions than he denounced
them as not being expressive of the sense of
the people, as containing disunion doctrines,
and as designed to produce an eventual sepa-
ration of the states. He announced that he
would appeal from the legislature to the peo-
pie. and Immediately after the adjournment of
Congress returned to Missouri for that pur-
pose. He began the canvass of the state, and
prosecuted it in series of speeches, which
for bitterness of denunciaton, strength and
caustic wit, have scarcely their equal in the
English language.
'To vindicate his position, and to break up
the ascendency which the so-called nullfca-
ton party was thus acquiring, Col Benton,
in 1852, made a more direct appeal to the
people in the congressional district in which
he resided, announced himself candidate for
/ Congress, and was elected over all opposition.
'ln the session that followed he at first
gave a warm support to the Administration Of
President Pierce, but that soon falling under
the control Of the adherents of Mr.. Calhoun,
Col. Benton Withdrew his support, and the
Administration, in turn making war upon him,
displaced from office all his friends through
out Missouri Soon the repeal of the Mis-
souri, Compromise was mooted, and became
party measure in the shape of the Kansas
Nebraska Bill. Against this Col. Benton ex-
crted himself with all his strength, delivering
a memorable speech in the House, that did
much to excite the country against the act,
but failed to defeat its passage The next
| election coming on in 1854, Col. Benton
defeated in his own district by combination
Of his old opponents with the new American
party that had just arisen, and Mr.. Kennett
was returned in his stead Retiring from ac-
tive politics, he then determined 10 devote
his leisure TO writings and study moro congo
nial to his age; but was prevailed upon by
his friends to suffer his name to be used as a
candidate for Governor of Missouri in the
election Of 1856. Once more laying aside the
pen, and starting forth to canvass the State,
he was received every where with enthusiastic
applause Immense masses OF people gath
cred TO hear him, his old political friends rail-
lied to his standard and his course became
triumphant procession. But third list Of
candidates was in the field, representing the
American party although most of its mem-
bers sympathized with Col. Benton, and those
who did not voted for his adversary instead
of the candidate of their own party. Mr.,
Trustcn Polk (national democrat was there
by elected by triAing plurality. The result
of Colonel Benton's canvass however, was to
restore in great measure, the conservative
feeling of the state, and prepare the way for