Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-04-17

candidate Tor the House, but was beaten by 4
combination ofths snti.Benton men aud mer.
cans. In 1856 he was suddenly induced TO enter
politics again, after having once sfulled settled
down to literary labors and be made one Of the
most extraordinary and laborious car vassngs OF
his State on record perhaps the most thorough
OF recent years in any State, though then seven.
y-iour years OF age. He was defeated by tho
same causes az in 1854, one of his opponents
succeeding by small plurality. In the presiden-
tial election of 1866, he very snguarly opposed
his son.in-law, Fremont, and supported Buchan
an, probably as much from an overstrained defer
ence to the Roman virtue, which disrega rds fam.
lily ties, as from any ohef cause. During the
| last year. he wrote a severe review of the bred
Scott case, and quite recently he has made vigo.
rous assaults upon the Kansas policy of the Ad-
ministratlon, taking, on both these points, ground
wholly Gntagonistc to the. President he supported
aud placing himself with the division in Mis-.
souri, which is struggling to limit slavery, and
indirectly, to make Missouri free State.
Such is the skeleton OF exterior events Ia Mr..
| Den,on's remarkable life. In characteristic and
striking personal incidents, and in the detail of
great public measures with which he was asso.
ciated. there Is degree of interest warraniing
fuller statement than we have space to make
His im2erious will and restless energy brought
him in early life into frequent personal collision
with others, and after his unfortunate ailray with
! General jackson, and removal to Missouri, he
| iought two or thtec duels, and in one case killed
| his antagonist, ehd event which caused him great.
! Subsequent TO this entrance into the Senate,
| however, he does not appear 10 have had any
| personal collision, though often violent and harsh
| in his denunciaticns, and most unreservcd in his
attacks when excited by any great occasion. His
long struggle with tie United States Bank and its
supporters extending for 1899 to ls47, and his
contest with Calhoun and the "Rullifers," which
was engrafted OH the first, and lasted, with the
"an,i Benton" crusade III Missouri at the various
later elections, to the very close of his life almost
were all full of incidents of severe and bitter as.
saults upon his opponents, whoever they were.
Ii C fought Gercey for Gen. Jackson in the case
OF the removal of the deposits, and obtained one
OF the most singular victories known 10 legIsla-
i've proceedings in this stormy way, by procuring
he "expunging" of the celebrated resolution OF
| the Senate, censuring Gen. Jackson for hs course
in removing he deposits in 1887. This most ex.
traordinary and futile freak of legislation
redty fhe mcic personal force and persistence
of Mr. Benton. The like personal determination
in a minor matter. was shown in his refusal to
receive his mail through The st. Louis Post Office
for nearly two years. when that Office was filled
by an anti-Benton incumbent by President
Pierce. Hi5 telling toward the West Point
officers OF the army was also characteristic, and
Tor many years he lost an OPT ortunity ofleveling
attcckS at those who came into the army at the
West Point gate" Representing the more
peaceful side of the Mexican war contest. he oh.
tanned nomination TO the post of Liuenant-
General If the Army from President Polk but
hostihlies had been hurried forward much by
the Texan people, and by Mr.. Iycrs messenger
that Mr. Benton's policy failed, and he was not
confirmed as Liutcnant. General by the Senate.
ltg Ercs ,.la., l. -, L..
in 1924 were TO obtain the adoption of con-
stitutional amendment providing for the elec.
ton Of President and Vice President by pop
ular vote but he made no decisive exertons
on this point afterwards. Next to his oppo-
siton 10 the Bank as a great object OF his
public life, was his antagonism to "nullifica-
tion,' or to Mr., Calhoun and his friends In
this course he did the country great service,
at u time when, but for JachSons vigor, and
Benton's un,iring energy, there might have
been serious and actual secession, not only
because of tariffs dstaseful TO the party Mr..
Calhoun represented. but for such cuuses as
have Induced the recent contests in which the
same party thought itself aggreved. Be.
tween Benton and Calhoun there was a natu.
raj antagonism. which no changes of politician
Iortuaecould wholly remove, and in his h;sto.
ry of Thirty Years be comedies little or
nothing on this point, while doing full and
ample justice to Clay aud webster In regard
to Mr.. Clay, il is Said that the very last thing
written in the AbridGen'ent OF Debates, is q
tribute to that statesman's great and noble
publice life, with which, on the bank and cur.
rency questions, Benton often contendeG
fiercely when in the Senate. Concediug
everything else to the great statesmen whom
he opposed Mr.. Benton, to the last, is stern
and unyieldng on the question Qualification
and Mr. Calhoun and this is at least histori.
cal Justice.
The practical measures for the amelioration
Of our national land system, whth finally tri.
umphed in the establishment Of the present
low prices, and easy means of purchase by
settlers, were carried through Congress,
mainly by Col. Benton's persistent Efforts
His power with the democratic administra.
tons was such thar he could do more for ives.
tern interests than any other man In public
life, and the right of prpemption, the reduc.
ton Of price, after having been in market q
certain number Of years, the release Of min
eral and salt lands, were all measures which
if not originated Ey him, were carried forward
TO success, mainly by bis aid. In the same
spirit OF devotion TO western interests, were
his earlier efforts 10 aid explorations in the
interior, und 0 open up trade with New
Mexico
altogether, on the Texas question, aud on
nearly everything relating TO slavery his course
was independant and national. with strong
leaning for the free State side, md against |
the utraists of the south, on whom he was
always ready to throw the column Inherited |
from Cehoun's notification schemes.
Col Benton devoted the first year after his
election TO the Senate, which was spent in |
waiting Tho final admission Of his State, to
the most laborioGs and thorough study in
preparation for his new career. The Spanish
language and history, especially that of its
American pioneers were particularly Gtudied
and for many years he claimed almost the
first rank among Senators ss thoroughly
informed man in istory and genatal litera-
ture. His requirements in this respect fully
prepared him for his later historical labors, |
and the evidences Of this thorough culture ap-
parent in his last works will surprise those
whose ideas Of him have been drawn from his
external political life alone.
In private life of Mr.. Benton was most
genial and vivacious. He never rested in
social ideness, but gave all his family large
share OF participation in his labors and relax
a,ions. For three or four years past at Wash.
lngton, he has almost daily rode out ON horse
back along Pennsylvania Avenue, at the close
vi the day usually with some young member