The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-05-18


The many inaccurate and reports that haya
been given to the public of tho concluding writings and
conversations OF the late Thomas H. Benton touching
the principal personagcs among his great contemporaries
and the desire that has been expressed 10 from many
quarters for correct information and that the ssush Of
history ito expression of the deceased 81 con
ccmsd, induce me 10 offer to the press these facts
The last lines intended for publication in his "Abridu
of the Debates Of Congress that Col Benton wroo
with his own hand to accompany (where they win
be insertec) debate In the Senate of 18th June 1850
aud short energetic speech by Mr. Webster "a coin
c.denoe not then thought Of probably in the dey
cry Of the speech, to me write this which
adds to the impessveness Of Mr. Welxers appeal for
peace and union, namely that the day the ami
versary Of the battle of Bunker Hill in MAssAcnussrr and
of the commissioning Of tho great yRoIsx to command
the continental forces This note Of Col Benton was
as follows
impossible read the speeches This session, boar a.
the great time Win,
having feelings profoundly by tho dccp danger ina
Union which stood before ihen and the ratroc attempts @
that danger. This brief speech OF Mr. Webster
feelings OF tho patriotic sages nor
day. They aborcd their country A
they had done i'll
Col Benton at the time april 81 that he wrote this
note physically very fecblein bed land suffering
acute pain. The paper that he wrote being filed he
desired in copying to add the concluding words His
strength failed him TO add more at the moment aud Ia
continued his work Of abridgment.
On the 9th of April he dictated to me, and wrote
note to be appended to debate in the Senate OF July a.
1885, in which the concluding speech was by Mr. Clay
The note written is in these words
truth history relation to tho Msm,
Compromise hcre with fIness and particularly are
elsewhere, AMI under claim
absolute verify The who speak, Clay great
himself the full responsibility thy
years tho after given peace quiet d
taccd country Now no tho country going Into the d
disunon threatened seeming breaking up thu m
crnment great prcs
OF the United States had just ded and died hs post % refer
Mr. Calhoun Another who elected
General Tayor had also died. died post Ts
who still acting their parts vergng TO tho Termination
public and natural lives Everything combined give sos
nifty and the seal Of truth all they said In hese awful In
prcsvc Clay his testimony the Missouri
Compromise measure, thirty ycsrs durson
adhcres the crowning principle In the $780,
1t was manifest to that 1t was Colonel Benton IN
tenton to have extended this noe and especially to TO-
mark the passage in Mr. Clays speech character
stic of the large heart and expansive vision of tho great
commoner," az Mr.. Clay, in alusion to William Pitt,
used to be called in which he declares his ardmcs
allegiance to the ,choe Union and also to make further
mention than is made of the chief characters that had
figured in the epoch. Whilst Colonel Benton was
still debating, however, and his mind fired with bis
theme and with the throngng memories Of his old CON-
patriots and hrongng anticipatons of the Coming World
which he already nce TO face visitor came ina
gentleman whose presence calculated to stir still
deeper the fountains Of memory and gladly welcomed
by Colonel Benton and convcrscd With for some time
and with much animation The effort WIS too much for
the exhausted frame and exhausted voice. and moment
two after the visitor had retired the labor was Obliged
be dcsstcd FROM and the note concluded as above
1t will be SEEN them that while Col BENTON had part
cd from oil the aspcrities that his long and somewhat
stormy public life may have aroused, and thought Of
those who had been in with him, whether as
companions advcrsaries, with Justice and the knd
feeling further example OF which was shown in the
satisfaction which he expressed at interviews subsequent
to this time with tho President and the Secretary Of STATE
he did not as has been in many instances reported
announce or propose to announce, any change Of his
opinions any retracton with regard to his pub
lie conduct of his own views Of public policy in the
in which his convictions had differed from those
his compeers. The report, which has had 20 much cur
rency that he had rctracted from his position in "a
of those whom he had differed from as the manner
the Cancellation of 1850, is especially erroneous which
know because the matter of those differences sub
ect of remark tho day above designated. And why
should Col Benton have changed or rctactcd on this
point His views those that prevailed in Congress
and were accepted by the country. At the begin
ming of the session Of Congress Of 60 when tho
country trembling the verge of tho great conflict
the views Of all those statesmen who for cancellation
aud the Union harmonized. Afterwards difference
to the mode in which the measures that were
cesay to the accommodation Of the conflicting ideas that
distracted the country should be adopted The Commit
tee of Thirteen, appointed to devise basis Of comp
mise, reported thcwhoe series Of including
the admission of California the fugitive slave law
questions concerning the District of Columbia and still
other subjects lin single bill Colonel Benton opposed
this two grounds; fundamentally. because no regard
cd vicious mode Of legislation the uniting Of subjects
that not necessarily congruous Thus putting
pulsion judgment and vote in Congress and on the FL
ccutive discretion; and secondly because the Congress
constituted that while the whole bill could not
command majority the proper divsons Of It, presented
in their order could be carried Tho result was 80 The
Omnibus bill" as the report Of the committee came to
be called voted down but each Of its parts standing
on its merits, adopted some Of them commanding
entire side Of the hail. and the other with the
necessary aid in each from the opposite side When
historian shall come to examination of the debates
in that remarkable session of Congress- it will be found
that substantial points with respect to the Of
compromise there not great differences Of opinion
But whatever the differences wcrc know that II WINS
the solcitude Of tho lately deceased statesman that the
work preparing by him everything should BIO imparaly
stated and, without abating from his own convictions
to accord to others the same conscientious and patriotic
motives moved himself
VIM CAREY JONES
Hfcraf In fhnN orV crIr A.xs1