New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-04-12
to.no--ow morp;pg. II nothing like this 'hs"
done, let it be clearly shown that tho iau'' Is nc'
with the Republicans.

great force but that force was Of personal rather
than Of an intellectual nature. An intense lndi'io
uality characterized all that he said and did lis
frame was large, his health robust bis nature oufy'
He was truculent energetic intrepid wulfui ana In
douitabIe. He always wore resoute and deter
mined air and simply viewed as an animal possessed
a very commanding aspect. He strobe into pubic
life with these qualities all prominent and bristllng
Whenever he shone, he shone in the exhibition oil
them. His intellectual powers always appeared IS
subsidiary; they never took the lead, never ap
pearsd TO be tie propellng force in any OF the
marked epochs of his life. The leading points OF
his career were his land reform measure; bis oPpo-
sition TO the old United States Bank his eSpunging
resolution; bis War on Mr. Calhoun after his dis
appointment in the succession to the Presidency;
and his hostility 70 the Compromise measures OF
1880 In all theas contests, at least In all but
that for the reform Of the land system, ne bore
himself as a fighting msn He carried tA.s 30 far
AZ 10 alude in one of bis later Senatorial exhibit
tons to pair Of pistols which ne said had never
been used but funeral had followed.
Mr. Benton had been ten years in the Senate
debster. The discussion on the United States
Bank question brought him out fully, and was OF
character TO exhibit bis powers to the greatest pos
sbe advantage. 1t was a question that touched
the feelings and the private interests OF ndiVduas
deeply, and reused the intensest ardor OF all par
tisan politicians. The debates were heated and
fercely personal, A handto hand political en-
L. n,ntr r0ptpat
suited Benton exactly. He loved the turmoil and
The war. and be rose with each successive eIlgency
until he became, par sIctHencs, the champion OF
Gen. Jackson's Administration in its contest with
the Bank. On enc occasion, in lc3O-3l, he made
a speech of four days. At the close OF the fourth
day. Mr. Calhoun sarcssticaily remarked that Mr.
Benton had taken one day longer in his assault on
the Bank than it had taken to accomplish the reso-
luton in FraLce.
The intellectual strength Of Mr BentOns efforts
never impressed his great adversares, Clay Cal
houn and Webster. They never regarded him as
belonging to their class, intellectually. Yet they
always appreciated and dreaded his great personal
force. In no case did this peculiar Bentoniap
ability manifest itself more clearly or more ohen-
syey than in the passage Of the expunging resolu-
ton. Gen. Jackson had been censured BY the
Senate, in resolution drawn BY Mr. Clay, for act
ine gin derogaton of the Constitution" Mr..
Benton set about to remove the censure by ex.
puppipg il from the records. He has told how he
accomplished this in his Thirty Years View"
The story is fairly told and illustrates the man per-
fecty. The whole transaction bears the marks of
naughty domineering and repulsve spirit. Inc
reader, as he peruses Mr.. Benton's account OF IT,
feels the triumph to be Of coarse and vulgar
character, the work of i.temper and passion, with
not single flash of intellectual or moral elevation
in the whole proceeding.
In his political career, Mr.. Benton often showed
himself fierce and malignant, but never, we THINK
a generous adversary 1t is said that, on his death
bed he has done full justice to Mr.. Clay, in finish
INC his abridpment of the debates of $780, and 1t Is
pleasant to hear it. We do net doubt that his tenn
per was notified in his later years, as he found
himself rapidly approaching the termination OF his
ife In that debate, he came directly In collision
with Mr. Clay, and was the only man, indeed, who
offered, or was able to offer, anything like real
practical resistance to the mpetuous and Overbear-
ing march of that great parliamentary leader.
In the great debate Of 1850, in the Senate,
Mr.. Clay crushed at will all effective oppo'l'
ton but that Of Mr.. Benton. On that
OCCASION Mr. Benton did not, however, furnish
the brains of the debate any more than on pre-
vious occasions. Mr.. Seward, and others OF the
opposition. had done that much more strkingy.
But in parliamentary tactics, in the exhibition OF
personal intrepdity, and in individuality and man.
ner-which in every legislative contest are I'M
portant eements-Mr. Benton rose superior to
every ally. His temper was reused, and no hurried
wrath and defiance at his enemies. On question
Of parliamentary law, be came IN immediate con-
dict with Mr.. Clay, who had the majority OF the
Senate with him and was determined to carry his
nont Mr.. Benton net him with equal resolu-
ton. and with bull dog ferocity that caused his
antagonist to recede and yield the point from
considerations of expediency. Mr. Benton
was allowed his way, after hours of violent
struggle and nights deliberation Of the majority.
II was, TO very great extent triumph Of
his fighting qualities. Foote of Mississippi en-
tered very largely into that debate and persisted
in doceipg and attacking Benton. Benton, at last
babe him stop; he would bear no more OF MS In
.ults. Foote continued in the same strain. Ben
ton rose from his seat, and strobe directly toward
Foote, as if to throttle him on the spot toote
fled. and Benton was checked but FOote never ut
tered the name of Benton sfterward in the Senate
On another occasion Mr. Benton laid himself out to
attack Mr.. Calhoun He did it with ability, but
bis bad blood, his ll.temper, bis violence Of man.
the DrpdOmilaQt