Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-08-12

| reout the solemn written etatement of h
illustrious beuefactor, by publishing In tn
newspapers a declaration that he had hear
him speak in his family circle in the mo.
exalted terms of Mr.. Buchanan; thus al
tempting to ma ke the impression that hi
fathers letter was false to his honest cos
yiction. Mr.. Clay's son is of too elevate
character to express his personal conf
dence in a man whom his father accused Q
corruption on his own knowledge. Ye,
young Mr.. Clay's associations with III
Southern party, which for party purpose
has placed Mr.. Buchanan in power, bring
them together, and this is converted adroit
ly by the latter, through his extreme defer
ence to Mr.. Clay, into an appearance o
con6dentisl relations, implying that th,
imputa.ons of the father have 30 weigh
with the son. To bolster hi1seif witl
fisAa. portion of the public sher.sEIng s5r
of idolatry for Mr.. Webster, (who q, a.
early day put his mark upon him in a pub
lished letter. and always held him at arm.
length. he takes his son to his embraces
and rewards him with lucrative Office tt
take off the memory of the fathers repug.
nance to him.
The attempt to appropriate the influence
and honors of long life of laborious patri.
otism devoted by Colonel Benton to the
country, is in keeping with his last ex.
ploit of patronage. Col. Benton had turn.
ed aside from his great work of condensine
the debates of Congress to support the
Government against the shocks given il
by the Nullifying party, using the Supreme
Court as its battering.ram. The decisio
that slavery was carried BY the Cons,itu.
tion inio all the Territories of the Union
as constitutional right which no local
law could obstruct, and the adoption OF
this decision even in advance of its public
PRONUNCIATION by the President il his In.
augurai as the basis of his Administrator n
on this vital question, prompted that ex-
animation OF this Judicial and Executive
usurpatioD which closed the political efforts
of one of the ablest aud most renowned Of
the colaborers who maintained in our time
the Republicanism of Jefferson, and the
dolph and Jackson throughout the warfare
to assert the theory of our Government in
its primitive virtue.
In that thin volume, Mr.. Buchanan saw
the battle axe of the lion-hearted Crusader
raised to hew down his Administration
Mr.. Jones arrived ten days before the
death of the hero of the true Democracy,
who had thus taken his attitude against
the enemies of the principles Of Repuoli-
cansm. He came in good time and in for
tunate circumstances for the Administra-
tion, having been it's emissary in Central
America on some undiyulged errand, with
accounts unsettled, and It may be to be
pad sd d{i6stsss- cut of The secrtEs service
fund. In taking possession of Col. Ben
toms sick-room, lie became a very conve-
nient exponent to suit his views to the ne
cessties OF The Administration: But pro-
liabilities must be concerted to give coun-
tenance to favorable reports
1t was arranged that President Buchanan
and his Premier shall sit by the 6eath.bed.
Neither Mr.. Buchanan nor Mr.. 'Cass have
reported what the dying patriot breathed
into their ears-nor has their oficious
agent said that he overheard whatwas there
uttered 1t was enough that he published
the meeting, and vouchsafed for "the sat-
sfaction he (Col. Benton) expressed al the
Interview"
This was foundation for the denial Mr.
Jones was to give to all statements of the
declarations which Col. Benton was known
10 have made to many members of both
houses and others who visited him, OF oppo-
'ition 10 the Administration--toi its abject
submission of the Government 10 the oil
5archy of nullifers-to it's Kansas frauds |
md the forged Constitution. Tie version
If his death-bed conversation With me,
given by the correspondent of Th Tribune,
furnished Pretext for a contradiction by
Jones of everything on the part Of Col.
Benton repugnant to the Administration.
The exutation of the heroic dying states
man at finishing his great work, bringing
but from the chaos Of crude proceedings
he glorious display made by Clay in stran
Cling notification in 1850, and bringing
California into the Union as a free State
the JOY he felt on the triumph just schlev-
ed by CrittenSen over similar conspiracy |
against Kansas, in the adoption of his hon
est, patriotic peace measure, by the pop
liar branch of Congress the expression |
of that self-devotion to the Union which
bad marked with signal honor every great
epoch in his career, and now at It's close
made him forget that the hand Of death
pressed him down, and in spite OF it gave |
all his Thoughts to the happy prospects
'awning in the future-this picture drawn
Of his immortal enthusiasm which labored |
10 transtuse itself and live in the institu-
lions of the country, Mr. Buchsnan's en-
ployee pronounces to be a libel on Colonel
Benton. How lost TO oil sense of glory
must be the heart that would stle these
ongings OF a great spirit, and substitute
Tor the reality vile subserviency to cor
,upt executive! This he Attributes, but
ylozes it over under the phrases Justice
and the kindlies, feeling; a further example
Of which was shown in the satisfaction
which he (Col. BentOn) expressed at inter.
news, subsequent to this time, with the
President and Secretary of State" From
his it would seem that he introduces the,e
iignitaries subsequent to this time" (my
nterview), to make "the satisfaction he
expresses at interviews" with them, proof
'f submission and adhesion to their policy
Ind still further to establish this conclu-
'ion the testimony OF mail contractor,
lac Hall. is added, saying, "Hs (Col.
Benton) expressed himself in unmistake b le
.erms of friendship toward the President,
his honesty and uprjpntness