Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-04-13
Death OF Mr.. Benton.

several days. The event was not unexpec-
ted by his family and the country has been
long prepared for the announcement. Up to
within single day of his demise, he contin-
ued to labor at the great work he bad under
taken--the Condensed Congressional Debates,
which, We believe, he bad nearly brought 70 a
close. His age was extreme--we believe
about seventy five. As his life had been
full Of honors. the award of his fellow
men so be did he die full of years; the boon
of Providence.
His disease was cancer in the bowels. lie
had endured severe surgical treatment few
months before his death, and obtaioed tenn
porary relief His afi 'ction returned upon
him, however, in more aggravated form,
and resulted in lingering and painful death.
His intellect remained unimpaired to the
end, and he made every arrangement and
preparation for his demise with Roman for
titudc.
The President, hearing Of the extreme i'll
ness Of bis ancient com reer, called upon him,
on Friday evening. The dying statesman
declared afterwards his exceeding gratitics'
ton at the visit. The interview js said u
have been protracted Mr.. Benton IS said to
have expressed his extreme sollcitufe for the
condition of public affairs, aud painful
sense of the imminent dangers which threat
en- the country. He is SAID tn have exhOrte !
the President to rely upon Divine support
and guidance, and not upon that Of men, who
would deceive him.
Mr.. Benton was native of North Caro-
lima, where be was reared. His ancestors
were among the leaders of the reV0lution.--
The family OF Harris, from which he descen-
ded on the maternal side, were among the
early emigrants from North Carolina who
settled in Kentucky, under the name of the
TFansy lvania colony, and who were supper
ters of Daniel Boon. 1t was through this
circumstances that C)l. Benton was led to
choose the West for his nome when he had
grown to manhood and left the army. lie
established himself at Nashville, rather than
in Kentucky, whe he in medIately rose 10 dis
tnction at the bar. Abous the year 1915 be
emigrated again, still westward I, st. Louis,
Missouri His senatorial life, which lasted
for the unprecedented period of thirty years,
commenced IN 1920, when he was elected by
the legislature of Missouri, anterior to the
formal admission of that State into the Uni
ou His history since that event has been 10
timately interviewer with that Of the country;
and for twenty five years constituted some
of the most thrilling and illustrlous pages Of
the history of the democratic party.
At the beginning of his senatorial career
Col. Benton sat on the same committee Mil
itary Affairs) with Gen. Jackson, of which
they were both industrious and valuable
members, General jackson being the chair
man. Here was necessarily received that
Intercourse which had received All unhappy
interruption from an occurrence which be-
came historicli This second intimacy and
mutual confidence and reliance continued
theuceforward, as is well kGown, during the
whole of general Jackson's eventtul and
cons peuous public service. The carly al
ienation was never alluded to between the
two friends until one or two evenings before
General Jackson's final departure from
Washington for the Hermitage IN March,
1898. when a very solemn and affecting con
versation, occurred, tho nature OF which we
may readily conjecture, but which of course
has never transl ired.
Mr. Benton was n determined member OF
the opposition to Mr.. AdamS'5 administra-
rion during its whole term. lie warmly sup
ported General Jackson for the presidency.
and was one of the main pillars OF support
to his two administrations. Ii Is unneces-
sary to specify the particular occasions on
which he distinguished himself IN his con-
spicuous parliamentary service. The panic
session, however, cannot be passed without
a special notice. In this Mr.. Benton sus.
timed, aided by few powerful democratic
debaters, among them our President, the
whole brunt Of the tremendous attack By
which General Ja3kson's administration was
then assaulted with fury and powerful ar
ray of talent and elOquence never before or
since witnessed in any legislative body. HIS
services then rendered to the democratic
cause ranked him among the first iateiieots
and statesmen Of bis age, AID have placed
bis name among those Of our American
statesmen.
The measure upon which be won the larg-
est degree of popular eclat was, however,
that Of the expunging resolution, measure
which he himself conceived, and, without
broaching the subject to human being,
moved 10 the Senate. II was on the l'Ih Of
January. 1897, at the close of the long =
bate which had occurred on this famous re-
solve. shortly before the vote was to be ia
ken, that Col. Benton rose 10 bis place, and
addressing himself to the chair, In the
course of n brief and emphatic speech, reler-
ring back to the scene which had been enac-
ted in the Senate chamber three years before
on the adoption of Mr.. Clay, memorable re-
solution of condemnation upou On. jack
son for the removal OF tho deposits, and TO his
own prophecy, then earlessly basarded, that
that resolution should he eXPunged by the
people of the United States from the jour
nal of the Senate---uttered the weli-kuown
words, which are synouymes 1 his name,
"SoLITARY AND ALONE | sET THIS BALL IN mo-
TON"
We believe that it was in 1851 that Mr..
Benton retired from the Senate During the
last dozen years, though the mortal part has
fingered amongst the living, yet has the
esteem of our generation for him been chiei-
IL retrospective, and been chiefly con-
certrated in the historical man as he was
in the pride Of intellect and in the prime OF
manhood.
These later years Of Mr.. Beuton's cven:ful
life have bsen appropriately devoted to reg
istering the events OF those IN which his In
reflect and his fame were at their zenith
His two great historical works, the Thirty
Years View and the AbrIdgment, though
thew may not be exempt from defects and
hlemishes, are valuable repositories OF point
zeal knowledge, and the former Will popular
i2c u period Of the history OF cur Inslitu-
sHs.n