San Andreas independent., 1858-05-22

Death OF THOMAS HART BENToN.-Colonel
Benton breathed his last at his residence in
Washington, on the morning of April 10th,
1858. His complaint was cancer of the bow
els, and for several weeks prior to his death.
had been exceedingly painful; yet he worked
of the Congressional Debates" up to the
day before he expired
Col. Benton was born in the State of North
Carolina, in the year 1882, and lived to be a
few days over 76years DID, Losing his father
early in life, his mother removed to Tennessee,
where from earliest manhood, he participated,
in the Indian wars of the South West. His
Standardization was limited and obtained in
an irregular manner; but in after years he be-
came noted among public men for eruditon,
and was regarded as proficient in several
classic languages. For many years he was
the friend and confident of Gen. jackson, and
his military aid-de-camp. In the war of 1912
he received the commission of Colonel, and
was assigned the command of a regiment. 1t
10 iIOiI tuiS SOuICc uc ucIlNcu
title that adhered to him all through his long
and honorable civic life. Shortly after the
close of the war of 1912, he removed to ST.
Louis, Mo-, then only small entrepot for the
trappers of the Upper Mississippi and Mssou-
ri. Here he established newspaper, called
the 6. Register" which he conducted in mas
terly manner for the times. In his editorial
capacity he was among the first to urge upon
our Government the survey of a route to the
Pacific, and the Importance of the East-India
trade, with the practcability of securing it in
he was elected one of the first United States
Senators from Missouri-his colleague being
the celebrated orator, Mr.. David Barton. 1t
was in this body that, during the next succeed
ing thirty years he achieved his fame, and in
scribed his name imperishably upon our coun
try's history. Mr.. Benton was not a man of
showy intellectual qualities. AS an orator he
did not reach the standard of Mr.. Clay
Constitutional cxpounder he must give place
to Mr.. Webster; as logician, he was never
match for Mr.. Calhoun; but in debate upon
a subject that required great research, it may
be questioned if he ever had a superior in the
Senate. Many of his arguments were deem
ed conclusive and unanswerable-his speech
upon the Oregon Boundary Question is one in
point His industry was unsurpassed and
when the stern old Back w oodsman, had we'll
made up his mind to carry measure in de-
bate when he had marshalled the varied and
ample resources of his mind and summoned
his unbcnding courage and will, to the en-
counter, even among the proudest of his ad-
versaries there were fears and misgivings. If
he cannot be assigned a niche in the first rank
of American statesmen, neither can he be
elbowed back into the second. 1t was owing,
almost solely to his individual efforts that the
" Expunging Resolution was carried in the
Senate, against the united opposition of Clay,
Webster and Calhoun. He was the chief ally
S. Bank, and one of the leading spirits in the
Compromise of 1850. Whatever may have
been the asperitics among political parties OF
an earlier day, growing out of the fierce en-
counters on these measureS-nOw, that the
green turf has closed over the forms of the
manly combatants forever, and left us nothing
to hate and much to be proud of, it will be
universally admitted that Col Benton was
the Union and one of the nobest intellectual
ornaments of his age and country. In 1850
he suffered defeat in Missouri, through the
Vaccinations of clique Of Nullifers, who
then held the balance of power there. After
this he devoted himself industrously to the
compilation # first, of the Thirty Years
View," and then to the 4" Abridged Debates "
of Congress from 1889 to 1850. After all,
perhaps, as with the poet Dryden, his fame
will rest upon the achievements of his old age.
In his private and domestic relations, he is to
be compared to the elder Pitt: kind, genial
and atfectionate, as son, husband and father.
With all the cares of public business that
pressed upon him, he still found time to in
struct his children, and train their education.
The irou-souled Senator was playful as a
child among his friends and family. No
Roman Senator, can boast nobler and stern
er life than our late magnificent Tribune"
no Roman hero ever met death more calmly.
He lies buried in Belfontain Cemetery, ST.
Louis, by the side of his wife-where, as he
once so beautifully expressed it, may he "rest
unmolested on the sunset side of the Father
of Waters"
Nor FOR FRAZER RWER.-During the past
week. Mr.. Marletts claim on the I" Old Chan