The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1858-05-01
Col. Benton.

Col. Thomas Fl. Benton was born in
North Carolina, in 1888. He was educa-
ted at Chapel Hill, and read law at Will
liam and Mary College, Va. He entered
the q. S. Army at the age of twenty
three, but remained in the service but
short time. He went 20 reside at Nash
vile, Tenn, in 1911, and not long after
wards-our impression is, not more than
a year or so-he went to Missouri and be-
came an editor. He was elected Sena-
tor from Missouri, Professionally, before
the long contested admission of that State,
and took his seat in the Senate in 1921,
where he remained until 1851, when he
failed of a reelection. Col. Benton sus-
tanned the administration of jackson and
Van Buren, most ardently, and was recog-
nized as the leader of the party who
elected them. For the greater part of
his life, Col. Benton was the idol of the
State of Missouri-the people chung to
him as their political adviser; and after
his defeat in the Senate, they called upon
him again and again to run him in the
House of Representatives. He never was
an effective speaker, for he lacked elo-
quence, flow of language. Imagination,
warmth and fertility; but he was clear,
accurate, logical and practical, but never
addressing popular audience except after
the most careful preparation it may be
readily understood that his efforts ap-
peared better to the reason than in the
delivery.
Col. Benton was an accomplished lin
guist, and in respect to general informa-
ton, out Of the range of political study,
was by no means wanting.
The following interesting passage, rels-
ting to his last hours, is from the Wash
ington correspondence of the New York
Tribune:
WASHINGTON, April 6.
| Col. Benton is dying His disease, can
Ger of the bowels, has made such progress
that he cannot survive much longer. He
suffers extreme pain, and is exhausted to
almost the last degree of physical pros
tration. But his mind is as clear and as
powerful as ever, and the high, resolute,
Roman spirit of the old statesman strug-
giles with iudomitable energy and fortitude
against sickness and weakness and the aw-
full presence of the king of terrors. He
dies in harness, working to the last for his
country and mankind. An old and init
mate friend from Missouri called upon
him this morning. Benton was in bed,
scarcely able to move hand or foot, and
not able to speak much above a whisper.
But he was hard at work, closing up his
Abridgement of the Debates of Congress,
which he has brought down to 1850, tc
the passage of the Compromise measures
He was debating the closing chapter Of
the work. His daughter. Mrs. Jones, sit
ting beside the bed, receiving it, sentence
by sentence, whispered in her ear, and re.
peated it aloud to her husband, who
wrote it down. It was then read over t.
Col. Benton, and received his corrections
made with as much anxious particularly
as if it were the maiden work of youns
author.
Resting q few minutes from his task
Col. Benton entered into conversation
with his Missouri friend. He told hin
that in reviewing the events of 1850 b
was glad to find that the animosities o
| the past had died out in his heart, and b
was not only ready but eager to do justic
! to his former rivals and opponents. II
, spoke with much feeling of Mr.. Clay, {
!. whose merits and services he had awarde'
|, the highest praise in what he was writin
., about the Coppromise period of 1850
He dwelt particularly on the service. tn
great service Mr.. Clay had rendered to tn
Republic at that time by battling and put
ting down the traitorous Secessionssts {
the South, who were seeking to destro
, the Union and plunge the country int
: civil war for their own selfish and amb
{ tious purposes.
The inspiration of this theme fred th
: ianguid blood and terminated for me-
ment the failing frame of the dying ps
triot. In energetic whispers, he told b
visitors that the same men who had sougl
5 to destroy the Republic in 1850 were ;
q the bottom of this accused Lecompto
business. Among the greatest of bis col
solutions in dying was the conscious
ness that the House of Representativ,
q had baffled these reasonable schemeI
and pa. the heels Of the people On Il