Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-06-16
BENEON AND Hrs OoNTErrPopsRrss.
From the WaahiHs,on Uulon.l

y 9A--AAi Vas diSfIoli May IT. 1853.
The many insocuEate and erroneous reports thst
have been given 70 the public oe the sonoludinr
writings and conversations Of the late Thora- H
Benton touching the principal parsonarss anenr
his great contemporaries, and the desire thaf -
been expressed % me from many quarters for cor.
rect information, AMI that the truth Of history
10 use an expression Of the deceassdsl ID is ooncarn
ed, induce me 70 offer 70 the press these fscf-.
The last lines intended for publication ii bfs
'' AbEidgmeuf Of The Debates Of Conzrss1.n ~
Col Benton Wrots with bis own haad, we're 10 &C.
oOmPany-Whers they vail be iuserted-s lebste in
the senate Of the 17th June, 1850 and short ensr-
getic speech By Mr.. Webster A ooinoiisacs rot
then thought Of, nor probably il ghs delivery q
the speech, occurs to me IS write this which adds
70 the impressiVeness Of Mr.. Webster's appeal for
peace and union," namely; that the day vas the
anniversary Of the battle Of Bunker Hil IN Massa-
chusetts, and Of the commissioning Of he grsat
Virginian 70 command the sontinsntsl forcss This
note Of Col. Benton was IS folloHs.
" It is impossible to read the spesohas Of this
session, and hear it were the last worlds Of the
last great men Of that wonderful Tine without hs4-
ing the feelings profoundly moved b. ths deep dan
{ ger 70 the Union which stood before than ana he
patriotic attempts they made 10 avert that Danger.
This brief speech Of Mr.. Webster Is noble iIasira-
ton Of The patriotic seges Of thal portentgus day
I They labOred to save their country, and believed
/ That they 3 done
Col Benton, At the tine (April 81 that Be wrote
/ this note, physically very fssble--in bed-and
suffering acute pain. The paper that be wrote on
/ being 6lled be desired me- in copying 20 add the
concluding words. His strength failed hin 10 add
more at the momentY and he continued bis work Of
abridgmert.
On The 6lh Of April, he dictated to me, snd
wrote note t1 be appended 70 debate in The Sen
ate Of July p, 1850 in which the concluding speech
was by Mr.. Clay. The note as written, Is IN theso
words
.-las reference to the truth Of history in relation
to the Missouri COmpr0mise comes here With 8 full
ness and particularly which are not seen else
where, and under circumstances 10 claim Tor q the
most absolute verify. The person VINO speaks IA
Mr.. Clay, the great champion Of the measure aud
be speaks under circumstances to take cn HIM
self the full responsibility Of what he says. It
thirty years after the event, and after q had
given peace and quiet to disirasted country
Now, he saw the country going into the same dis-
traction; disunion threatened and seeming
breaking up Of the government IN the death of
great men. One who had been Vice PEtsident q
Of the United States had jusi died and ed q his
post. This reference is Of course 10 Mr. Calhoun
Another woo had just been elected President lGsn-
Taylor, had also died, and died ct his post Those
who we're still asting their parts we're VsFging 70
the termination Of their Publie and natural hyes-
Everything combined % give s0ls@uffy and the
seal Of truth 10 al they said. In those aWfui snd
impressive circumstances Clay reneWs bis testi-
mOny to the Missouri ComprOmiss, as 9 southern
measure Of thirty years duration, and be adheres
70 It as the eroWning principle in ths measures Of
1850"
1t was manifest to me that It vas Colonel Ben
tons intention to have extended this note, and
especially to remark on the passage in Mr.. Clay's
speech characteristics Of the largt heart and
pansiYe vision Of the " great oommOnsr," "a Mr.
Clay, in allusion 10 William Pit, used 70 be called,
in which he declares his parang0anf allegiaacs 70
the WhOie Union =, and also 20 make further man-
ton than is made Of the chief characters that had
figured in the same epoch Whilst Colonel Benton
vas still debating, however, and his mind fred
with this theme, and with the thronging memories
Of his old cOmpatriOts aud tbr0uging andeipaiions
Of the Coming World 70 which be already face
to face visitor come ina gsntlsman whose pres
calculated 70 SUR still deeper the fountains
Of memory, and was gladly welcomed By Colonel
Benton, and cOnFersed for s1me tine with much
animation. The efort was too much for the sE-
hausted frame and exhausted voice, and moment
two after the visitor had retired the labor vas
obliged 70 be desisted from, snd the note vas con-
cluded - above.
1t will be seen, then that while Col Benton had
parted from all the asperities thai his long and
somewhat stormy public life may have aroused, snd
thought Of those who had been in armor with him,
whether as companions or adversaries, with Justice
and the kindliest feahns-a further example Of
which was shown in the satisfaction which be Ak
pressed at Interviews subsequent 70 this tine With
the President and the Secretary Of State-he did
not, as has been in many instances reported,
nodnee, or propose 10 Announce, any change Of his
oEn opinions aay rstFaetiOn with regard to his
public conduct, his views Of public policy in
the cases Ia which his convictions had differed from
those Of his compeers.
Ths report, which has had 90 much currency, that
be had retraoted from his position IN faVor q
those whom he had differed from as 20 The manner
Of the Cancellation Of 1850, sespeeaIy erroneous,
which 1 know because the matter Of those difsrsa-
oss the subject ef remark on the day above de-
siguated And Why should Col. Benton have changed
retraeted on this point His views are those
that prevailed in Congress- and were accepted by
the country
At the beginning Of the session Of Congress Of
lsi9-50, when the country was trembling on the
verge Of the great conflict the views Of Oh those
Statesmen who we're for Cancellation and the Union
harmOnized- Afterwards difference arose as 70
the mode in which the that necessary
to the accommodation Of the conflicting ideas thas
distracted the country should be adopted The
COMMITTEES Of Thirteen, appointed TO devise basis
Of compromise, reported the whole series Of mea-
sures-ineluding the admission Of Calif0rnia, the
fugitive slave law, some questions concerning the
District Of Columbia, and still other subjeots-ins
s gle bill.
Colonel Benton opposed this on two grounds;
fundamentally, because he regarded as a Vioi0us
mode Of legislation the uniting Of subjects thst
we're not necessarily oOpgruous, thus putting com
pulsion on judgment and vote 10 Congress, and On
the Executive discretion; and, secondly, beeauss
the Congress was 60 constituted that, while tie
whole bill could not command majority, the proper
divisions Of il, presented In their order, could be
carried The result was 80. Inc ''OmnlDus DILL
as the report Of the committee came to be called,
was voted down; but each Of its parts, standing
its merits, was adopted-s0me Of Them commanding
one entire side Of the hail. and the other With
the necessary aid in each case from the opposite
side
When historian shall come to examination of
the debates Of that remarkable session Of Congress-
il will be found that substantial points vii Ire
spsct to the measur II compromise there we're not
great differences Of opinion But, Hhatsver the dif
ferences were, know that il the solioitude Of
the lately deceased statesman that in the work pre-
pairing by him everything should be impartialy
stated, and, without abating from his Own eonvio-
tions TO accord TO others the conscientious and
patriotic motives as moved himself
VIZ CARET JoEEs
DICKSON COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT.
MAY RULES, ls5-
W. Collier heirs Of 6. Josin decglseo0u 20 la
land under rsgdifi0ai sgDonEa.
q appearing this ihe dsfsuants, Thomas Dul1
wife, Dizzy Durn, formerly Dizzy J0sn, heirs of Cab l
r. J0slin, deceased residents Of e siaIe o Tennessee
beyond the rsach q the process OF this coui u s eaofe
publication be made 1r thre successive geeks in