, 1859-01-12
Mr. Benton and Tice.President Rrecl.
CpFluCcs

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enrldSc.
Why, i'll alludins to the great men whose
lives, characters aud commanding genius have
mule classic the old Senate Chamber, did
'Ic"i'Fcsldcut breckenridge, in hissprcch on
Tuesday last, omit to mention Mr.. Benton :.
For thirty years Mr. Benton had bccn mag
nate Of that bodybuilding part iu the debates
on :lll lc+tlins questions Of his time, and sus-
tailing himself with trantccntlcnt ability
even when pitted, rs he often was, against
one or moro Of" the iilustrious three For
great part Of that time lie was tue recos-
niz*a head and leader Of thu dominant party
In the Senate, aud rs such his influence
upon legislation was far more p,wcr-
ful tlan that OF either Clay, Webster,
Or Calhoun. ''Old Hickory: did not
impress himself more deeply upon tue Den,o-
cratic party than did "Od Bulliou.'' The
"lllustsious threc'' were 1l,c dcadiest enemies
Of that party and its policy. They mnle
tteir reputation for craftsmanship in great
palt by their earnest, constant and conscicn.
tious opposition to both. They were ecarrcJ
all ovcr with missiles hurled from Democratic
hands. There was no cpithet OF dishonor, no
imputation Of 1ecrcancy to the principles Of
civil liberty, no charge of basencss and
reachcry iu The performance Of high trusts
that vas not at one time or another preferred
br Democratic leaders against, at least, Clay
and Webster.
And now, in this year Of grace, 1859, We
witness the spectacle Of the Democratic Vice
President Of tue United States, in IN address
carefully prepared in his private study, eulo-
gislug in sct Phrase " the illustrlous three,
and emitting any mention Of the name Of Mr..
Benton! When Democratic orator passes
over the Boanerges Of Democracy to bring
forward lifelong political advcrsarics, aud
makes them the subject Of special aad studied
culogy8t is ssfe to infer the existence Of
kone very 4werfu1 motive stimulating to
that line Of ,oshdpet.
In .he present case the motive is pa1puplc
enough. The dogmas promulgated by Cal
houn in tho DAYS when he assatled the Demo.
cratic party Vish unequallel bitterness, now
constitute the distinctive creed Of that party.
Il was betting, therefore. that he should he
culog:sed by Mr.. Breckenridge. Aid as the
Democracy hope 10 retain the ascend
ancy through the a:d of old Wigs, it
was also appropriate for Mr.. Breck-
enrldgc to eulogise the leaders Of
that party Of whom, while living, neither ho
nor any other Democrat could say anything
too severe. Mr.. Benton died in the faith Of
that Democracy which Ar. Jefferson inaucu-
rated aud which General Jackton Illustrated
throughout his two administrations When
Mr. Doug'a. led the party orcr to Calhoua-
Ism, Mr. Benton refused to go. He chung
to bis old political creed aud tenclt The
political heresies ofCalhounism up to his death,
He denied that the federal constitution car
rted slavery into the Territories. He opposed
tlaTery. extension, regarded the institution as
moral and political evil, and, With the earl,
fathers Of the Republic, desired its ultimate
extinction. 1t was for this that he was ostra-
cised and deserted by the Democracy. It vas
for this that Mr.. Breckenridge nut thu
indigoiy upon his memory Of not naming
him in connection with 'sthe illusttious three: :,
But Mr.. Benton's fame is secure acainst
either the puny assaults or the pusillani-
nous neglect Of The Vlce-Prcsident. lie lives
IN the hearts Of tue American people ns one
OF tue pu1est, most infcxlblc and upright OF
statesmen lie has lefl behind hin, in his
congressional lahors and in his later effortc
to perpetuase. the political history Of bis
country q monument more impc1ishablc tbaa
the Pyramids. The Vice President can no
more dctract from the rcnown Of Denton than
ne can equal him IN. an nnsclGkh patriotism
and hrcadth Of fststesmanship. =. -: