Des Arc weekly citizen., 1869-02-09
A AReIninisCence Ofan Arkansas
 Senator So-calied.
From tle Lsxin gtOn Observer and Reporter ]


 From the Lexin gton obscrfer and Reporter.
 Who is 'sNlountain Ben" Rice,s and what of him Ordinarily we take little interest in such men, but as he has lately turned up as United States Senator from Arkansas. and is busy just now in the fort to establish a new Federal District in Kentucky, he deserves passing notice. A number of years ago "Mountain Ben" took his hat from it's appointed peg, be- meath the ancestral shielIng in the State of Maine, and made his way to Kentucky. A fondness for rpines, or it may be "dis- tant dearness in the hills" of his native State impelled him to seek the mountains of Kentucky, and there he made his home. After while he seems to have succeeded in obtaining, 10 a considerable degree the, confidence ofthose among whom he had cast his lot. At any rate, he found him self, some time about the year 1858, in possession of fseyeral thousand dollars, the { property of two or three widow women, who had given him claims for collection This was more money than .sMountain Ben' ever had holo upon before, and be- ing of naturally weak moral constitution he could not make up his mind to pay it over to the rightful owners Having, through some impertnence. given offense to Theophilus Garrard, difficulty ensued and ~Mountain Ben" was shot. This accident gave him time to mature his plans, and also furnished pretext for a flight, and shortly afterward Ben ran of l to the Northwest, carrying with him the money belonging to the aforementioned confding reticts.
 Thus ended the first chapter of the pub l lie history of "Monntain Ben," who 1 sought to shake off this title, with the dust, from his sandals when he landed on the safe side of the Ohio. During the war he was camp follower in the com mand of General Curtis-being loyal man from the necessities of his organiza- tion--and at length he squatted with the animus remanendi at Little Rock Here the fngaceoas Ben abode in safety, and in the l fulness of time, through the potent inhu e0ces of negro suffrage and military rule. was foistel upon the unfortunate State of Arkansas as United States Senator. Like that prince of bummers, the Em;r Abdallah, he thinks that Paradise is to be found only under the shadow of swords, and is reconstructionst of the strictest sect. As such he not only proposes to prolong the days This congener in .arkan sas, but he must pay his respects to his .'old Kentucky home He it was who introduced the bill for tho partition of our State into two Federal Districts, and it is only right and proper that our people should know who their friend from beyond the Mississippi is itis Mountain Ben done up in the Senatorial toga Of course he ought to be pillar of the Kentucky peniientlary at this very hour, but, be- heath the fostering care of the best Government in the world = for thieves and robbers--he is in the Senate, and will vote to penalze the holding of office by those who fall beneath the restrictions ot the fourteenth amendment Those in the mountain regions of Kentucky who have claims upon this United States Senator had better look them up and send them on to some attorney in Washington. He may not care to contest them, or to plead limitation Those who know him best, however may reoard thie a .-sry .ioivns presumption Thus, lesfby leaf, chapter by chapter, slowly but inexorably. the true history of the reconstruction infamy is being evolved. K |. E.