The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-06
spoken In the United States Senate at the
close Of his administration, Mr.. Benton said

spoken In the United States Senate at the
close Of his ADMINISTRATION Mr.. Benton said
of the history OF these exciting events
This history is not to be written In our day.
/ The CONTEMPORARIES Of such events are not the
| hands to describe them Time must FIRST do It's
| ollite-must silence the passions. remove the
actors, deFeippa cons guaneas aud eanpniz ali
that Ia sacred to honor patriotism and glory.
Mr.. Benton's euogy was O great speech,
made In great age, before great Senate,
such as Rome boosted when at the zenith of
her power. Mr.. Clay, Mr.. Calhoun and Mr..
Webster all spoke on that memorable night
and presented the spectacle of their reluctant
homage TO 81 greater Cheftain than them all
| In impressive words. These speeches were
not the defamation, popular or parllamen-
tary, OF ordinary minds and times, not titful
| flights of eloanence, not sound aud glitter to
excite admiration. We now. after fifty years
are gone, realize the truth OF the above de-
claration Of the great Senator from Missouri.
Theseething passions of men, then at binding
heat. aud the dust and smoke of the conflict
which yet covered the field, did not admit OF
sight, and Mr.. Benton In his eulogy was
moved, as q seer, by a vision OF prophecy.
But there Is more nowhere s the light OF
| those fifty years, the Wisdom and experience
| OF new age, In which to SEQ the events OF
| that time and estimate their character. Time
| has ''doBe It's office and more 1T has demon
strated the frailty of tho human race In the
exercise Of political power, and we are pro
pared 10 Justify the worst approximations whic'
the heroic Jackson entertained OF the dang or
which threatened the liberties of the peoi lie
The eountrymen of Andrew Jackson ere le' ARE
Ing fast that every government bunk, an tn
6sed every p1bic noneyed corporation. is q
menace to public liberty; that Whatever pow
OF fs exercised by any government, Jr any
seeh corporation, is so much taken rom the
indlvidusi or sovereign. These fundam entail
principles are making their way into mems
minds saeerly through the gro wing conscious.
ness OF the frailty ard instability OF Elen. and
are becoming as universally recognized In
politics as In religion. With the fell knowl-
edge OF all his weakness the soeiai man will
become mo re- and more jealous OF government,
and will, ttsp by step, Withdraw from 1t every
little OF nNthorFty which the individual ID
.nbnlneteI IT no WELD.
Tho nj tFunata means for the exercise OF all
dcspotic. political power Ia money. All OPP
pressio rests on the ability of the oppressor
to swi ~ the minds or control the actions
OF tile oppressed through their natural wants
aud pw,etkes. In ordinary despotisms this
cont Mills accomplished by force, which sezes
upor 1.-the wealth or property Of the people,
the source of supply, and then denies ia vic
tim their rights. But the United States
Ba mix was possessed In itself OF every quality
for arbitrary and absolute rule over men. It
as the naked power that might accomplish
tueotly all Its ends-the primary, Into which
lalbhe elements of the ilercest tyranny have
R be resolved to be available.
THE money power la this country to-day,
unorgansad, without license or authority,
alethed only with its inherent capacity to
move men from their integrity, Is the sole
danger Of the American people. Their liber-
4 Ties. rescued by their greatest President, ale
/ yet In their own keeping, untouched by the
hand OF any tyranny, and they arc prepared
themselves to grapple with the great danger
AS they We're not fifty years ago But how
would IL be now II the United States Bank
which even then carried the country to the
verge OF revolution. shook the government TO
Its centre, and would have shaken it from It's
base II In the hands of any other executive
had again secured for Itself the immunities
OF law and as It would in the light Of its
experience. under q new charter had laid the
foundation OF perpetual. power2 Let the
American people shed their blessings daily
on the memory OF the great man who saved
them from such destiny and whose true
greatness is about to be universally recog-
nized In all lands where the love OF liberty
dwslls.
The money power, even diffueed among In |
dividuals In society," Is by reason of the mu-
tual attraction and cohesion incident to all |
likes, fraught with great peril to public |
liberty; yet individuals have eonseenoes and |
human life is OF mortal tenure. Let the peo-
pie watch 1t with vigilance, although shorn
OF corporate immunities But, above all. let I
them beware of public moneyed corporations
Every public corporation is n means to money |
and to release from the restraints OF con-
science and from the mutability OF human
life, Every one. however benetieently Its
duties may be performed by conscientious
officers or agents, contains, nevertheless, the
elements, reduced to their first principles,
a despotsm.