The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-01-19
Cur 0lio.
Reminiscences of Tom Benton.

faults OF character and as many good traits
as any man that ever held seat in that
body He was bitter (perhaps malignant
is the better word) in his politics, and
neither wished nor cared to have friends
who disagreed with him in his political
faith. By marriage he was connected to
Henry Clay, and was the intimate friend Of
the great orator. From facts growing out
of the Presidential contest Of 1924, when,
through the vote and influence of Mr..
Clay, John Quincy Adams, minority can
didate, was elected President of the House
of Representatives over Gen. jackson, who
received the highest electoral vote, the
friendship between Benton and Clay cooled,
and the part Benton took in the great can
vass of 1928 against Adams and Clay
brought hatred between them which never
healed. At one time, Col. Benton espous-
ing the quarrel between his brother, jesse
Benton and Gen. Jackson, they became
bitter enemies, and had street fight, and
to the day of his death Jackson suffered
from ball in his arm from Benton pistol.
They afterward became friends. Benton
was too much of man to espouse the cause
of his brother, and jackson could not in
his heart blame him for so doing, Once
during hot debate, Mr.. Clay alluded to
this quarrel, when Benton promptly replied:
''True, we quarreled and we fought like
men, and became friends without leaving
any adjourned question of veracity between
us alluding to former dispute between
Adams and Clay, in which the latter made
statements regarding Mr.. Adams while one
of the Commissioners to settle the terms of
peace with England at Ghent, in which
Mr.. Clay charged him with an attempt to
barter away the free navigation of the Mis-
sissippi River, and which Mr.. Adams in
dignantly denied. Clay, in the controver-
sy, professed to he able to prove it by one
of the Commissioners not thenin the coun-
try, and announced his intention of doing
so at some future date. This was the last
of it.
Between Webster and Benton, except
acrimonious debates in the Senate, there
had been no quarrel and no personal inter-
course For years, as members of the
Senate, day after day, they passed each
other without recognition. Benton, except
to his intimate friends, was unsocial. He
would not speak to dog if the dog be-
longed to man he did not like.
At the time of the explosion of the then
largest cannon, called the Peacemaker, ever
cast in the United States, Benton was on
board the Princeton with party to witness
its being fired, on a trip down the Potomac.
1t was during the administration Of Presi-
dent Tyler. The vessel was crowded by
the Presidential party, by members of the
Cabinet and of Congress, and by the lead
ing men and women of Washington. In
giving an account of the affair Col. Benton
said he was standing near the gun, in the
best possible position to see the effects of
the shot. Suddenly some one touched him
on the shoulder who wished to speak to
him, and he was elbowed out of his place
and another took it. The gun was fired
and burst, dealing death and destruction all
around. Ex-Gov. Gilmer, then Secretary
of the Navy, who stood where Benton stood
but moment before, was instantly killed,
as was also Abel P Upshur, the Secretary
of State, Mr. Gardener, the father of the
lady who was afterwards Mrs. Tyler, and
others Of prominence,
The scene had great effect on Senator
Benton, who by the concussion was thrown
to the deck, but not materially injured.
He then realized that if the Almighty
would forgive us our trespases, we must
forgive those who trespass against us, and
he determined to be recopciled to those he
had beep at outs with, and Daniel Webster
was among the first to whom Benton ten
dered the olive-branch ofpeace. Mr.. Web
ster, in describing the scene, said Mr.. Ben
ton told him that it seemed as if that touch
on the shoulder moment before the gun
was fired, saved his life, by drawing him
away from that which would have been in
stantaneous death, and that fact had changed
the whole course of his thoughts in life.
''He felt" he said, "as if he were differ
ent man, and he wished, in the first place
to be at peace with all those with whom he
had been at variance, and so, Mr. Webster
I have come to you, Let us bury the
hatchet." OF course, Mr.. Webster respond
ed to the invitation. The old political en-.
emies shook hands, and ever after their
intercourse was cordial and pleasant. And
10 relating this experience, Mr.. Webster
added that there was no man IN the United
States Senate of whom he could have asked
reasonable and proper favor with more
assurance of obtaining it than from Col
Thomas H. Benton.
Among the men in Missouri that Ben
ton hated, and who hated Benton, was ;
lawyer by the name of John Wilson
They differed in politics, and each person
ally hated the other and never concealed
the fact. When Benton made stumI
speeches in Missouri, Wilson thorned Ben
ton by being present, replying to the speech
and personally attacking his opponent in |
violent manner, and frequently Bentor
would reply in the same strain. For owe
a quarter Of century this bitter, malignan
warfare existed. About the time of th'
explosion of the cannon on board the Prince
tom, Wilson, having been rich, from somt
unfortunate speculation was financially
ruined, with helpless family on his hands
At that time California was all the rage
and Wilson, by the aid of friends, although
aged in years and prematurely so by hi
misfortune, determined to seek a home an
again commence life in that country. II
called on Daniel Webeter, who was an oil
friend, to ask him for a letter of introduC
ton to some one in California, that he coul
use to prove himself respectable man an
worthy of confidence. Mr.. Webster ha
not single acquaintance in California
whom he could address letter that woul
do the bearer any good. II wish much,
he added, ''to do you service, and kno
of no better way than to ask Col. Bento
to give you letter. His son-in-law, Go
Fremont, almost owns California, and ca