Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-03-09


nations immortal worthless do congre.
gate, Missouri made most happy and
most fitting selection from among q
host of her distinguished sons These
two men complement each other to an
extraordinary degree. Really their lives
formed but one career, great career,
career of vast import to the state
and nation. Both were southerners by
birth, both were soldiers Of therepublic,
both members Of this house, both sena-
tors of the United States, both added
largely to American renown, both left
spOtless regulations as a heritage to
their countrymen,
The dominant passion Of these two
Missouri Titans was an absorbing love
Of the Union To its preservation they
devoted their great energies Of mind
and heart and body To that end they
were not only theoretically willing 10
spend and be spent. but were actually
and literally spent In that warfare
they sacrificed all those things which
most men hold dear. In that cause Ben
ton went to his political death, and
Frank Blair rendered himself physical
wreck In their vocabulary there was
no such word as concession" or as
"compromise. In very truth, they
took their lives in their hands and
bught the battle to the bitter end
statuary Hall in the Capitol.
Under the law each state has the
Eighs to place the statues of two-and
only two-illustrious American citizens
In statuary hall, but in this regard Mis-
souri, has been more fortunate than
most Of her sister states, for, while she
can place only two there herself, three
Of her soldier statesmen stand there in
bronze and marble as perpetual re-
minders Of her glory. In addition to
Benton and Blair. through the action Of
Illinois there stands General james
Shields, that illustrious Irish American,
hero Of two wars and the only man
that ever lid or In all human probable
ity ever will represent three states Of
the Union in the senate Of the United
States
Upon the base Of his statue in yonder
hall are biazoned the coats Of arms Of
Illinois Minnesota and Missouri, In
whose service he spent his life, but as
he wrought for the whole country In
the senate and in the field his fame be-
longs to the whole country, in whose
cause he freely shed his blood.
Either Benton or Blair is sufficient,
q noble, theme for any orator.
shall eonfne my remarks in the
main to the latter. with only incidental
reference to the former, leaving the
great contemporary Of Webster. Clay
and Calhoun to my colleagues
In this sra of good feeling 1t may
seem ungracious to talk much about |
the civil war and may appear like |
Sweet bells tangled out of tune, but |
this is historic occasion, Frank Blair
is a historic Parsonage. and the truth |
should be told about him All his deeds !
with which history will concern itself |
are those which he performed in mat |
ters pertaining TO that unhappy period
either before, during or after A
speech about him and without mention
Of these things would be like the play !
Of Hamlet with the Prince of Dem
mark left out.
Prank p. Blair.
Born in the lovely blue grass region
of Kentucky, reared In Washington
city, in the excitement and swirl Of ma
tional politics, spending his manhood's
days in St Louis, the great city Of the
iron crown, his opportunities for growth
were Of the best, and he developed ac-
cording to the expectations of his most
sanguina friends
Within a radius of 10 miles Of Lex.
ington, Ky. where Frank Blair first
looked forth upon this glorious world,
more orators Of renown were born or
have exercised their lungs and tongues
than upon any other plat Of rural
ground of the same size upon the habit
able globe
Henry Clay, John J. Crittenden, the
Marshalls, the Breekinridges, the Pres
tons, the Shelbys, the McAfees the
Browns, the Blairs the Buckners, the
Deshas the HoHstons. old Bob Letoher,
the Harlans. the Wickliffs, old Ben !
Hardin, Leslie Coombs. John Rowan. /
the Thompsons. the Davises, the Tur- Q
ners, Richard H. Menifee, the Goodies .
the Hansons, Henry Bascom, John Pope.
the Johnstons. Chief Justice Robert :
son, Cassius NJ Clay and his brother !
Brutus Junius. Joe Blackburn, George
Graham Vest Henry Watterson, J. '
Proctor Knott. Jim Mckenzie and a n
host Of choice spirits have reused the
and made the welkin ring
Rise of the Blairs.
The rise Of the Blairs. father ana :
sons, to great political eminence and I
power forms a most curious and inter Z
esting chapter in our history. I
The foundation Of their career was 4
laid by an anonymous article written l
BY Francis p Blair. sr., for mental q
recreation purely. and printed in the c
Frankfort Ky. Argus, in the incipient v
stage Of the war Of determination
waged BY Andrew Jackson against the '
old Bank Of the United States which d
article luckily fell under Jackson's v
eagle eye and attracted his attention. 4
II may be doubted whether any other v
anonymous communication 10 any {
newspaper in any country since Gu b
eenbeHg invented movable types was
ever productive Of 50 many and such a
tarreaohing consequences a
In that elder day. while the American I,
newspaper was still in its infancy, ey. h
ary administration had an organ al B
The seat Of government, supported in
he main BY public pap and BY subscrip- n
ions from federal officials Subscribe !,
resign. or Be kicked out were the alter Z
natives presented to ail holders Of gov I,
srnmental Positions from secretary Of I
itste down 70 the spittoon olsanera So y
hat 70 edit the organ was. in the popu. o
ar parlanee Of this day. to have a de- h
sidedly soft snap y
Until his quarrel with John @. Cal a
loun. quarrel which wrecked more
iFez and was more prolific Of calamitiss
han the Trojan war. Jackson's organ
vas the Initial STATE T-sfsr--...L -