Iron County register., 1900-05-24
HON)RED M|SSO(|R|ANS.
Acceptance of the Statues of Benton
and Blair by the United
States Congress.
ELOQUENT EULOGIEs IN TIE SENATE.
Counterfeits of Thomas Hart Benton ana
Francis Preston Blair Stand in the Ma
tionaI Hall Of Fame as Representatives
of BIIssoarPs Highest Type of Citizen
ship and Statesmanship.

Washing ton, May 19.--1'he senate de-
voted two hours this afternoon to the
| acceptance of the statues of Thomas
| Hart Renton and Francis Preston
| Blair, which for more than year have
occupied places in Staturay hall OF the
capitol assigned to Missouri's repre-
sentatives in the Hall of Fame.
Early in the session to-day Senator
Cockrell called up the resolutions ac-
| cepting on behalf of the United States
the statues of Benton and Blair pre-
sented by Missouri.
After Gov. Stephens letter of pre-
sentation was read, speeches of eulogy
We're made by Senators Vest, CockrcIl
and Hoar.
Senator Vest spoke for one hour. lie
eloquently reviewed the lives and char
acters of Renton and Blair. His speech
| will rank as historical address. 1t
was given close attention by the SEN
| ate.
''It has often been asked" said he,
whether Benton was the equal OF his
three great contemporaries
| Webster and Calhoun. He was not the
equal of Clay as an orator, nor of
Webster as lawyer, nor was he the
! equal of Calhoun, as close, analytical
| debater, but he was the superior of
amy of the three as a material, valua
bic allrcund legislator His industry
was unparalleled, his honesty above
| question, his courage, moral and phys
ical, equal to that of any man that
ever lived upon the earth.''
| Referring to the famous duel be-
| tween Benton and Lucas, the senator
said: ut would. perhaps, not be I'M
proper to speak of the tragic event
which cast gloom and shadow upon
Benton's life. Benton came from that
old Virginia stock which was extreme
| ly sensitive as to personal honor. I
never agreed with him politically. but
| to-day will state what / know to be
true, that Benton never knew the SEN
sation Of fear, either in public or pri-
| yate life.
''At the first election, after Benton
went to st. Louis, young Lucas, a son
of Judge Lucas. challenged Benton's
vote, after the latter had sworn that
lie was legally entitled to vote in ST.
| Louis. Benton construed this as a
charge of perjury, which, as he de-
Clared at the time, could only be wiped
| out with an apology or by blood. He
challenged Lucas promptly, and they
| fought on BLOODY island, near ST.
Louis. Lucas was almost mortally
wounded. Benton waited until he was
convalescent, and then challenged him
again. In the second encounter Lucas
was killed.
Benton never admitted that, in the
absence of full apology as to what
Lucas had done, he could retain his
| self-respect, or deserve that of others,
until he had killed the man who had
| attacked his honor. All this now
sounds barbarous, but if we carry our
selves bacl, to the time when it oc-
| CURED it will charitably be admitted
that, entertaining the opinions he did,
benton could hardly have acted differ
| entity. Dueling then was an institu-
ton. All the distinguished men of the
United States fought duels.''
In conclusion Mr.. Vest said: ''Een-
ton was not southern democrat: he
was a national democrat. He appre-
ciated more thoroughly than any man
country west of the Mississippi, des-
tined to become the seat of empire up
On this continent. I heard him. at
little town on the Missouri river. adj
vancing with his right arm extended
to the east. declare with the tone of an
ancient prophet, there is the east. but
here is the road of empire His statue
in Forest park, ST. Louis, bears upon
the pedestal this prophetic statement
He declared, and men then laughed at
him, that this continent would be
bound together by bands of iroo 10
carry our produce to the Pacific slope
to meet the necessities of innumerable
millions in Asia and the orient.
''Benton's political mantle fell. log
ical1y and inevitably, upon the shoul-
ders of Frank +. blair. But for Blair.
Missouri would have given hen, solid
military strength to the southern
cause; and the result of the war
might have been different but for the
promptness with which Blair acted
Blair had bitter enemies, like all men
of positive convictions, but even these
enemies never doubted his sincerity,
but respected it because he was open,
fair. fearless and true.
Benton and Blair sleep together on
Missouri soil, almost side by side. and
so long as this capitol shall stand, or
this nation exist. their statues will
he eloquent and eternal witnesses to
the greatness of Missouri and her
chosen sons"
Mr.. Cockrell did not speak owing to
lack of time. but in his written eulogy
he said of Benton.
.sHe was a close, labcrious and con-
stant student from boyhood to his
death, and acquired and possessed a
greater fund of information and
knowledge, general and historical, than
any statesman of our country, from
which he drew largely in his discus
sions of all questions. Apace with his
increasing years he grew in knowledge
and foresight, and in his uncomprom-
ising devotion to what he honestly be-
lieved to be the best interests of our
common country and the foiling mil
lions of our people and was the friend
of the people. Believing he was right.
he never stopped to count the strength
of his opposition. but moved to the at
tack with unyielding deter mination
and force"
As to Mr.. Blair. Mr.. CockreH said:
Ellis greatest prescience and force
of character were made manifest when
the lowering clouds of the civil war