The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-20
BULOGIES IN THE SENATE
Tributes Paid to The Memory of
Benton and Blair.
Formal Ceremonies of Accepting
statues of the Statesmen From the
State of MissOuri-The Prescnta-
tion Speech Made by Mr.. Nest-An
Eloquent Address by MIR. HOnr.

Formal ceremonies accepting from the
State of Missouri the statues of Thomas H.
Benton and Francis P Blair were held in
the Senate yesterday afternoon, when
speeches eulugistic of the two statesmen
whom Missouri has honored by placing
their statues in the National Hall of stat
uary were delivered by Messrs. Vest OF
Missouri and Hoar Of Massachusetts,. The
statues were placed in position some
months ago without the ceremony of un-
yelling.
The presentation speech was made by
Mr.. Vest, who entertained his listeners for
over an hour with eloquent eulogisms of
Benton and Blair-twO men who had, he
said. given their whole lives, one to the
cause of free soil. and the other to the
suppression of African slavery. His rem
iniscences Of Benton were full of interest.
No man, he said. had ever lived whose
moral and physical courage exceeded Ben
tons. And, had il not been for the activ-
ity of Blair, Missouri. he said would have
given her solid military strength to the
Southern cause. Blair had more personal
friends, he said, than any man who ever
lived In Missouri. He had bitter enemies,
even his enemies never denied his sin
cerity. and they always respected him.
These two men," Mr. Vest concluded,
sleep together in Missouri soil, almost
side by side. And so long as this Capitol
shall stand, or this nation exist, their 81
lent statues shall be eloquent but eternal
pledges on the part of Missouri Of an eter
nal union.''
Mr.. cockrell. who was to have followed
his colleague, yielded his right to Mr.. Hoar,
who said in part:
The statute of 1862 which sets apart
the beautiful chamber in the Capitol as
gallery for the statues of famous citi-
zens leaves the selection to the absolute
discretion of the States. But the whole
country approves the choice of Missouri.
When the figure of Benton is unveiled the
genius of Missouri-rather, the genius OF
the 'West-has come. He is to stand
among his peers. the representative, the
embodiment, of great history. He re-
membered the men OF the Revolution. He
was born before the war of the Revolution
ended. He lived to greet Charles Sumner
when he came into the Senate, to survive
all the great leaders Of the time before
the war, and to see the sure signs of the
coming conflict of arms between freedom
and slavery.
Missouri did well that she waited near
~ half century after his death before
electing him to the greater and perpetual
Senate, which is TO sit forever in yonder
chamber. 1t would be well IL this exam
pie were always followed. No party spirit,
no influence of friendship, no mere per-
sonal gratitude, no temporary or feeting
popularity has Influenced the choice. We
know now what manner of man Missouri,
by her deliberate choice, delighteth to
honor. and what manner of man the
American people delight to honor.
Thomas H. Benton was a sturdy and
courageous champion. He understood, as
no other man ever understood, the interest
of the great West. He is, beyond all ques-
tion, without competitor or rival down to
this moment, the foremost statesman OF
the States beyond the Mississippi. From
1920 to 1850 he was one of the four great
leaders of the Senate. If in some special
quality he was surpassed by each of the
great triumvirate-Webster, Clay, Cal
houn--yet neither of these men, perhaps
not altogether, exerted SO powerful an in
fuence upon the action of the Senate or
of the people during that time. He was
industrious, wasting no moment OF slime;
earnest and interchangeable, pressing upon
the armor of his opponent; trying every |
joint; sure to find the weak spot; un-
firing; courageous. never shrinking or
finching from the face Of any antagonist;
unselHSh, STRIVING 1Or the PUBIC good as |
he understood it; loving his people, loving |
his State and section and country with a |
supreme and most disnterested love.
THE statesman or the student Of his |
tory today can investigate few subjects |
which interested the people during the first |
seventy years of our history under the |
Constitution without coming upon the work |
of Benton. By three or four things how
ever, he is specially known to his coun-
trymen and will keep his place in their |
undying memory. One is his passionate |
personal attachment and devotion to An
drew Jackson. Another is his belief in a
money of intrinsic value, gold and silver,
and his utter detestation and contempt Tor
any substitute of paper or credit.
Another is his attachment TO the union
OF the States, an attachment which no
party feeling no feeling as Southern man,
ever for moment weakened or impaired.
Another was his brave resistance in his
early life to the great intellectual cham
niopc no o ,ue ra arrayad apaipcf him in ho