New-York tribune., 1910-04-22
SENATORS BENTON AND FooTE
Duel in Which Silence Proved More
Effective Weapon than Words.
ne Editor Of The TriDune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Thomas II. Benton, os Missouri. and
Henry s. Foote. OF Mississippi. were stimuli
taneously members OF the United States
Senate sixty years ago. They were both
Democrats, and. therefore. political friends.
but they were very bitter personal enemies
perhaps two people have seldom. II ever,
disllked one another more intensely. On
one occasion Mr. Foote'S Indignation was
such that he threatened Colonel Benton
with revolver. and but for tho timely
Intervention of other members a tragedy
would probably have occurred on the floor
OF the Senate.
Not long subsequent to that unseemly
episode Mr.. Toote, alludng on a social
occasion. in conversation with several gem
tlemen. TO Mr.. Benton, was reported TO have
said: '1 have never yet had al opportunity
sufficiently TO express my opinion Of and
contempt for him, but I am going TO write
a small book. and Senator Benton will fig
ure very largely in that" Colonel Benton
one being told Of that remark was said 70
have replied: well am going 70 write a
very large book. and Senator Foots won't
figure IN IL at ALL
Reading the small book" and the Every
large book with reference TO those facts is
very amusing: expression in the one IS in
senious. clear and strong, anc we'll calcu-
lated TO convey the idea and make the i'm
preston desired. hut Il is overratched by
the retort OF silence in the very large
book
Mr.. Foote'S work is small volume. Of
only 2se pages. entitled The Bar OF the
South and Southeast" and IL we'll worth
reading. II abounds in brief anecdott and
interesting witticisms about numerous and
distin guished lawyers and statesmen.
among whom Is Colonel Benton, who IS
given more space than any Of the others
He is accorded credit for some very noble
qualities and charged with some grave de
fects. 10 exhibit which was probably the
principal object OF the book. and the ac-
count IS well calculated 10 impress the
reader who IS unconscious Of the feelings Of
the author with a very unfavOrabls opinion
Of the personags criticised J-nfriendly
feelings on the part Of the author are very
carefully and ingeniously concealed.
Colonel Benton's work is a very elaborate
history, Of two volumes and 1893 double
column pages. entitled Thirty Years
Visw." II Is an historical work Of great
merit. In the preface he announces: "Ius-
tice 10 the men with whom have acted IS
my chief motive for engaging in this work
!, write in the spirit OF truth My
ambition Is 70 make a verscious work
The work covers a period Of thirty years.
from 1870 70 1880. during which the author
was a member Of the Senate. Presidents
Monroe. J. Q. Adams. Jackson. Van Buren.
the elder Harrison. Tyler. Polk. Taylor
and Fillmore. as we'll as such statesmen as
Crawford clay. Calhoun. Webster. Grundy.
Cass. Wright, Marcy and numerous others.
receive due attention. The work also con-
tains q list Of Senators during that period.
one OF whom is Henry Stuart Foote -
While the author must have had AR Foots
in mind, he appears never to have known
anything worthy Of noting about the latter
who is simply treated as a nonentity. too
insignificant for the least comment. whether
in compliment or reproach.
Thomas Carlyle. in comm enting on Dante,
whom he greatly admired. saws: His 81
lence was often more eloquent than his
expression" The great Italian poet prcba-
bly, never surpassed with his talent Of
silence Thomas II. Benton in dealing
with Henry s. Foote.
". r. BALDWIN
Liberty. n. Y. April IL. 1910