REMARKS OF MIR. BENTON,
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Delivered in the Senate of the United States on


the 25lh ultimo, on the Lieutenant General


ship, and in vndication Of the President.


Mr. BENTON asked the indulgence of the Sen
ate to make an exposition of the circumstances un-
der which the President had proposed the appoint
ment OF lieutenant general to command the army
in Mexico. and with which appointment his name
had become connected. 1t had been intimated,
he said, on the floor of The Sena,e-hypolhelical-
ly TO be sure but the less intelIigbIy and forci
bly, on that account-ihat there might be an ulte-
rior and covert design in the proposition
less than design on the part of the President to
appoint his successor. The senator from North
Carolina, [Mr. Badgerl in his speech on the lieu
tenant general bill had indulged in that hypothe-
sis; and as no suppositIon could be more unfound-
ed, or more injurious 10 the President or to the
public service, or could descend from higher
source; and as he Mr. Benton) happened to be in
possession Of all the facts necessary 10 the vnd-
cation of the President, he desired to make ex-
position which would show the supposition to be
unfounded, and would save the Presidents char
acter and the public service from the injury they
would suffer if the intimation was allowed to 90
out uncontradicted from the floor of the Senate
He asked leave, for as the bill for the lieutenant
general was laid upon the table, and as he would
not have it taken up land would not speak to it if
it was,l and as he did not choose to commit the
irregularty of hanging a speech on some irrcIc-
want bill, he must throw himself upon the indul-
gencc ofthe Senate for leave to make the expos-
ton of facts which the case required, and which
the intmations Of the senator from North Carolina
rendered necessary. Leave was given, and Mr.
Benton proceeded: feel myself called upon by
the remarks of the senator from North Carolina
Mr.. Badgerl to vindicate the President from the
unconstitutional and dangerous design which the
hypothetical observations of that senator would at
tribute to him; and shall do so in the simplest
form Of narrative repeating to the Senate all that
has taken place between the President and myself
in relation to this appointment, and thereby enab-


ling the Senate and the people to Judge of the jus
tce ofthe accusation. It was at the beginning of
the month of September last and in the moment
that was about setting out to the west. that the
President sent for me, and informed me that he
had done so for the purpose of offering me a high
appointment He named it. 1t was the mission
to France then becoming vacant bv the return of
the gentleman Mr.. King, of Alabama,) so long
an ornament to this chamber. declined the ap
pontment, and for reasons which had induced me
to decline high appointments from Presidents Jack
son and Van Buren. Mr.. Polk was kind enough
TO ask me to take time to consider; bat answer
ed him thatthere was no need for time, that the
answer would still be the same, after any length