General Benton.
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In consequence of the importance OF the sab
inct and of the deep ntert ST which the pubic
take in it. and of the various speculations which
have gone forth in the public presses, we hasten
to lay the following correspondence before our
readers II is taken from a printed copy now
b. fore us, which Gcn. Benton has addressed TO
the members Of the Senate.


Il is a subject of much regret, that circum-
stances have prevented the employment OF ms
talents in this branch Of the public service Inc
President regrets it, because he has the highest
confidence in the military talents, the great skil,
and the great energy of Cen Benton. He haa
hoprd to have it in his power to place HIM at the
head of the army The House OF Representa-
tivps had expressed, by very large majority,
their desire to have n gpncral-in-chiet selected by
the President himself: but the whole federal par
ty of The Senate, in coalition with that balance
nfpower party" to whose gracious dspensatlon
we are indebted for our exclusion from the honor
of IoiIing on their privileged sofas, defeated the
proposition and placed the President in an en-
barrassing relation to the whole subject. This
important measure having been thus rejected by
the coalition the Senate, he found on critical
examination of the existing laws of Congress, that
he had no power to designate General Brnton-
Junior major gcneral-to the chief command OF
the army in the field" without superscdng four
other generals who held senior commissions, and
who are at this time employed actiVely IN the
field to have done it at this critical jnncture
would have been to leopard the success of our
arms, and 10 embarrass the military operations
now in process of execution. Under these cir
cumsanccs, much as he regrets the loss Of Gen.
Bentons services in the field, the President felt
himself compelled to pursue the course which his
reply of the 9th points out. Upon the receipt of
this letter, General Benton promptly, and frankly,
and in terms which do him high honor, declined
to accept the appointment of major general in the
army, which the President had offered 10 him,
and which the Senate had so honorably and
unanimously confirmed.


1t is possible that this measure, deemed Of vital
importance by the President, might still have uiti-
mateIy been passed by majority Of the Senate, if
it had not been announced lin conversation) by
some of the federal senator's that they would have
spoken out the remainder of the session on the
last night of Congress, and thus defeated, not only
this bill, but the passage of some of the appropra-
lior bills, Just as the two million bill had been
defeated at the last day of the long session, by
Senator Davis speaking against it. Rather than
lose those bills, so indispensable to keep the
wheels of government in motion during the war,
the friends of the measure (of the appointment of
a commanding generaD were compelled to ab1n-
don it.


By this result. the country docs not lose the
services of Mr.. Benton but he remains in the
high Office Of Srnato: Of the United States, which
he has so long and honoraoly graced.