BENTON, Thomas Hart; was born in Hillsborough, Orange Co., North Carolina, March 14, 1782; was educated at Chapel Hill College; left that institution without receiving a degree, and forthwith commenced the study of law in William and Mary College, Virginia, inder Mr. St. George Tucker; in 1810 entered the U S Army, but soon resigned his commission of Lt. Col, and in 1811 was at Nashville, Tennessee, where he commenced the practice of law; soon afterwards emigrated to St. Louis, Missouri, where he connected himself with the press as the editor of the Missouri Argus; in 1820 was elected a member of the US Senate, serving as Chairman of many important committees, and remained in that body til the session of 1851, at which time he failed of re-election. As Missouri was not admitted into the Union until August 10, 1821, more than a year of his first term of service expired before he took his seat. He occupied himself during this interval in acquiring a knowledge of the language and literature of Spain. Immediately after he appeared in the Senate he took a prominent part in the deliberations of that body and repaidly rose to distinction; was one of the chief supporters of the administrations of President Jackson and Van Buren. The people of Missouri long clung to him as their leader, and it required persevering effort to defeat him; but he had served them during hte period of thirty years without interuption, and others, who aspired to honors which he enjoyed, became impatient for an opportunity to supplant him. He was distinguished for his learning, iron will, practical mind, and strong memory. As a public speaker he was not interesting or calculated to produce an effect on the passions of an audenece, but his speeches were read with avidity, always producing a decided influence; was elected a Representative in the Thirty-third Congress for the District of St. Louis; on hi retirement from public life devoted himself to the preparation of a valuable register of the debates in Congress, upon which he labored until his death which occurred in Washington, on the 10th of April, 1858, of cancer in the stomach. He was the author of a political work, giving an account of his observations during his Senatorial service of thirty years.
(Source: Biographical Annals of the Civil Government of the United States, "Charles Lanman, Joseph M. Morrison") |
