Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 14.pdf/241

 206

he made the fight of his life for vindication and reelection, it was Green who followed and bitterly opposed him wherever he spoke. Benton always refused to engage in joint discussion; hence, as soon as he would fin ish his speech, Green was on hand to reply. Benton would not wait to listen to his adver sary. On one occasion, however, Benton was forced by some circumstance to listen. In this speech Green made a statement which aroused the ire of "Old Bullion," who immediately interrupted by saying: "Mr. Green, the Bible says thou shalt not lie." "Yes," retorted Mr. Green, "and the Bible says thou shalt not steal, Mr. Benton," alluding to some exploded old story about Ben ton's early life. The result of this campaign was the defeat of Benton. Mr. Blaine, in referring to this campaign, says : " Green had done more than any other man in Mis souri to break down the power of Thomas H. Benton as a leader of the Democracy. His arraignment of Benton before the people of Missouri, in 1849, when he was but thirtytwo years of age, was one of the most aggres sive and successful warfares in our political annals. His premature death was a loss to the country. He was endowed with rare powers, which, rightly directed, would have led to eminence in the public service." In the discussion in Congress of the great and exciting issues which then, and indeed for a decade afterwards, agitated the coun try, Mr. Green came rapidly to the front for one so young, receiving from the press of the whole country favorable notice, and achiev ing an almost national reputation. In 1852 President Pierce appointed him as Minister to Bogota, New Granada; but this position proved too monotonous for one of his nature. He longed to get back to the more congenial atmosphere of political life, resigned, and came home. He then entered the political arena actively, and was again, in 1856, elected

to Congress from his district; but before taking his seat he was elected by the Legis lature to the United States Senate for a full term. There his career is accounted a most brilliant one. He grappled in debate with the ablest men of that body, and soon became the acknowledged spokesman and leader on the floor of the Senate for Presi dent Buchanan's administration. There he seemed to have full scope for his wonderful powers. Judge Bay, in his " Bench and Bar of Missouri," speaking of him and Doug las, says : " In a running debate they had no superiors, and when they came in conflict it was Greek meeting Greek." He acquired, perhaps, his greatest reputation in the debate with Douglas, in 1859, on the territorial or squatter sovereignty question. The late Mordecai Oliver, then a member of Congress from Missouri, was present at this debate, and related this incident in connection with the same. When it was known that Doug las was to speak on a certain day in advocacy of his favorite bill, the friends of the admin istration became solicitous as to who should reply to him. Mr. Green for a week had yielded to his unfortunate habit for drink, and seemed in no condition to meet the emergencies of the hour. They remonstrated with him; urged him by every possible per suasion they could bring to bear to induce him to straighten up. They even seriously considered the matter of taking physical charge of him, and thus guarding him against further indulgence. Green insisted on sitting in the Senate when Douglas opened the de bate. The latter concluded his speech about three o'clock in the afternoon, when, to the surprise and amazement of Green's friends, he, instead of waiting until next day, as they sup posed he would do, arose and made his cele brated reply. Oliver said that the impression made at the time was little short of that pro duced when Webster made his famous reply