Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/872

BENTON. a number of duels, in one of which he killed his opponent. He advocated the admission of Mis- souri as a slave State, and after tlie famous com- promise in 1820 was chosen United States Sena- tor. He was regularly reelected, so that he was Senator for thirty successive years. One of his long-prosecuted plans was to amend the Consti- tution so that the people could vote directly for President, or come as near as possible to such a system. This project he brought forward sev- eral times, but it never came near adoption, all friends of caucus nominations and secret machine work in politics naturally opposing it. One of his hardest lights was in opposition to the re- chartering of the United States Bank. He advo- cated instead the establishment of a currency of gold and silver only, for which idea he was "long called 'Old Bullion.' After Jackson's removal of Secretary Duane in the fight against the Bank, the Senate adopted a resolution censuring the President; but Benton, who in many ways was Jackson's lieutenant, not long after moved to expunge that resolution from the record, and carried his point after a long and fierce contest. Among other measures advocated by Benton were the preemption of public lands, a railroad to the Pacific, the abolition of the salt tax, and opening mineral lands to settlement. In other words, he was a strong supporter of Western interests. In the Oregon boundary dispute with Great Britain he took a leading part against the 'fifty-four- forty or fight' advocates, and his influence great- ly conduced to the retreat of Polk's administra- tion from an extreme position. He was of service to I'olk during the jlexican War, and it was actually proposed at one time to put hi:n in com- mand of the forces in the field. He opposed Cal- houn's pro-slavery propaganda and the compro- mise measures of Henry Clay in 1850. As a result of his hostility ts Calhoun and the pro- slavery Democrats he lost his senatorship. 'Two years after his long service in the Senate ended, he was chosen to the other House, where he op- posed the Kansas-Nebraska bill and failed of reelection on that account. In 1856 he was a candidate for Governor of Jlissouri, but lost through the presence of a third ticket in the field. At the same election he supported Bu- chanan for President, althoiigh his son-in-law, Fremont, was the opposing candidate. He was a vigorous and telling speaker, and of great in- fluence throughout his long senatorial career. He possessed considerable learning, but did not always escape in using it the disadvantages inci- dent to his lack of early training. As a repre- sentative of the West during the ante-bellum period he is of great importance to the student of American history. His Thirti/ Years' View (IS.tG) is a well-known and valuable political retrospect of his experiences and observations in the Senate. He also made a notable Abridgment of the Debates in Congress from 1789 to 1S30, in 15 large volumes (1857). Consult Roosevelt, Thomas Hart Benton (Boston, 1887).

BENTON GROUP. See Cketaceous Sys- tem.

BENTON HAR'BOR. A city in Berrien County, Mich., (iO miles east of Chicago, 111.; on the Saint Joseph River, and on tlie P&re Mar- quette, the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and Saint Louis, and other railroads (Map: Michi- gan, GO). It is 1% miles from Lake Michigan, with which it is connected by a sliip-eanal, has a good harbor on the lake, with steamboat lines to Chicago and ]Iilwaukee, and exports large quantities of fruit, besides grain and lumber. The manufactures include fruit packages, vine- gar, cider, pickles, beet-sugar, furniture, flour, planed lumber, machinery, etc. In the city and the vicinity are mineral springs possessing valu- able medicinal properties, which make the local- ity popular as a place of resort. The bottled water is shipped in considerable quantities. Pop- ulation, in 1890, 3692; in 1900, 6562.

BEN'TONVILLE. A village in Johnston County, North Carolina, where, on March 19, 1865, a Confederate force of about 15,000, under Johnston, vigorously attacked the left wing of Sherman's army, under General .Slocum, but was. repulsed, with the aid of Kilpatriek's cavalry, after several hours of stubborn fighting. Sub- stantial Federal reinforcements from the main army having arrived during the day, Johnston did not renew the attack, and on the "night of the 21st hastily retreated toward Raleigh, while Sherman proceeded to Goldsboro to effect a junc- tion with Schofield. The Federal loss in killed, wounded, and missing was about 1600, the Con- federate about 2700. Consult Johnson and Buel, The Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Vol. IV. (New York, 1887).

BENTONVILLE. A tomi and the county- seat of Benton County, Arkansas, about 85 miles north of Fort Smith ; on the Arkansas and Okla- homa Railroad, a branch of the Saint Louis and San Francisco system (Map: Arkansas, A 1). It contains Ouachita, a Baptist academy, and Bentonville College. The town is the centre of a productive fruit-growing and agricultural region, with a considerable trade in fruit, tobacco, grain, and live stock; and has extensive fruit evaporat- ing and fruit brandy distilling interests, cold storage plant, etc. Population, in 1890, 1077 ; in 1900, 184.-!.

BENTZEL - STERNAU, ben'tscl ster'nou, Karl Christian Erxst, Count (1767-1849). A German statesman and author, born at Mainz. He was successively Minister of the Interior of the Grand Duchy o'f Baden (1808), president of the Supreme Court of Mannheim (1810), and Minister of State and Finance of the Grand Duchy of Frankfort (1812). He became famous as a humorist and close student of human nature through his novel. Das goldene KaUi, in which he follows in the footsteps of Jean Paul. This was followed by Der steinerne Gust (1808); Pig- ni iienbriefe' (ISOS) ; and Der altc Adam (1819- 20). The dramatic works of the author were less successful, while his Bayernbriefc were char- acterized by political insight and patriotism.

BENTZON, bax'tsoN', Th. The pseudonym of Marie Tlu--r6se Blanc (1840—). A French journalist and novelist, for many years on the staff of the Revue des Deux Mondes. She was born at Seine-Port, has traveled widely in the United States, and written wisely of American literature and social conditions. Among her essays are Litterature et mccurs etrangeres (1822) and Lcs nouveaux romanciers amiricuins (1885). Her novels include: La vocation de Louise (187.3); Sannmele (1875); Un remords (1878); Yette, histoire d'une jeune Crfole (1880; 1882): Yvonne (1881): Tomj (1884); Contcs de tous les pays (1890): .fac/iieline (1893). She also wrote Xouvelle France et nou-