CHAPTER XXXII.

MISSOURI AND MANKIND.

Some Leaders of the State's Thought-Enoch Mather Marvin's Plain Speech-Last Message of Benton-The Parting with Buchanan-How the End Came to the Old Roman—The Fremonts-Nathaniel Paschall's Estimate-Three Cousins Who Became Missourians— When Blair Drew Indictments for Treason-Justice Lamm's Pen Picture of VestSenator Hoar's Estimate-The Great Commoner of Misssouri-Characteristics of Richard P. Bland-"A Plain, Blunt Man Who Loved His Friends"-The Tragedy of James S. Green's Career-Atchison's Impressive Presence-Author of the Jackson Resolutions-James O. Broadhead as a Legal Authority-Career of John W. Henry-Thomas Allen's Twenty-Dollar Start-John B. Henderson's Gift of Speech-When James B. Eads Sold Apples-The Heroic in Missouri Womanhood-Order No. 11-Doniphan and His Contemporaries—"Old Bustamente"-James Shields and Irish Nationality— Missourians in a Crisis-Professor See's Discoveries-Missouri and Education-No Higher Vocation Than Teaching-Birth of State University-Beginning of Norma! Schools-William T. Harris and James M. Greenwood-Farewell Message on Spelling Reform-Public School System-Evolution of Higher Education-Many and Varied Institutions.

I would like to live a few years longer. There are some things I would like to do for Missouri.— Thomas Allen in his last illness.

In 1903, the year before the World's Fair, four hundred Missourians, representative of all parts of the State, were asked "to name the leaders of the State's thought, the men who had done the most for Missouri and through Missourians for the world." The living were not included in this state-wide estiWalter Williams, of the University of Missouri, canvassed and classified the returns. The majority vote of the four hundred established this roll of fame: Statesmen-Thomas H. Benton, Frank P. Blair, John S. Phelps, B. Gratz Brown, Richard Parks Bland, Hamilton R. Gamble, James S. Green and Edward Bates.

Father of the State University-James S. Rollins.

Soldiers-Sterling Price, A. W. Doniphan.

Engineer-James B. Eads.

Preacher-Enoch Mather Marvin.

Poet-Eugene Field.

Artist-George C. Bingham.

The proof of the devotion to the memory of Enoch Mather Marvin was shown in the erection of the Marvin church of St. Louis. The building fund was contributed by namesakes of Bishop Marvin in all parts of the United States. Missouri led with the number of Marvins and Texas was next. Bishop Marvin's father and mother were New Englanders and were married in Massa

chusetts. The grandmother of the bishop was Catherine Mather of the same Mather family which numbered Cotton Mather, the theologian who wrote learnedly on witchcraft.

Bishop Marvin was a very plain-spoken, matter-of-fact man, whose manner combined in a rare degree geniality and bluntness. He detested unnecessary apologies and often rebuked them. This was told of him by a Missouri woman: "When I was quite young my father one day brought this celebrated preacher home to dinner, unexpectedly to my mother, who was not prepared for the proper reception and entertainment of so distinguished a guest. Upon preparing the repast she discovered at the last moment that her supply of butter had run short, there being only the smallest possible slice to place upon the table. Perceiving this, the bishop delicately refused to take any, although it was passed to him several times. The hostess at length pressed him urgently, saying, 'Don't be afraid of the butter, bishop.' 'Never fear, madam,' retorted the divine, 'there isn't enough of it to scare anybody.'"

Benton's Deathbed Plea for the Union.

At the dedication of the Benton monument in Lafayette Park, Frank Blair told of Benton's dying protest against secession:

"When Colonel Benton was on his deathbed, my father and mother both hastened from the country to be at his side. When they arrived his articulation was almost lost, but his mind was clear and his features gave it expression. After some motion of his lips, he drew my father's face close to his and said, 'Kiss me,' and spoke of their long and unbroken friendship. He then uttered Clay's name and with repeated efforts gave my father to understand that he wished him to get the last of his compilation of 'The Debates of Congress,' which he prepared a few days before the last effort of his feeble hand. It contained Mr. Clay's pregnant reply to Senator Barnwell, of South Carolina, who had vindicated Mr. Rhett's secession pronunciamento for the South. Mr. Clay, in the passage preserved by Colonel Benton, proclaimed the course which should be taken against the attempt indicated by Mr. Rhett and advocated by Mr. Barnwell, and my father expressed his satisfaction that this was given prominence as the work of his last moments since there were then strong symptoms of the revolutionary movement which culminated in the last war. Colonel Benton's countenance, as he recognized that the sense of the manuscript was understood, evidenced his gratification. The scene was reported to Mr. Crittenden and other Union men who had power to impress it on the public mind. It had its efficacy. In 1858, at the epoch of Mr. Benton's death, the country and its loyal sons were struggling like Laocoon and his offspring with two great serpents crushing them in their fatal coils. Benton, in his dying hour, seemed in his agonies concerned alone for those which he saw awaited the country.

"The page to which he pointed my father's eye contained Mr. Clay's last appeal intended to arouse the people to support the government against contending convulsions. Colonel Benton adopted his life-long rival's last appeal as his own, and made it speak when he could no longer utter the counsel which had healed the bitter enmity between him and his great political opponent. And he left that fact as a dissuasive command to the ambitious factions that would rend the country into hostile sections and submerge its glorious institutions to

subserve views of personal aggrandizement or gratify a vindictive hatred. The last labors of this great man's life exhibited its great moral attributes under these most striking circumstances. All the prejudice born of the rivalry of his personal and party ambitions was forgotten. Benton forgot even himself; he almost forgot that he had a soul to save or that he had a suffering body bleeding to death. His bodily pangs at the moment of dissolution seemed to be lost in the thought fixed sadly on the ruin portending the grand commonwealth to which he gave a homage that was almost worship. He was like a soldier battling earnestly for the cause that tasked all his powers. He does not feel the bullet that carries his life's blood away in its flight. He remembered that his efforts combined with those of his great party antagonist had once contributed to save the Union and he was unwilling to lay down his head in the peace of death until he tried to repel another similar but more appalling danger.

"There never lived a man with more instinctive patriotism than Benton," Blair added. "He was a man of strong, sometimes unruly passions, but his paramount passion was love of country."

Benton's Last Hours.

The greatness of Benton was not dimmed in his closing hours. Only three days before his death Mr. Benton sent for President Buchanan to exhort him to preserve the Union. Taking the hand of the President, he said:

"Buchanan, we are friends; we have differed on many points, as you well know, but I always trusted in your integrity of purpose. I supported you in preference to Fremont, because he headed a sectional party, whose success would have been the signal for disunion. I have known you long, and I knew you would honestly endeavor to do right. I have that faith in you now, but you must look to a higher power to support and guide you. another world; I am going now; you will soon follow. made, my earthly affairs arranged; but I could not go thanking you for your interest in my child."

We will soon meet in My peace with God is without seeing you and

Death came to the old Roman on the 10th of April, 1858. Almost to the last hour he was engaged in dictating the closing chapter of his great work. Two days before he died Mr. Benton wrote the following note to "Samuel Houston, Esq., Senator in Congress from the State of Texas," and "George W. Jones, Esq., Representative in Congress from the State of Tennessee," viz.:

"C Street, Washington, April 8, 1858.

"To you, as old Tennessee friends, I address myself, to say that in the event of my death here I desire that there should not be any notice taken of it in Congress. There is no rule of either house that will authorize the announcement of my death, and if there were such a rule I should not wish it to be applied in my case, as being contrary to my feelings and convictions long entertained.

"Your old Tennessee friend,

"THOMAS H. BENTON."

The venerable Horatio King, postmaster general in Buchanan's Cabinet and "the first man in office to deny the right of a State to withdraw from the Union,' wrote to the Washington Chronicle this account of Mr. Benton's fatal illness: