"Col. Benton, in one of his letters to the Inquirer, speaking of Lewis county, says that the "county is with him," (Benton) Such are his own words, and he italicises them, in order to make the declaration more emphatic. We need only say that the assertion is about as far from the truth as if he had declared that an angelic host had appeared in the heavens, and shouted approbation in his sacrilegious ear. The "Reporter," published in that county, avers that there are but four democrats in the county who sustain Benton, and one of them is Jimmy Ellision, the recreant legislator, who repudiated his own vote. If Benton should ever visit that region again, he will be in great danger of indictment for a libel upon the people, and also as an incendiary in producing insurrection among their negroes. His appearance there again might convince even his stubborn nature that hte people, if not 'with him,' were 'after him,' and that with a pretty tolerably sharp stick."
[Missouri Courier, 20th ult.
We did nod design noticing Benton's lying epistle from Monticello, but as the "Courier" has spoken of it, we will examine the truth of the matter. Benton evidently did not intend writing from this county, at all, knowing how unanimous the people of Lewis are in opposition to him. Even his callous cheek ought to color at writing a falsehood so notorious. But if would seem that some-time after he had left the Northeast, and knowing he had written from every place where he had spoken, excepting Monticello, that point was brought back to his memory, doubtless, by seeing an account of the grand negro stampede, and then it occurred to him to adopt a bold front, in order to deceive the people in other parts of the State. He then writes to the "Inquirer" that "the whole county [Lewis] is with him!" intending thereby to create the impression, that in no wise did he excite the stampede.
We can excuse the Col. in forgetting, for a time, to write from Lewis. The fright he received at Monticello, when the thundershout went up for Green, at the conclusion of his speech, was enough to make him forever silent about the county.––The Col. spoke at the back part of the court house, and as soon as he was through, and the call for Green a little subsided, a friend of Mr. G's announced that he would speak in the court house. At that moment, such a general rush for the house was never before seen; the crowd in their hurry to get inside, had "no respect of persons," and Col. Benton's sides and "rear" are yet sore from the buffs and jolts he received. One man in the excitement, ran square against the odl Senator, so hard as to seriously jeopardize the equilibrium of his old bell-crowned, "C street" hat, which the Col. immediately adjusted and broke for the hotel, no doubt thinking the people were then "after him." He left this vicinity, not uttering curses loud and deep and we opine the hoary-headed traitor has made his last visit to Lewis county, Missouri.
Canton (MO) North-East Reporter, December 6, 1849