One of the seven senators studied in detail in PROFILES IN COURAGE by John F. Kennedy was Senator Thomas Hart Benton. Here he is portrayed by Brian Keith, in a role that allows him to be hammy, but only because the character was...well quite a character!
Tom Benton originally was from Tennessee. In 1813 he and his brother Jesse were involved in a rather messy street fight with another Tennessean, in which all three were wounded. All three, I am glad to say, recovered. Tom and Jesse decided to move to Missouri Territory, and got involved in politics there. In 1821 Tom was elected to be the first Senator from Missouri. He went to Washington as a freshman Senator, and was seated next to the new freshman Senator from Tennessee. Both men did a joint double-take when they saw each other: the new Senator from Tennessee was the other party in the brawl in 1813. Fortunately he too recovered, and had won several military victories since then, one against the Indians as Horshoe Bend, but more important one against the British at New Orleans in 1815. His name was Andrew Jackson.
Jackson and Benton were both embarrassed at first, but common interests in issues broke the ice. They actually became close friends, and Benton was Jackson's spokesperson in the U.S. Senate during the latter's Presidency. In fact, Benton created the legislation that destroyed Jackson's powerful foe, the Second Bank of the United States, by taking Federal bullion deposits out of the Bank, and putting them into state banks. This act forever nicknamed the Missouri statesman, "Old Bullion" Benton.
He became powerful as head of the Military Affairs Committee of the Senate. Here however he had one headache. His daughter Jessie married Captain John Charles Fremont, the explorer of the west. Benton did not think highly of Fremont (probably rightly so), but eventually was reconciled to the marriage. Then, one day, he agreed to Fremont going with a valuable cannon on one of his expeditions. The cannon got lost in some stupid accident, causing a brouhaha when Fremont's superior (General Stephen Kearney) kicked up a fuss regarding the loss. It seems Kearney had been opposed to either Fremont going on another expedition, or of borrowing that valuable cannon from Kearney!
The issue that is discussed in the study by Kennedy (which is the story on this episode) is about the Compromise of 1850, which postponed the Civil War by ten years. California was seeking statehood (and helping to push this is Benton's "helpful" son-in-law Fremont, who will be California's first U.S. Senator). But the South opposes the admission of California, as it will end the even division of the U.S. Senate between free and slave states that has prevented abolitionist efforts against slavery. Benton is being pressured to support John C. Calhoun's (Carl Benton Reid's) group of Southerners who are threatening secession unless some guarantees are made regarding protecting the rights of slave states and slave owners. But Benton is a strong nationalist. While Missouri has many slave owners, he feels that a strong number of Missourians would not wish to secede. Benton was into many pompous statements, one of which was "Benton and the people...synonymous terms, Sir, synonymous terms!!" With such speeches as that, is it any wonder that Keith was enjoying playing the part of this ham.
Tom Benton voted for the Compromise. This angered many of the southern state leaders, such as Senator Henry Foote of Mississippi (Russell Collins), who began to attack him on the floor of the Senate. Benton returned the complement. Then after one speech, Benton apparently began approaching Foote, possibly to just confront him when replying. Foote pulled out a pistol and aimed at Benton. Benton pulled open his coat, and yelled "Let the Assassin fire!...Let the Assassin fire!!". A political cartoon of the time said that it was the most disgusting display on the Senate floor that ever had occurred.
As it turned out, Benton was defeated in his attempt for a sixth term in the U.S. Senate, but Foote did not do too well either. After crowing about how "Rome again is free!" because Benton was defeated, Foote was hurt and surprised the next year when he was defeated for re-election to the U.S. Senate (he was replaced by Jefferson Davis). Foote in later years moved to California, and tried to get elected there in 1856, but was defeated again by David Broderick.
Benton did write a very useful book of memoirs, THIRTY YEARS VIEW. Then in 1854 he ran for the House of Representatives, and served for two years as a Congressman. In 1856 he supported (begrudgingly) his son-in-law Fremont as first Republican candidate for the Presidency. He did not seek re-election to the House in 1856, for his health was failing. Benton died in 1858, never seeing the Civil War he helped to postpone.
As for Missouri, in the Civil War it was a "neutral state", not seceding with the South, but definitely supplying many southern war supporters, such as General Sterling Price, Jesse and Frank James, and Cole Younger. It also supplied many northern supporters, including Carl Schurtz and U.S. Grant (who was living there when the war began).
The episode is entertaining and informative as any in this series, but I particularly enjoy Keith hamming up on the character (like a run-through for his "businessman and a good Republican" in THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL), but legitimately because the character was exactly like that!
Tom Benton originally was from Tennessee. In 1813 he and his brother Jesse were involved in a rather messy street fight with another Tennessean, in which all three were wounded. All three, I am glad to say, recovered. Tom and Jesse decided to move to Missouri Territory, and got involved in politics there. In 1821 Tom was elected to be the first Senator from Missouri. He went to Washington as a freshman Senator, and was seated next to the new freshman Senator from Tennessee. Both men did a joint double-take when they saw each other: the new Senator from Tennessee was the other party in the brawl in 1813. Fortunately he too recovered, and had won several military victories since then, one against the Indians as Horshoe Bend, but more important one against the British at New Orleans in 1815. His name was Andrew Jackson.
Jackson and Benton were both embarrassed at first, but common interests in issues broke the ice. They actually became close friends, and Benton was Jackson's spokesperson in the U.S. Senate during the latter's Presidency. In fact, Benton created the legislation that destroyed Jackson's powerful foe, the Second Bank of the United States, by taking Federal bullion deposits out of the Bank, and putting them into state banks. This act forever nicknamed the Missouri statesman, "Old Bullion" Benton.
He became powerful as head of the Military Affairs Committee of the Senate. Here however he had one headache. His daughter Jessie married Captain John Charles Fremont, the explorer of the west. Benton did not think highly of Fremont (probably rightly so), but eventually was reconciled to the marriage. Then, one day, he agreed to Fremont going with a valuable cannon on one of his expeditions. The cannon got lost in some stupid accident, causing a brouhaha when Fremont's superior (General Stephen Kearney) kicked up a fuss regarding the loss. It seems Kearney had been opposed to either Fremont going on another expedition, or of borrowing that valuable cannon from Kearney!
The issue that is discussed in the study by Kennedy (which is the story on this episode) is about the Compromise of 1850, which postponed the Civil War by ten years. California was seeking statehood (and helping to push this is Benton's "helpful" son-in-law Fremont, who will be California's first U.S. Senator). But the South opposes the admission of California, as it will end the even division of the U.S. Senate between free and slave states that has prevented abolitionist efforts against slavery. Benton is being pressured to support John C. Calhoun's (Carl Benton Reid's) group of Southerners who are threatening secession unless some guarantees are made regarding protecting the rights of slave states and slave owners. But Benton is a strong nationalist. While Missouri has many slave owners, he feels that a strong number of Missourians would not wish to secede. Benton was into many pompous statements, one of which was "Benton and the people...synonymous terms, Sir, synonymous terms!!" With such speeches as that, is it any wonder that Keith was enjoying playing the part of this ham.
Tom Benton voted for the Compromise. This angered many of the southern state leaders, such as Senator Henry Foote of Mississippi (Russell Collins), who began to attack him on the floor of the Senate. Benton returned the complement. Then after one speech, Benton apparently began approaching Foote, possibly to just confront him when replying. Foote pulled out a pistol and aimed at Benton. Benton pulled open his coat, and yelled "Let the Assassin fire!...Let the Assassin fire!!". A political cartoon of the time said that it was the most disgusting display on the Senate floor that ever had occurred.
As it turned out, Benton was defeated in his attempt for a sixth term in the U.S. Senate, but Foote did not do too well either. After crowing about how "Rome again is free!" because Benton was defeated, Foote was hurt and surprised the next year when he was defeated for re-election to the U.S. Senate (he was replaced by Jefferson Davis). Foote in later years moved to California, and tried to get elected there in 1856, but was defeated again by David Broderick.
Benton did write a very useful book of memoirs, THIRTY YEARS VIEW. Then in 1854 he ran for the House of Representatives, and served for two years as a Congressman. In 1856 he supported (begrudgingly) his son-in-law Fremont as first Republican candidate for the Presidency. He did not seek re-election to the House in 1856, for his health was failing. Benton died in 1858, never seeing the Civil War he helped to postpone.
As for Missouri, in the Civil War it was a "neutral state", not seceding with the South, but definitely supplying many southern war supporters, such as General Sterling Price, Jesse and Frank James, and Cole Younger. It also supplied many northern supporters, including Carl Schurtz and U.S. Grant (who was living there when the war began).
The episode is entertaining and informative as any in this series, but I particularly enjoy Keith hamming up on the character (like a run-through for his "businessman and a good Republican" in THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL), but legitimately because the character was exactly like that!