Thomas Hart Benton was one of the most respected politicians of his time. He held his spot in senate for 30 years. Although the senator from Missouri was a real hothead, his political views were widely regarded. He had many quarrels with different senators over his career, he even was once challenged to a duel with a US state attorney who he killed. He also had many non-violent quarrels with politicians such as John C. Calhoun and Henry Clay. There's no question that Benton had a short temper and was known to explode at times, but he was respected hugely by his peers, whether they liked him or not. The short story starts with Benton nearing the end of his 30 years in the senate. Talk of secession had become commonplace in America and Benton is not a fan. He starts speaking against the issue and immediately loses popularity. His peers think he has gone mad because of his old age. The Whig party (of which he was a part of) turned their backs on him. He was almost totally alone in his fight for union. He then started a tour of speeches bashing all of his enemies. He attacked Calhoun the worst. Benton was outraged the the Missouri legislature accepted Calhoun's resolutions and refused to back down. He kept on bashing Calhoun and the rest of his political opponents, and his popularity plummeted. Many people had lost the respect they once had for him. He became one of the least regarded senators in the country, a far fall from where he once was. He did take a great hit in popularity, but he did stand up for his beliefs. I believe if he handled this differently, he may have gained some respect. But what he did took courage, and that's what matters.