The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-11
Gen. william 0. BntIer and the FrsesoiIers

Gen. william o. BntIer and the FreeS0iiers.
The formal Reputation of the Freesoilers
by Gen. WILLIAM o. BUTLER, has called forth
a similar reputation of him on their part. The
N. Y. Euening Post, the central organ OF the
Freesoil Democracy, thus summarily and slight
ingly treats Gen. BUFFERS claims to the candi-
dacy, It intimates that he is the victim of a
trick, because he has had the manliness TO come
out boldly and speak the truth. The Post APP
pears to think that subterfuge and silence are
very important elements in "playing the game
for the Presidency"
GENERAL WILLIAM O. BurLER.-A letter
from Gen. William o. Batter, on the subject Of
the compromise and the fugitive. slave law ap.
pears in our columns to day. 1t should be read
in connection with what his friend, Mr.. Brecken-
ridge, of Kentucky, had to say of it yesterday on
the floor of Congress.
Gen Butler, it is well known, has been men
toned among those who might be the candidates
of the Democratic party at the next election OF
President Some person has had the address
to convince him that he did not possess the con-
fidence Of the Democrats of the Southern
States, and that 1t was necessary to write such q
letter as this for the purposeof standardization
The speech of Mr.. Breckenridge, ourreaders will
perceive, was made with the same design its
object was to put Gen. Butler right with the
shareholders, and to call their particular atten.
ton to the declarations Of loyalty to the CON-
promise contained in his letter
So far as the letter is declaration of Gen.
Buffers opinions, it was quite unnecessary.
They were as well known here, at The North, as
they were to his personal friends in Kentucky.
Nobody who had the least acquaintance with
contemporary politics, was ignorant of the fact
that he approved of the compromise measures.
The politicians Of the slave States are divided
into two classes; on one side are those who
maintain extreme Southern views, like the repre-
sentatives from South Carolina, Mr.. Soule OF
Louisiana, and a considerable number of Other
prominent men in the different States on the
other side are the friends of the compromise
Union men as they call themselves, and il was
well known that Gen. Butler belonged TO the
latter category. As politician in slave State
everybody knows that he shares the views of the
shareholders, and If any man here or at the
South has affected 10 believe otherwise il was
a mere pretence for some party purpose.
II is bad omen, on going into battle, to be.
tray a consciousness of weakness, and an
cApCClAltOu VI otus DulltI WIS UOl Y
strong candidate at the North, and this letter
implies that lie is distrusted at the South. One
who perceiyes that he is thus situated, might
well have spared himself any further trouble in
the matter. 1t is hard TO coax back the public
confidence when it has orce departed Yet
with a view Of doing this, Gen. Butler goes
considerably beyond a declaration Of his owr
opinions on the compromise question, and adds
that he approves Of the resolutions Of the Demo.
cratic convention in Kentucky, making the at.
tachment 10 the fugitive-slave law test Of 20.
litcal orthodoxy, and a condition Of political
fellowship. Il has been observed by shrewd
politicians, that the greater the anxiety shown
by public man TO recover the confidence Of
any class, the less is generally his chance Of
success.
While, therefore, we find the opinions Of Gen
Butler, as proclaimed by him in this letter 10 b.
precisely those he was known TO entertain, SO
that in this respect il communicates no new in
formation, we cannot congratulate him on the
skill with which he Is playing his game for the
Presidency. 1t seems to Us that he has taker
the advice Of those who are friendly 10 an.
other candidate.