The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-02-05
SENATOR BUTLER.


tho Charleston Courier:
We commence with one who is univer.
sally conceded to he the most unique and
| original intellect in the Senate. Though
this gentleman (Judge ButIer)i is a favorable
subject, we find the task of accurate define
alton to be far less easy than we anticipated.
Like the poor artist that had to deal with
the philosopher Of Ferney, will, all our eff:
forts we cannot keep him steady to any
single posture or expression. Like all men
of impetuous impulse, lie is restless. One
moment we see him pacing to and fro the
space between the chimneys behind the
Speakers chair, gravely musing on some
matter of mo,nent-we look again, and 10
he is environed by living palisade of BROTH
er Senators, eager to catch up any chance
opinion that may fall from him in colo
quial wayy-one moment giving the grasp
OF his warm right hand to some younger
Scnator-the next directing the storm of
popular debate with a strength of lungs
and redundancy OF animation as if he had
just started fresh for the labors of the
day.
The effect of this gcntleman's powers arc
greatly aided by his countenance, which is
one of the most striking that we ever saw :;
and yet the pecnIiarity lies so mucl, in the
expression, that VIC find it not easy to de-
scribe it. Nature has certainly given the
world assurance Of man in form, COM
pleXion, aud mild mcteoric locks of this re-
markable person. A strong and searching
intellect looks out on you from beneath
that streaming mass of silvery hair. Tie
face is inelegar:., but there is soul in -:he
hooks and corners Of its rugged surface.-
Every thing about Iiih-i,s appearance,
his style, his daring Of tone and spirit re-
mind us Of primitive ayes when the human
heart and the human soul were larger than
in our degenerate days.
More entirely, perhaps, than any man in
public life, has he given the South assurance
full, and hcaned, and running over of What
he means, and what was meant hy his ex-
istcncc. South Carolina has reason to he
proud of her venerable son, and prouder
because in distance and absence he never
allows his heart To travel away from hls ma
tive Stale. This is substantiated by his la
bors, his speeches, the impress Of his whole
life. He stamps his image and superscrip-
ton OIL all that is sound and solid in the
policy Of the South. Every part of his
public life shows linn to be q statesman ell
dowcd in an eminent degree with ali the
qualities Which enable him to discharge the
most responsible duties.
lie has shown, also, that it is possible for
the same person to he n most dexterous and
subtle disputant upon point of law, as
well as statcsman-like reasoner upon COM
prchcnsive questions. We have enjoyed
the privilege Of hearing l,i.n in the Supreme
Court on important cases. There he seems
to us to hold the same pre.eminence that
he does in the Senate, to be most admirably
qualified for this department. His powers
OF reasoning are wonderful. Give him the
most complicated AMI doubtful case to sup
port-with an array Of apparently hostile
decisions 10 oppose him at every step. He
rises and commences 10y some general un-
disputed principle of law that seems per-
iaps at the first view not to bear the relno-
test relation to the matter in controversy;
but to this hc appends another, and an
other, until by a regular series of connected
propositions he brings it down to the very
point before the court and insists, nay,
demonstrates, that the court cannot decide
against him without violating one of its
own most venerated maxims. Nothing
can be more mastery than the manner in
which ali this is done. There Is no ostcn-
tatIon OF ingenuity and research. Every
thing is clear, simple, and familiar; it is
only when we are brought to the ultimate
result that VIC start at discovering that Ly
imperceptible approaches he has gained a
vantage point from which he can descend
upon his adversaries, and compel them to
abandon a position that was deemed i'm.
pregnable.
The moment question is submitted to
him, his mind seems to intuitively apply
all the great principles that are favorable or
hostile. For the rest he seems to depend
upon his extemporancous power of going
through the most intricate processes Of
thought with all the ease and familiarity Of
ordinary discourse.
After reviewing tho career of this distin-
guished man, an impartial observer will be
disposed to say that as profound and
original mind, he stands in the Senate
Venerable for his years, venerable for his
abilities, venerated throughout the South
for his fidelity to her interests, high in hon.
ors, and : possessing in these tumultuous