The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-12-02


| Is Mr.. HAMMOND REPUBLICAN?-Th New
York Day Book says:
His denunciation of the Nebraska BILL of
squatter sovereignty Lccomptonism, &c, may
be, and probably are, just and proper, but after
all, like the State Bank contrivance Of other
days, they are necessary preliminaries to the
real question.
A great party at the North, acting in har-
mOny with European policy, is striving to seize
the central Government, in order to force ne
grOlsm on the Territories, and, as it boldly
avows, to thus pen up the negro population
within the States where it now exists and, rem
dering Slavery unproftable finally compel its
| abolition. There is probably not man in that
party who cares a straw for the opinion of Mr.
hammond 50 long as that opinion is confined
to the State of South Carolina; and therefore
whether the honorable Senator believes Sla-
very to be the normal condition of the negro,
or a hellish institution is to them matter of
profound Indifference. When Gen. Scott began
his operations for the reduction of the Castle of
San Juan de Ulloa, he was utterly Indifferent
to the boastings of the commandment and his
| garrison, for he knew that, permitted to plant
batteries which cut off all communication, and
commanded the interior oflV era Cruz, the citadel
| itself must finally surrender to him. So too
| the chiefs of the Republican party will be willing
| TO let Slavery alone in the States If they are
permitted to plant their free-negro batteries in
/ the Territories which, in conjunction with those
already opened by European policy all along
our Southern line they confidently predict will
finally gain them the victory And Mr.. Ham
mond's Speech which in effect tells them to go
| ahead, is therefore copied and praised by the
leading Anti Slavery Journals of the NORTH
with eager satisfaction" .u.,
DEATH OF BENJAMIN +. BUrLER.-It is with
deep sorrow that we chronicle the death of
Benjamin f. Butler, of this city, which occurred
at Paris on the 9Th of the present month
Mr.. Butler was born at Undertook, on the
| 18th of December, 1895. He studied law with
| Mr.. Van Buren,, the eX-President, and, immedi
ately on being admitted to the bar, became his.
partner. He soon distinguished himself in his
profession, not merely as an able practitioner,
but as one profoundly acquainted with the
principles which form the basis of our system of
law. After having served in the House of As
sembly, he was appointed one of board
of three to revise the statutes of the State and
reduce them to a methodical and more intelligi
| BILE form. His associates were John Duer and
John c. Spencer. Mr.. Butler prosecuted this
| task TO its conclusion, but his associates. we
believe, were changed. The Revised Statutes
of New York form an enduring monument of
his industry, his acquaintance with the philoso-
ply of law, and his synthetical capacity.
Under General Jackson, Mr.. Butler was made
Attorney General of the United States, an office
which he filled with great ability and eonscen-
tiousness. lie was afterwards, for a time,
United States District Attorney for the Southern
District of New York. OF late years, he had
withdrawn from public affairs, and devoted
himself assiduously to his professionalism as
siduously, doubtless, for his health, which,
though good constitution enabled him long to
resist the effect of excessive application, yielded
at last and he determined to Try the effect of a
voyage to Europe and a residence abroad. He
sailed in the steamer Arago for Hayre, on the
10th of October last. That vessel will probably
bring back his remains.-N T. Ere Post.
| DIR. PLUMER ON POETIZING.--Rev. DIR. Plu-
mer recently delivered an address at the open
ing of Female Seminary at Wheeling, Va, in
which he made the sabjomed among other SEN
sible remarks. 1t deserves the consideration of,
very considerable portion of the poetizers
whose illusions are forwarded to newspaper ed
itors, especially the closing sentence Turning
to the Principal of the Seminary, DIR. Plumer
! said - t lad ..t..
II hope, sir, you will not teach poetry hero
| mean what some people call the science of
composing poetry. If it will come from some
of these youths, let it come, but don't force it.
| feel about the writing OF poetry something
like the Methodist preacher who giving a
charge to class-meeting about some regula-
tons. When in the midst Of his charge, one
old lady let slip shout Now says he,
brethren and sisters, sincethe subject OF shout
ing has come up, I'll give you my views on the
subject. Never shout from a sense OF duty. III
you feel that you can't hold in, why then shout,
but not otherwise / hope, then, that no one
here will ever write poetry from sense OF duty.
Poetry is despicable, unless it is first class.
Poor poetry is about the meanest of all mean
things. As the Latin satirst has said, Mel
ther gods nor men can endure it,