, 1864-04-09

fed until the sentence is passed and put into
execution, and the reprieve, pardon or COM
mutation is refused, An indictment must
be drawn with the greatest nicely, or it
would not stand his criticism. A verdict of
guilty is nothing to him. it is only the be-
ginning Of the case he has fifty exceptions;
hund~ 4 motions in arrest of judgment;
and aft, that the habeas corpus and person
al repl5in, The opposing counsel never
begins 4eel safe until the evidence is all
in for he 4nows not what new lodges But
Ter may spring upon him. He is more fertile
in expedients than any man who prac-
ces law among us. His expedients frequent
ly fail, but they are generally plausible
enough to bear the test of trial. And
faulty and weak as they oftentimes are,
Butler always has confidence in them to the
last and when one fails he invaribly tries
another If it were not that there must
be an end to everything, his desperate cases
would never be finished, for there would
be no end to his expedients to obtain his
case"
His success was so great that he was worth
more than 100000 at the breaking out of
the war, and had a practice amounting to
$4,000 per annum.
Buffers political career is curious study
now that we have the sequel to it, He was
a sturdy, unfinching Democrat in popular
minority in Massachusetts,, and rather liking,
we suspect, that attitude of opposition which
gave full scope to his native pugnacity.-
he was, as everybody remembers, member
of the notorious Charleston Conventions; but
few remember that in that body Butler stood
misunderstanding from both the proslavery
and the platform proposed by the respective
adherents of Breckenridge and Douglas,
and standing alone upon a platform of his
own construction His resolution adopted
the Cincinnati Platform, and added one 9TH
er:
Resozoea, That it is the duty of the United
States to extend its protection alike over
all its citizens, whether native or natural
ized
On this platform he nominated JEFF. Davis
for President, and voted for him ffty-six
times in succession.
The Convention adjourned to Baltimore,
and Mr. Butler finally Joined himself to the
Breckenridge faction
During that political campaign he charac
terized the Douglas ticket as two-faced >
desigped,aa win both sections by deceiving
both. /" Hurrah for johnson - he goes for
Intervention. Hurrah for Douglas p he
goes for non-intervention unless the Supreme
Court tell him to go the other way Hur
rah for johnson !" he goes against popular
sovereignty Hurrah for Douglas p he
goes for popular sovereignty, if the Supreme
Court will let him. Hurrah for Douglas %
be is for the Union.
Mr.. Parton tells us that Mr.. Breckenridge
was at that time Union man, and believed
to be honestly such by Mr.. Butler.
Ia December, 1860, after the election Of
Mr.. Lincoln, Butler went to Washington,
where he had many serious conversations
with his Southern brethren" They were
determined on secession, and asked him to
90 with them. There was room in the South
they said, for such as he. He told them the
North would fight against secession, and
they laughed at him ; they told him the
North would starve if it resisted, and he
laughed at them. He told them, elf the
South fights there is an end of slavery" and
they laughed again. They asked him, {" if
he would fight in such cause" and he re-
piled, "Most certainly" When the South
Carolina "embassadors" came to Washington
Butler proposed to the Attorney General to
try them for treason.
Gen. Butler said to the Attorney General1:
Y You say that the Government cannot use
its army to coerce South Carolina. Very
well, l do not agree with you; but let the
proposition be granted Now, Tsecession is
either right or it is treason. lfit is right,
the sooner we know it the better. If it is
treason then the presenting of the ordinance
Of secession is an overt act of treason. These
men are coming to the White House to pre-
sent the ordinance to the President. Adult
them. Let them present the ordinance.-
Let the President say to them Gentle
men, you 90 hence in the custody of Mar.
shal of the United States, as prisoners of
State charged with treason against your
country" Summon grand jury here in
Washington Indict the commissioners
If any of your officers are backward in acting,
you have the appointing power; replace them
with men who feel as men should at time
like this Try the Commissioners before
the Supreme Court with all the imposing
forms and stately ceremOnials which marked
the trial of Aaron Burr. l have some rep
utation at home as a criminal lawyer, and l
will stay here to help the district attorney
through the trial without fee or reward. If
they are acquitted, you will have done some
thing toward leaving a clear path for the in
coming administration. Time will have been
gained but the great advantage will be,
that both sides will pause to watch this high
and digniGed proceeding; the passions of men
will cool the great points at issue will be
come clear to all parties the mind of the
country will be active, while passion and
prejudice are allayed. Meanwhile, if you
cannot use your army and navy in Charles
ton harbor, you can certainly employ them
in keeping order here.
This was advice sound to the core and
worthy of great lawyer, and of an Aweri-
can who conprehended thoroughly the mean
ing of lawful liberty. OF course it was not
needed The % commissioners or embassa-
doris heard OF it.
"Why you would not hang US ?" said Mr..
Orr, one of them, to Butler.