Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-21
POLITICAL CIIARLATANS.

The meanest and most despicable charac-
ter of any age is the political charlatan, the
man who TRIES with the lives, liberty and
honor of people. This character ofpersons
is common to no time nor country. Their
evil deeds are recorded in the history Of
every nation and we regret to say that nei-
ther their number nor their effrontery seem
to have diminished with the enlightenment
of the times and the improvement in politi-
cal institutions. Nowhere do they appear
to flourish better than in the United States.
Take for example the case of Benz. F. But
Ter, of infamous notoriety, and Of Daniel. s..
Dickinson, Of fame scarcely less enviable.
| With the former VIC co-operated in the mem
orable National Democratic Convention
which assembled at Baltimore in 1860, to
nominate candidates for the Presidency and
| Vice Presidency. From the latter we took
counsel, and were Influenced in our action in
that body by his base hypocrisy. Butler we
well remember as the active and noisy dele
gate from Massachusetts,. The Southern and
Northern members of great national party
were divided upon issues which involved the
peace of the country. Upon the har-
mony of that Convention we might say hung
the issue of union or disunion. The ex-
IRENE men of the North and the extreme
men of the South, were at work to des-
troy the nationality of that party, and
precipitate the results that so rapidly
followed. There were not wanting con-
sentative men in that Convention, who
earnestly desired and earnestly labored
to preserve its national tone and secure the
harmony of that great party, which had so
long administered the affairs of government
The Delegates from Virginia, Maryland,
Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and many
from other Southern States, iabored earnest
ly to this end Benz. F. Butler was not of
their number. He encouraged the division,
which resulted in the organization of two
seperate Conventions, the one nominating
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, the other JOHN c.
BRECKENRIDGE. No less active to the same
end was Daniel F. Dickinson, a hungry e1-
pectant himself for the nomination. Though
not personally present, he sanctioned and
encouraged, by telegraphic dispatches, which
were privately circulated by his friends, the
disintegration that was taking place, and
contributed TO inhame the Southern preiu-
dice, by ready recognition of the unjust
l. 4
ity were making of them. With such ex-
amples from Northern men, the delegates
from the South felt sustained in their con-
victions and encouraged in policy, about
which, otherwise they might have faltered.
Upon the separation of that Convention,
and the organization Of that wing of it which
subsequently assembled in the Maryland In
stitute, the result of whose deliberations was
the nomination of Mr. Breckenridge, there
sat Benz. f. Butler, claiming to- represent
the Democracy of Massachusetts. Pretend
ing to recognize the injustice which the sec
tionalism of the North was seeking to inn
pose upon the South, he essayed to present
the sublime spectacle of a man who was will
ling TO make every sacrifice of personal adj
vancement rather than give way to a spirit
of injustice and oppression. lie went far
Their than the farthest. The delegates
from Tennessee and other States, in their
anxiety to avoid even the appearance of sec
tionalism, favored the nomination of a North |
ern man, and TO that end cast their votes for |
Daniel S. Dickinson. This was in admira-
bic harmony with the policy Of Dickinson,
but itdid not answer the purposes Of Butler. |
He would have no concessiOns-make no |
compromises. When the name of Mr.. Breck- |
inridge was presented, as a Southern man
who was free from the extreme views of his |
section, it was not sufficiently Southern
for Butler. lie would not be comforted |
with anything short Of the nomination of |
JEFFERSON DAVIS, of Mississippi. But more |
moderate counsels prevailed and Mr.. Breck- |
inridge was nominated. As the South was
satisfied of course Butler became satisfied, as |
sired to be regarded as the special champion |
Of The sequel shows that if Mr.. Breckin-
ridge could have been elected, and Butler
could have reaped the chief part of govern
ment patronage that would have been given
to New England, he would have been still |
better satisfied and if that patronage could |
have continued a thousand years and he
could have lived that long TO enjoy it, he
would have continued satisfied Just that long,
hut not day longer. But Mr.. Breckenridge
was not elected, and his zeal for the South
awaited him nothing in the way Of patronage.
Daniel :. Dickinson was not nominated, and /
upon the incoming of the new administra-
ton, he, too, found himself out in the cold.
What was patriotism worth 10 such men at
such a time? True it might have onnobled
their characters, but what is character to
New York or Massachusetts, politician with
out patronage Patronage they wanted and
patronage they must have. They knew
where il was TO be obtained and there they
went. Ii was not sufficient for them TO
become the mere supporters Of the adj
in power and give their
influence to the putting down of the re
bolho n. They must rival Phillips and
sumner and the most bitter prosecutors
Of the South. They were not merely shock
ed at the temerity Of the Southern States in
wanting TO withdraw from the Union, but
they discovered that the people Of those
States were the worst Of traitors and the
vilost OF yandals Language failed them.
They could not construct sentences strong
enough to give vent to their bitterness to-
wards Us. No figure Of speech was sufii-
,ienly strong TO blacken our reputation
Is they would have it done. No penalty
vas severe enough to answer the demands Of
Justice
The singular spectacle presented by the
curse Of these two men, though disgusting
5 not without parallel. History presents
many such. Nero was at one time syco-
liant Rr,f,s 49, ,,,oro ,,i.p,;hio II L., 4 :