The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1866-11-14
Bon. Butler the Author Of the Rebellion -
Extraordinary Revelation.

Alexander L. Pratt, editor of the
i'tam Dcrier, published at Waukes,a,
Wisconsin, Douglas delegate to the
Charleston Convention, in 1860 and q
man who has known Benjamin i. But.
lor intimately from his youth, publishes
some extraordinary revelations concern
ing tho part that notorious incendiary
took III the Charleston Convention, the
efforts he put forth to bring about scces.
sion, and The promises Of help from tho
North which ho made in tho namc Of
Noyth"m Democrats, when secession
should be accomplished in fact
Mr. Pratt says: "Butlcr had been sent
to that Convention and was instructed
to vote for Stephen a. Douglas but
during the whole of that struggle, which
lasted two weeks, he voted prcsistently
tor the nomination Of JEFF. Davis.
"At that time" continues Mr.. Pratt,
secession was openly advocated, aud
was as plain to us in the disIoHcc, as it is
now to 81, in tho background Six or
eight well.drillcd and wcl.armcd and
equipped companies were then daily
paradng tic streets Of that city. One
by one were our Northern delegates led
INTO the private room Of ST. Andrews
hail by Butler, and others where they
were met by such men rs Sldcl, Mason
and others, who have thcr millions in
gold to purchase tho nomination of a
Southern man. How much Bu'icr re.
ccivcd we neither know nor ,rr, h,lt as
we said before, tho last speech .;e oyef
heard from Butler and it probably will
rennn the last, unless we may have the
good fortune to hear him speak from
the gallows, was at q secret meeting held
one evening after he and the Southern
delegates had seeded from our convcn.
ton. We obtained adm,ianco ,ha,
evening through friend from .AMbama,
mud for nearly an hour listened to a
speech from Butler upon secession
"ln this speech Butler assured them
that we, the Douglas Democrats, were
Tree Sailors that lie and others repre-
scntcd tho Buchanan, tho Simon pure
Democracy OF tho North that in case
OF collision Of arms between the North
aud South, that the genuine Democracy
would be found defending the rights of
tho South. And when they fred mon
Fort Sumter, they had as much faith in
the belief that Butler and tie Northern
Democrats would sustain them as they
had in their powders ignitius when they
applied the fire TO it,
"Thcre is no one more willing to par
don and forgive than We are, but when
we reflect upon the past and consider
the human suffering caused by the late
war, the mountains Of human bones
bleaching on tho Southern soil, the rivers
IF human blood that have drenchcd that
soil, together with the home scenes Of
destitute orphans and widows, and The
thousands Of crirples who are hobbling
limbless about our towns and cities ;
knowing as we do, Of cur own personal
knowledge, that Bon. Butler did more
than all other Northern men put togcth
er to bring on the war, We can not but
hope that we may yet live to Isar.his
lbs, speech made from more elevated
platform, and where 10 will be listened
TO by better Union men, surrounded bv
the officers o(jn:icc, sworn to DO their
duty, When that time arrives, trea
SON Will DC made oluls."