New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-05-12

The worcester Spy has an excellent ar


The Worcester Spy has an excellent ar
ticle thus headed, which We reproduce:
The relation of General Butler to the i'm
peachment has been remarkable one. He
was not a member Of the original commit
tee on the subject. He had nothing to do
with preparing and reporting the original
articles. After they were reported, he
moved a long and substantive amendment
to them, which the House summarily re-
iected. Upon further reflection the House
reversed its decision and accepted the
amendment, but still doubtingly. When
the managers were selected the name Of
General Butler was placed nearly, if not
quite; at the foot of the list. Down to the
very commencement of the trial everything
indicated that he was to take back seat in
the business of impeachment. But then
came truly dramstic change. General
Butler suddenly stepped from the rear to the
front, and thenceforward became the central
figure OF the scene When Butler was
quiet all were dun, when he reused him
self the chamber was in a rustic.
Stanbery fought him until the sponge was
thrown up, and ne was borne out Of the
rirg breathless. Nothing but the inexors.
BILE rules of the ring saved Curtis from the
punishment which Butler painted to iDflict.
At critical points in the trial he carried the
Senate with him against the Chief Justice.
he compelled the Presidents witnesses to
tell better story for the managers than
they told for the President. The best Of
them he silenced altogether. In all the
movements of the conflict, whether of AZ
tack or defense, he has shown himself
n aster. Not so great lawyer as Judge
Curtis, not SO great an advocate as Mr..
EVarts, he has shown himself greater than
toth-greater than oil the Presidents coun.
sci together-in the conduct of this notable
contest. How supreme he was the homage
Of admiring silence paid to him by his
associates declare.
Strangers to General Butler must have
been taken by surprise at such sudden and
easy ascent to the lorenzo, place. Our own
surprise is lessened vs. we recall the Masss-
chusetts Constitutional Convention Of 1859.
That was the most august body that has as
sembled within the walls of the State House
since 1920. There wer3 Choate and Sumner,
Judge Parker and Professor Greenlesf,
Governors Boutwell, and Briggs. Wilson,
Banks Allen, Morton, Rantoul, Dana Hill
lard, SpraSue, and others, men of fame, the
elect OF the Commonwealth. And Satan
came also among them, was the feeling Of
moment rs General Butler took his seat as
q member Of the Convention from Lowell.
He was not then famous, but he was
notorious; and a shock was felt that he
should sit as peer among such men as we
have named. But in that Convention be
lived down his old reputation. His man
ners were lrreproachs0le, aud in the grea.
debates which drew ont all the learning and
wisdom and dialectic skill of the Convention
he speedily rose to commanding influence.
It has been remarked that of all the mem.
oers of that Convention the two who grew
the most were Richard II. Dana and Gen.
eral Butler Recalling this earlier triumph,
we are less surprised at the new display Of
ms genius for which the impeachment trial
has furnished an admirable occasion.