The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-23
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Assassination New Element In American
Politics.

Assassination q New Element III American
Politics.
From me ". " Herald. w 1I sfT ia
Ben Butler has discovered new element in
American politics. A few years ago the OLD
constitutional limitation of the term OF otfice
and the power of making change quadren-
nially were sufficient to satisfy those OF our
citizens who happened to be opposed to the
political sentiments OF President OF the
United States and to stand outside the pale of
his tempting patronage. But this is pro-
gressive age; the world moves, and the hero
Of Fort Fisher, with his accustomed shrewd-
ness, perceives that four years will in future
be too long for men to wait for the removal Of
an obstruction to their personal advancement.
The process will be altogether too slow-as
tedious and unsatisfactory as the digging OF
Dutch Gap Canal-especially when the knife,
the bullet, and the poisoned cup offer such
sure and speedy relief The assassination OF
Lincoln is looked upon by Butler as precedent
that will not fail to have its influence upon our
political future, and the success of that Rebel
experiment he believes will prove highly en-
couraging to those who may hereafter find
themselves the friends Of the second in power
instead of the first. The weak point in this
reasoning appears to be the error in supposing
the assassination OF Lincoln to have been
q benefit to the Rebels. Had Lincoln lived,
the indications are unmistakable that he
would have carried out broad policy of
the Southern peoples and he would have done
80 without encountering any serious oppo-
sition from his own party, and without draw
ing upon himself the pains and penalties of
tenure of-ofice laws, impeachment, and pro-
traeted Congressional sessions. The Southern
States have realized nothing by Lincoln's
death except military rule, starvation, carpet
baggers, and negro supremacy. Johnson's
friendship has been to them curse rather
than blessing; and if the experience since
he succeeded to the Presidential Office is to be
regarded as fair specimen of the benefits they
are to reap from the policy of assassination, 1t
will be long before they desire to enlist
any more Booths into their service. If f.-...
If Buffers philosophy were sound we should
witness marked and singular change in our
whole political system. Our ward politician,
instead of being represented in woodcuts with
q patch over his eye, a broken hat on his
head, and whisky bottle in his hand, would
take the character of the Spanish brigand,
with the slouohed hat, the black mask, the
picturesque cloak, and the poignard. Our
ofice-seeker would no longer approach the
Presidential mansion with a subdued air, a
clean shirt and collar, and full wallet, but
would force his way into the presence with a
defiant demeanor and the handle of a
Bowie knife sticking out from the back of his
coat-collar. Our Presidential dress would
cease to be the highly respectable broadcloth
same color, and our Chief Magistrates would
receive at the White House arrayed in full
panoply OF steel, with breast plate, gauntlets,
and closed vizor. -
Buffers idea evidently is that the days of
imperial Rome are to be reenacted in republ-
can America, and that our future Presidents
are to be knocked over one after another, like
so many pins in q bowling alley, after the
fashion OF Cesar, Caligula, Domitian, and the
whole string of rulers in the latter days of the
empire. He believes that Presidents life
will not hereafter be worth an hours purchase
unless his constitutional successor should
happen to be little more Objectionable than
himself. In this view of the case it will be
matter of selfprotecti0n for a Presidential
nominee to insist that his associate on the
ticket shall be the meanest scalawag to be
found in the country. But we are not inclined
to believe in this new doctrine. Assassination
may be an essential element in some govern
ments, where ruler who is detested by the
people must be endured during lifetime, be
it long or short; but under our own
system, with a chance of getting rid
of an Objectionable Chief Magistrate in
more peaceable and less hazardous
way at the end of a brief official term, we have
no fear that the knife or the bullet will come
into general use. The experience of the past
two years is of itself fatal to Buffers theory;
for it has been seen that with all the molina
tion in the world to get rid of Andrew Johnson
the radicals have failed even to cut him off by
impeachment to say nothing of assassination.
Of course the great political panacea pre-
soribed by DR.. Butler, il used successfully by
one party, would not be discarded by the other;
yet we feel no apprehension that Grants con-
servative course as President will shorten his
life, even though 80 strong radical as Colfax
will be second in power and his successor in
case of vacancy. We should not object even
to insuring the life of Heratio Seymour during
his term Of Office should he be elected Presi-
dent; but this is such remote contingency
that the best wish we can offer to the Deer
field farmer is that he may never die till he
gets to the White House.. .. ,'ral r.Il g.
T,,s& Wl,o..o w