Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-07-12
BUTLER AND THE RADICALS on
THE GREENBACK QUESTION.

BUTLER AND THE RADIO AIS on
THE GREENBACR QUESTION.
The Salem (Mass) Gazette, which is
published in the district that Gen Batter
represents in Congress, has come TO the
conclusion that Butler is doing all in his
power to injure Gen, Grant, and reads
him o pretty sharp lecture on his course.
Speaking of the postponement of the tax
bill, the Gazette charged him with
Strengthening that measure, and said
"The only apology for this postponemen Mt
is that the members wish 60 be at home
pulling the wires for their own reelection.
The effect is disastrous TO the country, and,
what some would think of more impor-
tauee, must be DISASTROUS TO the Radical
party, which will be made responsible for
il. IL Gen. Butler was striving to aFenge
himself upon General Grant by weakening
the Republican party, he could hardly
adopt more effective measures for doing SO
than those in which lac has been the leadef
namely-the breach of the nations faith
10 its creditors the Impeachment, and the
hurrying home of Congress, leaving the
most needed business of the country I'M
finished"
This hot fire in the rear" promptly
brought Butler out in reply. He says, in
effect, that, fearing that the whole tax
bill could not get through Congress at
the present session, he proposed that the
two great sources of revenue frauds,
whisky and tobacco, should be reported
in separate bill, in order shat the
whisky ring might surely be deprived Of
its corruption fund, which had proved too
strong for thegovernment in the impeach-
ment trial" Upon the greenback ques-
ton, he says:
ain relation TO the breach of the nations
faith with its creditors" General Butler
accepts The Chicago Republican platform,
and desires TO see the public debt paid ae-
eording ito the letter and spirit of the con
tract" He may have the misfortune TO
differ with the Salem Gazette as TO what that
is, but he consoles himself that he agrees
with lhe COMMITTEES on Finance of the
Senate, and with all but twenty -eight OF
the Republican members of the House, who
alone voted that "ihe letter and spirit was
gold.
Here is the positive assertion Of Gen.
Butler that all bat tRenty>eight Of the
Republican members of the House OF
Representatives favor the payment of the
government bonds in greenbacks This
assertion has caused considerable flatter-
ing in the Radical ranks. The Buffalo
Commercial touches up Butler as fol-
lows
-"With regard to his financial policy,
General .Bailer is equally tricky in his
defense. He says that he accepts the
Chicago platiern, and desires to sec the
public debt paid according ito the letter
and spirit of the contract" He says that
be agrees with the Senate Finance Com
mittee, and with all bat twenty-eight az
the Republican members Of the House, that
sthe letter and spirit" of the contract was
and is that the public debt should be paid
ID greenbacks Here, again, we have the
same unfair way of stating things which we
pointed out above The General says he
accepts the Chicago platform, and then in
terprets that platform TO suit himself, as
SHINING that il faVors his own greenback
theory This ia the merest logical chica-
merry imaginable. Not only the Republican
party, bat the Chicago Convention as its
accredited representative, emPhatically re-
pudiate the financial policy Of Pehdleton
and Butler, and intended so TO express
themselves 10 The platform. 10 using lhe
formula which it did, the convention ex-
pressed its sense Of the true intent and
meaning Of the acts creating the national
debt, and scouted the legal bubbles Of such
men as Butler. II il, therefore, grossly
impudeni in him 10 undertake 70 twist
those words tc meet his own bottoms
IS, too, with regard TO the sentiments of
the Republicans in the House of Repre-
sentatives. Mr.. Butler equivocates when
he asserts that only twenty-eight Of them
hold that our national bonds are payable,
by their terms, in gold. The vote TO which
he refers was on the funding bill, aud did
not involve the point which he states.
General Butler says that when Congress
adiourns he is going home to discuss this
financial theory with his constituency. We
apprehend that he will ind uphill work,
and that he will hardly make converts of
Massachusetts capitalists. He might meet
with greater success with the Democrats,
and we think he will, for he is still DEM
ocrat in his convictions and sympathies.
The Salem Gazette was right in saying thai
General Buffers recent action in Congress
has been fraught with mischief to the Re
publican party and to General Grant
mischief which is none the less deprecated
and denounced because it has been, as yet,
unsuccessful" #a0s 10 -t
This is an interesting family quarrel
II shows the tricks to which the leaders
will resort to deceive the people