The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-22
Assassination New Element In American
Politics.

|
Ben Butler has discovered new element In
American politics. A few years ago the old
constitutional limitation of the term of office
and the power of making change quad
rennially 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 a
Dutch Gap canal-especially when the knife,
the bullet and the poisoned cup offer such sure
and speedy relief The assassination of Lin
coin 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
encouraging to those who may hereafter find
themselves the friends of the second in power in
stead ofthe first. The weak point in this reason
ing appears to be the error in supposing the
assassination of Lincoln to have been benefit
to the rebels Had Lincoln lived the indica-
tions are unmistakable that he would have
carried out broad policy of generosity, libe-
rality and forgiveness towards the Southern
people; and he would have done so without
encountering any serious opposition from his
own party and without drawing upon himself
the pains and penalties of tenure of Office laws,
impeachment and protracted 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 o curse rather than blessing, and if
their experience since he succeeded to the
Presidential Office is to be regarded as a fair
specimen of the benefits they are to reap from
the policy of assassination it will be long be-
fore they desire to enlist any more Booths into
their service.
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
patch over his eye, broken hat on his head
and whiskey bottle in his hand, would take
the character of the Spanish brigand, with the
slouched hat, the black mask, the picturesque
cloak and the poignard. Our Office seeker
would no longer approach the Presidential
mansion with a subdued air, a clean shirt col
lar and a full wallet, but would force his way
into the presence with defiant demeanor and
the handle of q bowie knife sticking out from
the back of his coat collar. Our Presi-
Dental dress would cease to be the highly re-
spectacle broadcloth coat, black pants, white
shirt and vest of the 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 re-enacted in republic
can America, and that our future Presidents
are to be knocked over one after another, like
SO many pins in bowling alley, after the
fashion of Caesar, Caligula, Domitian and the
whole string of rulers in the later days of the
empire. He believes that Presidents life
will not hereafter be worth an hours purchase
unless his constitutional successor should hap
pen to be little more Objectionable than him
self. In this view of the case it will be mat
ter of self protection for Presidential nominee
to insist that his associate the ticket shall be
the meanest scalawag to be found in the coun-
try. But we are not inclined to believe in
this new doctrine. Assassination may be an
essential element in some governments, where
ruler who is detested by the people must be
endured during lifetime, be it long or short !;
but under our own system, with chance
of getting rid of an Objectionable Chief Magis-
trate in more peaceable and less hazardous
way at the end of 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 II has been seen that with all the inclina-
ton in the world to get rid of Andrew johnson
the radicals have failed even to cut him of by
| impeachment, to say nothing of assassination.
| Ofcourse the great political panacea prescribed
| by DR.. Butler, If 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 so strong q 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 Horatio 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 Deerfield
farmer is that he may never die till he gets to
the White House.
| A Middle In Nova Scotia.
The disiointed Confederation Of BIRTHS h