The New York herald., 1869-04-28
3 E N BUTL & r.


is About-A Workingmen's Party-tsrnni's -
Great M'stnlke-Dntler DON'T Agree with
Sumner rs to tine Alabama Clnims--Wnr
or the Ccssion Of the British North American
Provinces.
WASHINGTON. April 20, 1859.
l dropped in on Ben Butler yesterday morning to
have "a talk" and, finding the Essex statesman In
a communicative mood, drew him out on four or
five topics just now occupying public attention. We
conversed about Sprague. Cuba the Alabama
claims, Summers great speech and The Grant ad-
minstraopn.
think you viii find his views on these topics
worthy OF going before the public and therefore
propose, so far as memory ana notes will pcrmis to
write out in substance what occurred In our conver-
sarlon, for the edincation of your readers.
The talk occurred In the great b. BIS 'office"
You must understandthat adjoining his resi-
dence, corner of and Fifteenth streets. there is
a plain wooden structure divided into two apart
ments, which he uses as his "0fice." There he re-
ceves all visitors business, and there, in fact
when he is In town and not attending his Congress
sional duties he spends most Of his time. The front
apartment Is occupied by his secretaries and tho
back is fitted up for the Generals sanctum. The
latter Is cosey, snug little apartment, plainly iur
nished but walled with bookcases filed with legal
and Congressional volumes.
of correspondence, separating the chatr from the
wheat, the chaif being tumbled into waste paper
basket and the wheat laid aside for careful stor-
ing. good number OF letters appeared to be
from people soliciting the Generals autograph.
"Here is one fellow" said the General, "whO not
only wants my autograph. but o letter also. sup
pose ought to give hun the same answer as Daniel
O'Conneli did on q similar occasion, when he wrote
a letter declining to give his autograph and con-
cluded by writing Your obedient servant, Daniel
O'Conneli'" Saying which he smiled In his peculiar
way, ceased his labor OF asserting letters leaned
back in his chair and seemed ready to be attacked
coloquiany. At all events interpreted the move
ment as q signal that he was ready for each and
every assault, and therefore / commenced opera
tions.
made some illusions to the Sprague- Abbott un-
pleasantness and the story about "Little Rhody"
sKulking out OF the Senate.
BUTLER-AbbOtt had better let Sprague alone. II
he supposes Sprague is coward he will find himself
very much mistaken. Sprague has plenty OF pluck.
In fact YOU know 1t was Spragues pluck that caused
his quarrel with Burnside. Sprague wanted him to
make an attack on the enemy, which Burnside re-
fused, and 1t was that made Sprague so much
veXed. Sprague will fight There is no doubt about
that And he knows what he is about TOO.
C0RREsP0NDENr-Then you are not one of those
who believe he Is crazy
we'll what he is about. He wants to organize new
party and place himself at the head OF the working
men OF the country. That's what he is after. lie Is
earnest, too, In what he says and believes 1t all. All
reormers have been set down as crazy, and Sprague
cannot expect TO escape that charge any more than
those who nave gone before him.
CoRREsPOSDENT-Well but don't you think
some OF his speeches are cunously put togetners
BUTLER-Oh. OF course they are. Sprasue Is not
a speaker. He hasn't been accustomed TO making
speeches. and II would bother almost any man at
first to get up IN the Senate OF the United States to
make SOpeCleJ. He experiences the natural enbar.
rassinents OF all novices such occasions. That L.
the explanation, take 1t.
Hoping to draw him out on Grant, said something
about the havoc the cares OF oce had already made
with the 'neas et co'pas OF the little resident
supposed that one man could run This government.
lie starred with the notion that he could get along
have had that notion before, he nds that 1t cannot
be done, aud the consequence will be that he will
fall into the hands of somebody who viii run the
This was about as much as could get out of him
on the Grant question: and therefore proceeded to
CoRREsPoSDENr-wha are your views, General,
Of the present position OF the Alabama claimss
This question seemed to please him better than any
and running his hand over his bald head and
sive brow in rapid succession, he answered.
''rhe question pending between this country and
Great Britain known as the Alabama claims, but
which involves In fact the conduct OF the English
government during the rebellion, does not seem to
me TO be IN very satisfactory condition for settle
ment."
CoRREspoSDENr-what do you think of sum.
ner's late speechp
BUrLER-I acknowledge the ability and proprety
with which Mr.. sumner has put forward his views,
but cannot fully concur win them, 1t seems TO
me he fans to put our case against En- Gland the
strongest ground. and the one least embarrassing co
us as nation the thesis OF his speech as under.
stand 1t. is that England committed an almost un.
pardonable sinat least one to be atoned FOR only by
full payment OF all damages immediate conse-
quental-in her too cary accO ding TO the insur-
gents beligerent rights, III allowing the escape OF
the Alabama aud In selling arms and munti ms OF
war 10 the South OF course the last legal resulted
from the first; for after bellieerency Is accorded by
naton there Is no objection t. tie sale OF arms by
any neutral nation TO the beiiigerent We sold
10 Mexico as against the French INVASION; we SUD-
piled mules TO the French to transport their luggage
trains from Vera Cruz to Mexico. so we bought
arms OF all nat Ons IN Europe. there IL noth,nx
In our neutr y laws against our selling arms ether
to Peru or Cnlle and we nave been selling them
arms In their war against SPAN.
CORREs PoSDEST-rheref re, General, IL we were
TO acknowledge Cubaa belligerent there woud be no
objection to our selling arms to the Cubansi
objection. even II there Is now. Therefore the
gravity OF Mr.. summers accusation depends upon tho
pr0prety OF he recognition by England OF the rights
OF belllgerency In the reDes. But we must renem-
ber that our complaint IN that behalf Is grave ana
against France anu spain against
England. am inclined to think AR. Sumner puts
too much stress upon the haste OF this recognition
as to tine because on the l7th OF July 10y formal
OF war we ackno owle1ged the confel-
eracy as belligerent; and IN winch lasted four
years, whether belllgerency was acknowledged on
the lith OF May or the 17 OF July of the frst wear
could not be matter OF so grave conse.
quence, II IL might be acknowledged at all.
CoREEsPoNDENr-tow does Summers idea OF a
blockade strike you, Generals
BuTLBR-l am not quite prepared to adopt Mr.
Summers definition OF blockade Of the state OF the
belligerency Of the conederacy the ocean, because
Dur proclamation or blockade OF the 18th OF Apr,
pending the recognition by other nations recites tnat
combination Of persons have threatened to grant
pretended letters Of narque To authorize the bearers
10 commit assaults on the lives, vessels and property
Jf the good citizens engaged the high seas ana in
The waters OF the United states. THIS presupposes
hat the rebels were nttnp at "A r
vessels against the commerce OF the nted States
and the blockade was to be In accordance with the
Avs Of the United States and the laws OF nations
such cases proyided; and after due warning that
vessels captured attempting to enter or leave a
bockaded port were with their cargUos to he sent I'm
Tor adjudication az prizes, not OF peace, but OF
And IN tue prize cases the supreme Court nelf that
a captures made after the declaration or blockade |
were prizes VI war. This would seem to me to de-
ternlDe that this was not 'pacihc Diockader such
as known 10 the laws OF nations and referred to by
Mr. summer. Further, am afraid that Mr.. sumner,