The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-12-07
Down on Butler!

Our telegram column has been bur.
dened for a day or two with the utter.
anccs of the notorious Butler. II
would be useless to say that any thing
emanating from the lips or pen of this
desperate character could have no 9th
er purpose than public mischief-the
qualification of his vindictive malice,
as an exhibition Of insincere and BY
cophantic fawning upon those in pow
er, that he might ultimately accom-
plish the uccess of some corrupt per
sonal scheme.
He fist cssayod an attempt at a So
luton of our unsettled differences With
England, arising out of the Alabama
depredqtions, and, of course, as he
would be most at ease in the midst of
| the nations al tumult and disorder which
would attend a war between the two
nations, and especially happy with the
multiplied opportunities which would
arise for the indulgence Of these pecu-
liar traits for which he is so distin-
guished, he does not hesitate to take
the initiative in preparing the Amcri-
can mind for a war with England
We think the people of this country
had enough of war to appease the
general appetite for many years. and
especially should they not give heed
to any suggestions to that end from
such a pestilentlal character as Ben.
Butler. That he is leading off in this
business is not, of course, to be won
dered at, for the elements of his na-
ture are so singularly constituted that
riots, confiagrations, murders, robber-
les, and all the horrors of war, are to
him a most palatable condition of
things.
The anxiety and alarm which follow
the ;stterings of this obnoxious man
are somewhat abated, it is true, by
his acknowledged 'bad character"
but the danger arises from the fact
that he is the pronounced leader of
the Republican party, and speaks es
cathsdra upon all subjects, and his
party fears him. 20 90
We have noticed, however, a dispo-
s%ition, in a few quarters, to repudiate
the leadership of Butler, and particu-
larly his late efforts to arouse a war
pirit throughout the land. 1 he GIN
cinnati Chronicle, for instance, on
Thursday, thus notices Buffers late
movements:
'4A has been long settled that Ben
Butler can advocate more injudicious
measures, and make more fiat failures
in his attempts to lead public opinion
on such measures, than any other pub
lie man. In some quarters it has
even become ~proverbial hat the ur-
gent advocacy of a measure by this
garrulous declaimer is a sure fore
runner of its defeat, and Prinaa faeie
evidence of its unpopularity, not to
say of its unjudioiousne:s. We have
heretofore expressed the opinion that
the extremists led by Butler, who are
agitated for threatening demonistra-
lions toward foreign nations with
whom we have unsettlgd international
questions, will utterly and. signally
fail, as thsY deserve to in any attempt
to embroil or entangle the Administ a
ton in foreign quarrels. We can find
our redress rather in patient waiting
than in violent demonstrations.
That he might keep Grant his debt
or, it will not be forgotten Butler, al.
so, a.few days since, attempted a de
fence of the President for his remark
able interference in the McGarrahan
fraud, and had the audacity to assail
the integrity of such a man as Gov.
Cox. Thathe should have dared.thus to
outrage the public judgment, would be
past all belief we're his base instincts
not well known but he had a pur-