Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-12-01
THE RUTLAND HERALD
MONDAY, NOVEMBER %. 1870.
General Buffers Recent clustering
Speech.

duty OF the Republican party. Inc
discourse is at once calculated by its bra
vado to produce a smile, and at the same
time ii has the semblance of semi-ofhcial
endorsement by the administration. In
this light it has Importance, and in mono
other. 1t is known that just previous to
the utterance of this manifesto by the
celebrated Essex lawyer, he had just re-
turned from conference with the Presi-
dent at Washington. If he speaks the
sentiments, as some intimate. of the rul-
ing powers of the nation, his utteranoes
are of serious interest to his countrymen.
If his views are official, it would seem a
recent and popular interest is about to at
tach to the Alabama claims, and Butler
must have been commissioned the agent
to stir them into fury. The speech was
full of sharp points, epigrammatic hits at
the conservative party and ingenious bids
for popularity. 1t was brilliant, daring
and entirely free from any evidence OF
any CONSTANTS on the mind or utterance
of the orator. 1t is not calculated to pro-
duce or deepen conscientious conviction
in the minds of those who have con-
science in politics.
The speech is certainly extraordinary
in its character and assumes at least to
appear like a formal announcement of the
purpose of the administration. III his sen.
timents really reflect the policy of the
administration, it is not to be longer a
matter of wonder that there has been
change in the minister resident at the
Court of st. James, or that the venerable
Secretary of State is prepared to give his
p ,rtfolio to another. What Gen. Butler
proposes is war. His style of urging the
settlement of the Alabama claims and the
annexation of the British Provinces is
particularly Objectionable. He shows
how a war with England might win and
secure the Irish vote, and thus establish
party ascendancy for a generation longer,
but it is questionable whether his position
would maintain ordinary self respect, and
regard to the principles of right on the
pBrt of the American people. For some
months premonitions of such an outburst
from this valiant knight of politics have
been given and, as we understand it, the
only modification now given of his origin
al proposition is, that he thought at first
we might get the British government to
transfer the Provinces directly to the
United States, whereas now he simply re-
quires Great Britain to sever her connec-
ton with the colonies, withdraw from
this continent and leave us to deal direct
" with the Dominion of Canada. If she
refuses, then he proposes to break off all
commercial intercourse and thinks it
quite proable that such course of action
will result in a war, which will draw the
whole country around the standard
bearing theAmericen flag, and perpetuate
"the party in power for more than a
generation" What will come next he
does not inform the public.
This is certainly a very extravagant
opposition were it not that it comes
clothed with semblance of official au-
thority. Gen. Butler processes a serious
desire to demand of England concession
as no people ever made, except at the last
resort ia ruinous war,--a demand such
as France, although defeated at every
point by the victorious Prussians still re-
sents and ressts. Prussia only asks the
simple restoration of Alsace and Lorraine
to their ancient allegiance while the
British American Provinces are all that
England has left of her former possessions
on this continent. But if we are to have
war, is not the American government in
honor bound at least to arrive at it in
sober manly way ..
Mr.. Buffers project of an embargo is a
relic of barbarism, an experiment that has
been tried under greater provocation. In
1907 the English government decreed
that neutral ships, trading with France
or her allies, should pay tribute to Great
Britain for the privilege, and Napoleon
retorted with the famous Milan decree,
subjecting every vessel which should pay
the tribute to confscatiop. The Congress
of the United States undertook to punish
the belligerents by closing our ports to
foreign trade; but even Jefferson's popu.
larity could hardly stem the current Of
public odium the measure gave birth to-
and it was finally repealed by his OWE
party. Upon whom Mr. Butler relies tc
carry out THE project at the present can
not be surmised, for no party Organization
could stand the odium of such measure
We agree with Gen. Butler that it il
time the Alabama claims were settled
The sufferers are constantly passing away
while it is feared the claims are held sub
ject to manipulations of Political msnag
ers The English government has signi
fed its readiness to pay the losses caused
by its own neglect, but the Senate of tn,
United States has decided that this is no
sufficient. They deem that it is right t.
require further that more exact defini
tion OF the duty of neutral governments
to stand as an evidence of the moderation
of a great and warlike nation, victorious
oyer its enemies This ia the position O.
the government; but that of Mr.. Butler
is the plea of demagogue and not tht
argument of statesman. We are ear
nestly in favor of annexation, bat do no
want it unless the Provincials themselves
can be brought Voluntarily and cheer
fully to desire incorporation into thu
Union. We prefer the language of con
ciliation to that of menace. If they arr
to become portion of US, we prefer they
should retain their self respect, which
they cannot do if they are driven into thu
Union.
LEGIsLATING FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD
Nor FOR CLIoUEs.-On the occasion O.
the organization of the North Caroline