The Republican journal., 1870-12-01
BUTLER AND THE NEW PLATFORM.

Whlcn the paper 1S Sent.4a
BUTLER AND THE NEW PLATFORM.
There is probably no better representative
of the controlling idea of the republican party
than Ben Butler. Rising to the surface as
did the party he represents, with the turmoil
and upheaval of civil war, he sees the prob
ability of sinking back to nothngness in the
calm and sober days of peace. While alarm
pervades the land. while treasure is running
to waste, while men are dying of battle and
pestilence, and rutfian robbery can shelter
itself under the title of military necessity,
men like Butler thrive. Peace and the WAYS
OF peace are not for birds of prey like him.
True to his instincts, and seeing that DAYS
of peaceful prosperity in this country, mean
for him inaction and a show Of public indif-
ference, Butler has recently made speech,
in which he lays down policy for the future
OF the Republican party. 1t was delivered at
Boston on Wednesday evening last, and is
copied very extensively by the radical press
He sets ont with the declaration that the
mission of the republican party is ended-in
which we most heartily agree with him.
That with the extinction of slavery the only
distinctive principle OF the republican party
went out of eXistence-and that there is to-
day no living issue on which the party is
united. He proposes to the republican party
that it supply this need by making itself the
champion of the claims which we have upon
England, and preaching crusade of revenge
against that country. We quote the follow
ing from his speech
We have seen that the Republican party has adj
Justed all the questions raised by the war; far US
they affect the internal poty of the government
and so far as itself is concerned. There now re-
mains to it only to adjust the great International
and foreign questions that were evolved by our
late terrible civil contest. And as we have recon-
structed the States lately destroyed by the rebellion
so we should reconstruct our commerce likewise
destroyed IN the same war. AS we have adjusted
the claims OF our citizens for damages done in the
war by our government so far we have thought
them just and equitable and not tainted with re-
bellion, so we should now ADJUST the claims of our
citizens and the claims of our nation upon those
nations who took advantage of our crippled condi-
ton to show hostile spirit followed by unfriendly
acts
The Republican party is the dominant party Of
the country, and must remain so for the next three
years at least. Upon it and upon its administration
devolve the duty and the burden of bringing to a
conclusion all these questions and obtaining the
needed reparation. naturalization and apology for
our wrongs. Delays aid not their solution, but
rather add to their complications. Time can never
obliterate the deep sense of injury this nation en-
tertans of the action of Great Britain during our
war. Years only intensity its bitterness. The
gaping wounds in our national honor never will
close up by lapse Of years. They must always
main green, open, sore, until healed by the potent
saye of simple PREPARATION and indemnification
True, it is urged by some, not too far-sighted or
discriminating people, principally newspaper writ
ers, that we should delay settlement of our claims
other Alabamas, other Shenandoahs and other
Floridas from our ports, in the interests of the
belligerent nation with which she should be at war;
to prey upon her commerce. especially to make fhe
preteXt OF war between herself and either Of her
dependencies, to have our own citizens fit out our
ships as cruisers under some apochryphal flag and
thus to avenge our wrongs. The craftsmanship of
those who advocate such a course would seem to be
this; we complain of her wrongs, and we propose
to make those right by doing other like wrongs to
be inflicted in safety when our enemy is crippled.
Is this craftsmanship? Is it magnanimous? Is
such redress bold, is it manly? Nay, is it not
sneakingy cowardly?
Let US rather stand up in the manly strength of
our nationhood, and fearlessly, boldly claim the
rights which belong to US, insist upon their being
respected, and that all questions between us and
Great Britain be adjusted at once and forever so as
to take away, all cause of unfriendliness between
two powerful nations of the EARTH Let us saw to
Great Britain, THUS much we are wronged:
thus much we require to satisfy the nations honor
and the nations loss, and for that wrong and that
loss, thus much we must have, because it is our
right, and because we ere able to maintain our
right" Judge ye between the two proposed modes
of adjusting the Alabama claims
The compensation which Butler proposes
that England shall render us is the Canadas
to be incorporated into the Union For this
purpose he proposes to inaugurate series of
measures for the annoyance of England
The first measure recommended is that of
non-intercourse, of which the abrogation of
the reciprocity treaty is q specimen-ths
policy to be kept up with persistence and
vigor. He says
If she will not make us reparaton for the wrong
done us during the war by her hostility, not by
simply making good the millions that our merchants
lost, but by making good all that the nation has lost
would treat her as l would my vicious neighbor,
who, gave vent to his enmity by darkening my
windows-declare that would have nothing to do
with her, that l would neither buy nor sell with
her. or after due notice hold diplomatic or COM
mercial relations with her henceforth until full
reparation is made. Complete, thorough and
stringent non-intercourse is the remedy That is
not war. That is not casus belli under any sue-
geston of the law of nations. We have the undis-
puted right to trade with whom we please or to
refuse to trade with whom we choose.
AL SesuoSo VI SoiliPloiAC UlC
fish government, real and imaginary, which
ever had an existence, are dragged forth,
and made to cry out for settlement. Our de-
clining commerce, the fishing troubles, the
creation of the Dominion out of the Canadian
provinces, are all recited and dwelt upon.
But the browning argument is left for the
last, and is found at the close of the speech
in these words
AS politician, have an incentive to such war,
| as its results would be the perpetuaton of the
Republican party in power for more than genera
ton.
AS great and grevious as were the wrongs
sustained by this country from England, dur
ing the civil war, we doubt if Gen. Butler
will convince even his own party that it can
afford to keep itself in power at such price,
with the prospect of having Butler for Presi-
dent, as its representative man.
We doubt very much whether the intelli-