The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-02-09
ROderick Random Butler Acnnifted.

VIZ Cah uttcAtlOu W INC proceedings
of the trial of Roderick Random Butler,
at Washington, ON the charge OF forgery
on the Pension Bureau, published on
first page Of this paper. The Union
and American, writing up-4the acquital
of MIR. Butler says at will be seen
from this report that tho government
failed to sustain the allegations against
Butler, and he vas consequently dis
charged. This whole proceeding par
takes largely of the nature of a judicial
farce, OF something worse. If the testi-
mony upon which this suit was institu-
ted was as slender as appears by the
trial, why was Butler prosecuted at al?
The authorities of the Pension Bureau
have shown little judgment in this mat
ter, or there is something yet behind.
1t will be remembered that when Butler
was brought before Judge Trigg, at
Bristol, last summer, the government
failed to make u case against him, Just
as was done at Washington, and the
Judge discharged him. A good deal of
Indignation was expressed toward Judge
Trigg for the course he was compelled
to pursue under the law. 1t was claim
ed then that Judge Trigg should have
held Butler for trial before the court at
Washington, as the proofs of his guilt
in the hands of the Commissioner of
Pensions was positive, 1t was stated
that Government detectives had been
working up the case, and that proofp pos
tive of Buffers guilt had been discov-
cred. None of this proof was submitted
on the trial, nor has there been any ex-
PLANTATION of its absence. 1t appears
that Butler himself has taken q step in
the matter"
The Washington correspondent Of
the Cincinnati Gazette Radcial) writes,
Jan. 20
at seems that the end of the Roder-
lex r. Butler matter is not yet. Now
that he has been vindicated by the
courts, Butler, it is said, will make eff
forts to have Van Aernam removed on
the ground of bringing causeloss dis
grace upon q member of Congress.
There is considerable speculation here
as to the terminus of this prosecution.
Public opinion, which at one time set
very strongly against Butler, now seems
to be i'll his favor, and condemns those
who instigated the prosecution without
being sure that they had cause. On the
other hand, it is claimed that the case
was pressed to trial before the prosecu-
ton was ready, and that the Govern
ment officers are still at work in the
mountains of East Tennessee in search
of witnesses. Commissioner Van Aer
nnm himself asserts That the case was
never properly presented, and that evil
dence does somewhere exist which would
convict Butler"
Here we have the old course Of run
ming the case through, and not waiting
for the government witness. Nothing
of this kind appears to have been init
mated on the trial. 1t lisa Radical fight.
No Democrat appears to be involved i'll
it in any way. Butler charges that the
arrest was instigatnl by members of
his own party Incu iur whom he had
failed to procure Office, o other favors
asked of him, If his arrest had been the
work Of Democrats, would not the Rad
icals have howled over the "disloyal sem
timent' which would thus persecute a
loyal member of Congress? Notwith-
standing public sentiment at Washing
ton appears to favor Butler now, and to
regard him somewhat in the light of a
prosecuted individual, there is, never
theless, u feeling that something has
been held back. The Washington Pa
triot OF Jan. 29th says
"AIr. Butler, of Tennessee, has been
acquitted of the charge of forgery, as we
anticipated he would be, in view of his
political relations and partisan character
of the court andits surroundings. That
verdict has therefore excited no surprise,
but it does not change the opinion of a
single man, who has examined the case,
or who has heard the story of the poor,
defrauded soldiers wife. After this, we
are quite prepared for MI. Bowen's &C.
quittal on the indictment of bigamy.
And it may be expected, in the natural
order of things, that both these Radicals
will attain to higher honors than they
have heretofore enjoyed, for with such
qualifications there is no distinction
which they may not aspire to claim in
that party"