The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-09-14
The Great American Gobbler.

study. lie Is an amman VI Ihe hloet
diverse qualities. Magnificent as he is
in life, he is only useful after death. He
seems to be made for war, but he has
chicken heart In appearance, when
he spreads his tail, rutfles his feathers
and inflames his wattles, there is no
animal so fierce; his aspect is grandly
martial; but at the first prick he col
lapses like bladder; shot will make
him drop his tail and sneak away with
blanched visage. He is cruel and over
bearing; he has been known to kill his
young, and he attacks the weak with
rapacity; he delights to pursue timid
women and little children; but he is an
arrant coward, and instantly abates his
swelling pomposity at the sight Of a
stick in the hands o. resolute man
until he is out of the reach OF it. One OF
the most characteristic acts of the COB
bier is his strut up and down the plat
form, swelling up and lifting his legs in
a sort Of jerking consonance with the
pride within. when he has attracted the
attention of spectators by an uncommon
gobble. Atsuch moments he is simply
magnificent He is the most courage
Gus bird living, when there is no dan
ger. II we could imagine him going
to war, he would lead reg iment with
the most striking pomposity and mar
tial bearing, until he heard gun,
when he would instantly turn tail and
seek his camp, where his followers
would find him vaporing before his
tent, as large as ever, daring the enemy
to come On. Physical courage is not
prominent in the gobbler, notwithstand-
ing his warlike aspect. For these rea-
sons, and because he is the most lu-
dicrous of the feathered tribe, we are
thankful that the country did not adopt
Frankln's suggestion and make the
gobbler our national emblem. 1t would
be as ridiculous as it would to have the
face OF General Benjamin Franklin
Butler on our escutcheon and coin. And
General Butler wants to march at the
head of the people Of Massachusetts, as
SPECTACLE FOR THE REST OF THE UNION,
That would be procession for the en-
tertainment of gods and men; and 1t Is
not our business if the ancient and
honorable Commonwealth chooses to
place itself in that humiliating position:
Every State has a right to put forward
its representative man, he who com
bines those high qualities which the
people most prize-integrity, modesty,
courage, truthtulness, honor. Can any
one who has known General Butler in
the army, or in Congress, deny that he
claims to have all these qualities? II
Massachusetts, therefore, takes hin at
his word, they will have both swelling
and martial leader, who displays all
their virtues in his own person.
But if we understand the campaign
speeches of General Butler, it is not for
any of these qualities that he offers
himself for the office Of Governor OF
Massachusetts. He seems to aspire to
be thought great rather than good, IN
which we take leave to tell him that he
makes a sad mistake. Now the char.
acter Of a great and successful liar Is
one of the most difficult to establish.
A good liar must have first rate mem,
ory. General Butler was unfortunate
in his very first speech, and exhibited
most deplorable want OF Judgment
In his second he complicated his EN-
barassment. Having, upon reflection,
fixed upon the time when he displaced
Hawley from the Army of the James,
it turned out that he himself had been
relieved and sent to the important post
OF Lowell two weeks before General
Hawley was displaced by promotion
to a higher position in the army! The
people OF Massachusetts, don't want such
a liar as that. A man must have talent
in every walk of life in order to be &C
ceptable to that proud State. We ap'
peal to General Butler himself ii he
does not think it was clumsily done, for
a man who has had so much practice
in the criminal courts.
But General Butler offers himself as
a great martyr also. 1t is because he is
so prosecuted and has so many enemies
that he wants to be Governor. This was
the burden of his opening speech. All
the newspapers abused him: tie con,
sumed a long time in naming several
prominent ones, and attempting TO ac-
count for their i'll opinion. 1t is Gen.
Buffers habit, when any newspaper
criticises any public act or declaration
of hist may be his dangerous tinan-
cial notions, his appeal to the preJudlces
of the Crispins by an attack upon Chi
nese labor, or
HIS EFFORTS TO COURT POPULARITY
by clustering wartalk about the treaty
to impute some personal motive to the
editor. and always mean motive
How can any one think differently from
Cen Butler and not be mean and
scoundrelly person? How any one can
oppose him and not be a villain cannot
enter into his pure mind. Demme'
don't they see me as | walk about the
stage ? don't they hear meY 1t was
this bundle of personal grievances that
he opened at Springfield aud continued
to display at Worcester, and in more
lately reported speeches. 1t was upon
this showing, these kickings and beat
mos as if he had been at the bar OF a
police court, that he asked verdict
And at Springfield, with the chlyalry
which usually accompanies such a
manly character, he dragged lady S
letter into one of his personal squa6bies
and endeavored to conceal his Dig per
son behind it. 1t was solely on the
ladv's account, says the manly Butler
that got into trouble with the Boston
naner. You see how it is. Everybody
l. n q r.