The Portland daily press., 1871-08-02
RntiEf,s I.aie.t Views.
HIS CONVERSATION WITH A coRREsPokDENT--
YORK RIOTS.


Congress ca,npaign. AS sDcn as the tent was
fixed, and we had sat down.
Well?" said the General, now you may
ask what you please"
You have no objection at my taking down
your .eplies in short band?
son the contrary" he said, would rath-
er insist on il, as prefer my Own woid t'auy
ones report from memory, especially a lnd
it mposs IDLE TO have even ny carefully cons d.
eied wotdS correctly quoted by my opnontnts,
or critics ms tbey may choose 10 cons der them
selves | fiud tn At most of them seem TO p',-
fer to put wolds into my mouth and then de"
nolish their OVID argument
1.-THE first subj ct discussed was Buffers at
tempt to organize regiment exclusively of
Democrats early in the war. This action he
explained, was taken after consultation with
President Lincoln, as designed to promote uni
ty among all parties. and was approved by all
the New England Governors but Governor An
drews)
THE COMMUNE.
Correspondent did not see your speech
at Gloucester. What did you say about the
Paris Commune?"
Gen. Butler ! said in substance that the
Commune of Paris ere fighting for the right
OF sef-goveInment, and that that principle I'M
derlay all republican institutions; that while
no man could sympatbize with their excuses
yet We ought not to forget they were fighting
for liberty however mistakenly; that they re-
presented the people as against usurped gov
ernmeni; and that these excuses even, were
the acts of desperate men who had been re-
fused all terms of capitulation and surrender,
and was palliated In view of the wholesale
slaught of mer, women and children by the
Versailles Government-amountiDg, it is said,
to many thousands-so many that their execu
ton had to be done by guns worked by ma
chinery men refusing to do it ALL
=" said, also, that l thought that pulling
down the column OF Napoleon in tue Place
Vepdume by the order of the Paris Govern
ment might be justified to them in this, that
that statute only COMMUNICATED the acts of a
military chief of an arbitrary power, which had
build its empire on the ruins of republican lib
erty. l might have said that the Commune
had the example of our fathers as precedent,
who, at the beginning of the Revolution, threw
down statute erected to George III in the
Bowling-9reeu New York, and worse than the
Commune, the statute being made of lead, they
cast him into bullets and shot his own subjects
with them. If this be treason to republican
liberty, make the most of itp'
THE LABOR QUESTION
Correspondent-"It is charged that you have
never shown any sympathy with workingmen,
although it is said you will now try and get
their votes; that you never attempted to anne
liorate their condition when you were in a posi-
ton to at least try to do it.
Ben. Butler-"More than 20 years ago the
campaign was fought in this State which end
ed in the election OF Boutwell, as Governor and
puuipCi DIS 6oudUOT. Az ludG tlI06 L was en-
gagged in advocating tie reduction of the hour
OF labor at Lowell from Is IL hours, which the
operatives then worked, to 10 hours a day The
Governor was then elected by majority
Failing TO get majority of the people, he was
elected by ballet OF the House and Senate
Representatives were also chosen by MAORI
ty. When town failed to elect on the second
Thursday of November, there was new cleo
ton had Cd the fourth Monday 1t so happen
ed on that election that ten representatives of
rTn1 fl,oh ,1c -
Coalition party and against the Wings. The
Governor, and believe majority of the Sen
ators, failed of election by the people, The
election at Lowell for representatives was set
aside by the City Government because OF a
mlscOunt In one of the wards "a very frivolous
pretext, for which I had the aldermen after.
ward indicted. All the Lowell representatives
were elected on the Ten Hour ticket, so that
the Labor men held the balance of power.
TO get rid of that balance Of power the Low
ell manufacturers committed the injustice l
have stated, and a new election was ordered on
the 4th Monday of November
Upon that election depended the political
complexion of the State-the election of Bout
well as Governor and of Sumner So Senator
The whole force of the Wbig party was thrown
1nto Loweli 10 carry It, L suppose that the
fen-hour movement was under my lead; be-
cause, in room of enc of the largest manufac-
turing corporations in Lowell a placarn was
posted up declaring that whoever voted the
Ben Butler n-hour ticket would be dis
charged from the employment of that compa-
ny. William Il. Robinson, then noted writer
for the New York Tribune, was brought into
Lowell by the Wing leaders to discuss the
pending issues and challenge me to discus
SION OF the labor questions during that contest.
Inc discussion, however, did not come off Mr..
Robinson, however, desired to make speech
on that subject at the depot, which so incensed
the laboring men that they ran the car on
which the speakers platform was out of the
depot, and Mr.. Robinson escaped through a
window. The Ben Butler ten-hour ticket
was elected, and that contest secured the cleo.
ton of Charles Sumner as Senator.
1.-The workngmen of Lowell will have longer
memories upon my recOId as a Labor Reformer
than my detractOrs. And l am by no means
swerved from my early conviction on the sub
1ect OF hours of labor forced upon me by a resi-
dence from boyhoOd in manufacturing CITY,.
THE BALLOT FOR WOMEN
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES you oppose the eff
forts OF the Woman Suffrage party to get the
Gen. Butler-''Upon that subject have no
new step to take or thought to express. Con-
slderably more than year since one of the
leading advocates of the right of Women Suf-
rage called on me to express my views upon
that subject said to her then that had not
sufficiently examined it to come to conclu-
sion, and that topic of such gravity ought not
to be made subiaet of hasty conclusions, but
that whenever had come to definite opinion /
would make themi known. 1t became my offic-
ial duty, however, to examine the qnestion
fully as a member of the Judicial Committee
OF the House of Representatives during the
XLlst Congress, and that, too, upon the prop
osition whether by the Constitution of the
United States the right of suffrange was not
already secured to women. Upon the best ex-
ANIMATION could give, came to the conclu-
sion that the Constitution ct the United States
has granted to women the right of suffrage as
against all State laws whatever"
THE NEW YORK RIOTS.
Correspondent-'A great deal of interest is
ieIt IN the community on the questions raised
by the late riot in New York and the manner
OF its suppression. Have You any objection to
giving me your view on that question?
Gen. Enthusiastically not. suppose no.
body will deny that if a procession represent
ing any religious or social phrase of the life of
the adopted citizen before he came here is to be
permitted to take place in the streets of cities
AL must bel For myself doubt whether the
streets of cities ought to be used for professions
OF any partizan character or on any but SUBJ
Iects substantially representing the whole peo-
pie, and in which the whole people take part.
Professions upon any recognized HOLIDAYS. and
In which all the people take part, would stand
upon different basis. Labor is then supposed
to be suspended. OF course nothing should
prevent any body of men, on any occasion, as
semollng at their pleasure upon their own
grounds, upon any occasion whatever to, advo-
cate OF oppose any measure or doctrine what
ever. The right of the whole people to 1eau.
rate such sectarlan or party professions by law
seems 10 me to be too clear for argument. Be-
sldes, there seems to me to be a sort of moral
treason in the assembling of our adopted feI-
low citizens of any neutrality-suspicious. Ger
man, French or Irish-to celebrate events tina +
have happened or are happening in their ma
tive country. BY coming here they declare d
their intention to become American citizens
The difficulty in such persons and such organ
izations seem to be steps backward and not for
ward-looking to the past, not to the present
Now, some 5000 or 5000 of the military of
New ork were centered in particular por-
ton Of New York city, where they attracted
very large crowd of people. 1t is the history of
all mobs, which are generally led by the burg
lar the thief, or the pickpocket, who does SO
IN part by hope of plumber. At the beginning,
take one selected hundred men ont of any
mob and it will cease to be a riotous one. Now
the proposition was to allow the Orange pro-
cessl0n to march gi zen distance down the
Eighth-ave. without being molested. Why
not, then, have cleared the Eighth ave. by the
aid of the police and military for that distance
then have placed cordons OF military across the
streets entering into the avenue in that space
and Keeping everybody out? Place in sus-
pected houses, if any, a few guards to prevent
assaults from houses, and the procession might
nave marched without a single life being lost,
and the object effected much better than it
was done by blOodshed.
When, in 1864, was in charge of the city
of New York during the election, attribute
largely the quiet of the city to the fact that
there was no military seen in it, althouoh ev-
erybody knew that there was plenty, and that
it would be brought to bear in any disorder.
II think that the conduct of the military Of
hcers in command was not to be commended.
Troops ought never in time of. peace to be
marched through the streets of city with
loaded muskets. When it becomes necessary
to fire upon the mob, there will always be time
enough to load the guns, and that point of
time should always be reserved Tor ciearness