The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1873-09-04
GEN. BEN. BUTLER IN THE
ARENA.
Pepper and Spice for His Oppo-
nentS.
4 Speech Worth Reading

4 Speech Worth Reading
General Butler opened the Gubernatorial
campaign in Massachusetts,, Tuesday even
ing, with a speech in Worcester. We give
below = portion of this breezy production.
Mr.. President, Fellor Citizens. Ladies and
Geatemen first desire to thank you for
the cordial greeting here tonight after tie
very delightful stream of calumny that has
been poured upon LIE. 1t shows that the
hearts Of the people are true to those who
are true to them. (Ap2lause.) Your Rep
reeentaiive in Congress has been kind enough
to say that be has given me text for my
speech. Pardon me, the text comes from
further back. ask leave to read You the
Inst ecurrilous newspaper attack ever re-
ceived after l went into the service of nv
country. 1t is az true as many. nay, most
Others, but is convenient one, because l can
contradict it and bring proof of its falsi,y on
the spot. 1t is dated May %, 1861, when
Mr.. Hoar, of Worcester, was saiely at home.
Lauehter.) 1t purports to be taken from
the New Orleans Piedyune, and begins thus {:
"All the Massachusetts troops now in
Washington are negroes, with the exception
of few. Gen. Butler, in command, is a
native Of Liberia. Our readers will remem-
Der old Ben, the barber, who emigrated to
Liberia; Gen. Butler is his son." Laugh
ter. This l have the means OF showing was
untrue. Cheers. The next newspaper pub
licstion that very considerably concerned
me was in 1862, also emanating from a dis
tiDgnished enemy Of mine-a former friend
and ran thus: "Now, therefore, I, Jeffer-
son Davis, President of the Confederate
States of America" The General pro-
ceeded to read the proclamation, declaring
him feion and an outlaw, and authorizing
his immediate execution il captured. Alter
that he read another proclamation, offering
$4,000 for his capture and delivery to the
Confederate authorities. Did anybody ever
offer half as much a. that for Mr.. Hoar's
head? Laughter Now, / am going to
say something of interest to the ladies' who
have done me the fayog of being present. A
daughter of South Carolina writes to tfse
Charleston Courier, saying, 81 propose to
spin the thread, to make the cord, to exc
cute the order. andI my daughter asks that
she may be allowed to adjust it around his
neck" Soyou see, my friends, the abuse
came early. Yet, started by the enemies of
my country, it has been re-echoed by mine
till the air is full of it. do not know that
they would hang me now if they could, but
if Ihev can destroy that which value more
than life-the honest, honorable position /
hold in the hearts of his countrymen-tbey
may then take the worthless life which the
enemies of my country failed to take either
in the war or since. [Applause Now,
then. do not let these gentlemen who have
made these calumnies suppose that / NAV
be likely to be deferred from doing what l
think ia right because of their outlets. No,
my friends, no; liam told by Mr.. Hoar tina, my
life has been a failure. Be it so, but thank
God, there is one thing cannot be said-rhat
did not try to do my best, and il l failed
was it not better than to stay at home and
try to do nothing. Loud applause The
man has not lived yet who says did not try
TO do my hest, and if failed it was because
could do no more. God helm me; ] wish
he had given me the power, the talent, the
ability, the strength to do more did wha,
l oonll, and am only sorry could do no
more.
After reading another passage from the
Hoar letter he continued:
Why, Mr.. Hoar, you would not have seen
what Il bad man he had hecn if only he had
let you slone. j. that what Won mean? II
| had known how to purchase your silence
might of entered Into the negotiation. lie
says he "never heard 80 much good Of me
before" Short memory, short memory,
short memory, Mr.. Iioar, or else you have
not read the history OF your country. l
hold III my hand Il parchment engrossed by
the Thirty seventh Congress of the United
States, which gives me the thanks of the
House for my able and energetic administra-
ton in command OF the Department of the
Calf. Loud Applause. But, said he,
Governor inGrews didn't like Mr.. Butler
Never did. He always thought him a bad
man. In TIE year 1868 the Senate and the
House of Representatives of the State OF
resolved that thanks be given
% Major General Better for the energy.
ibility and success oh, not iailure-in bis
of the Department OF the
iulf. This il passed January IS. 1868, and
'nds up, "Approved, John A. Andrew
iOup applause under the suspension of the
ules unanimously and approved by Governor |
Andrew, and it need not have been unless |
lie chose to do it, and | call the attention of |
dr. Hoar to the word Success" He then |
vent on to read a similar vote by the General |
aid, Wis the home of the free-soil movement,
he home Of the Connecticut reserve, where |
iiddings taught freedom and propriety Of /
onduct and life to the whole United States.
mother of the objections of your rep
TO me was that in 1864 /
Out-blackguarded a mob in New
FORK. There Is paper signed by one
hundred Of the trst merchants of New York.
'erhaps yOu will remember of the names
then l read them: Hamilton Fish, G. w.
iorgan, Daniel hcadley, John $. Williams,
William Arnold Butler, and hundred 9TH
re-. Let Us see what they say, because
idn't ask them for this testimonial any
more than did Mr.. Hoar. Laughter. He
hen read this testimonial; also thanking
i'm for his services to the country. Another
tep further. In 1864, by the command of
resident Lincoln and the urgent request of
ecretary Sianton, was sent to New York
I the time that the life Of the nation hung
in the balance "a to whether We
hon,d go on at the time. Mcclellan was in
he feld for President; a mob had burned
n orphan asylum at New York and muir |
cred so!dies, and the question was whether
ley wouid not seize the city and carry il
y storm, so that there could be no legal
lection, or so that the whole vote might be
Dunted for Mcclellan. | was sent there
18th a small command, and the result was
hat you know. No orphan asylum was
urned while was there. No disorder OF
lot was had while was there. Applause.
10, New York had for the first time, fair !
nd inst election, and the city was carried |
n Lincoln and the country saved from
and civil war. Applause For
lat msn not unknown 10 fame, Henry
Yard Beecher, at the Fifth Avenue Hotel,
levee given by the citizens Of New York |
wen in my honor, nominated me for Presi-
IN, OF the United States. This is the &C.
irrence which Mr.. Hoar, in his letter, re-
~ TO "a ut-hlackguarding a New York
ob. He could not have done it If they
i'd all been Hoars. Loud and renewed
Dplanse When Hoar can show such ties
monisis "a these coming from any source
II his services to the country, then | will
ut myself on any equal footing with him.
At not till then. Cries Of "CioOd, good
nj appliance. The only public te.timo-
al which know he can show il, that he
m show g, 900 given 10 the trustees Of the !
hooi district out Of the back salary. But | | .
rge', am quarrelsome.
Wherein am any wor man than was :
year agn, when the stream of calumDy WA !
4 npon me, when was the petted favorIie
the Republican party? for | have right |,
say "a much. n least, II putting hard work 4
! me and soldering me ~iih praise il aDy