The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-07-03
Ben. ButIerism.


Ben. ButIerism.
The country is peculiarly anxious at
this time concerning its future. Reflect
ing people, those who have studied the
history of mankind and of the nations of
the earth that have arisen, tlourished and
fallen, are asking themselves whether this
government of ours has not already cul-
minated and taken imperceptibly but sure
ly the downward path They ask whether
the corruption in high places, seen, I'M
disputed, acknowledged, and even defiant
on its part, can exist as part of the
fabric of sound and durable govern
ment.
And surely this doubt is we'll founded
No intelligent man can reflect on the stern
integrity, public and private, of the men
whose labors and sacrifices founded this
government, and who gave an impetus
to the qualities which make up public
virtue that sutficed to carry the country
tar along the path they marked out, with
out feeling that the degeneracy of the
present time must be fearfully sapping
those principles. The record of intamy
which the past winter unrolled at Wash
ington is simply appalling. And the
worst sign of all is the indifference with
which people look upon this, and the
readiness with which it is forgotten.
A striking feature of the sublime i'm
pudence of the men who direct and
champion this departure from the sterling
virtue of old, is the persistent aspiration
of Ben Butler to high positions and honors
He again announces himself as candidate
for Governor of Massachusetts, apparently
undismayed by his defeat in the conven-
ton of two years ago. He is undoubted-
ly prepared to exercise his electioneering
ability, his organizing skill, his money
and power of wheedling men into his
schemes, in a grand effort to compass
this end. An important question Just
here is whether he will have the support
of the national administration in this
movement. The power of the army of
federal office holders in Massachusetts,
moving in a mass to accomplish the NOM
nation of candidate, is immense, and
ought of itself to assure success to whom
soever it supports, In our Judgment
Butler will have that potent aid. The
understanding between Butler and the
President seems to be perfect. The old
bitterness concerning the corking up Of
the former at Bermuda Hundreds has
passed away under the pressure of COM
mon interest. The salary increase, which
the President coveted as the servant
desireth his shadow, was 80 cleverly en-
gneered at the capital by the powder
boat hero that the we'll known gratitude
OF the White House must have gone out
to him. At the polls, if nominated, But
Ter is likely to receive support from the
lower strata of society that will astonish
his opponents. The floating riff-ratf will
inevitably be his. Those who habitually
seek the winning side will pass over to
him. Office seekers as well as office
holders will haste to make their peace,
and worship the rising sun.
But will this suffice? We doubt it.
There is among the people of Massachu-
sets large amount of good, solid, old
fashioned integrity, that without any re-
| ference to party lines or party interests,
must despise Ben. Butler and his history
This is not diminished by the fact that the
fifth district has repeatedly sent him to
Congress by the full party majority. To
make him Governor of Massachusetts
would be another and very different
thing.
If Ben shall succeed by impudcnce
and cunning in comprising the nomina-
ton, an intensely interesting canvas will
result. The integrity of republican voters
will be put to sore trial, between party
discipline and a sense OF wrong and
shame at party demands. The inclination
to vote for Butler on party grounds Or for
war services will be more than out
weighed by the history of his reign in
Louisiana, of the salary steal, and by a
fear of his inordinate and INSCRIPTIONS
ambition. What the result may be no
one can truly predict. But the doubters
of the perpetuity of the republic, to whom
we alluded at the outset, will look upon
Buffers success as the strongest proof of
their theory, as certainly it would be.