National Republican., 1873-06-25

thing estimablc In private character and life |
With record during and since the rebel |
lion, the transcendent merits OF which will |
not soon be forgotten; the representative OF |
one Of the oldest Of the Congressional dis |
tricts Of the country, proud OF Its present
pre-emincnce and Of Its historic fame; as q
citizen respected and honored In his own
community by oil classes Of citizens, and
with hosts Of attached friends throughout
the country, II Is under the aspects thus pre-
sentcd In the contemplation Of General But
lcr's character that he has our respect and
admiration; nor Is Il possible for us to ac-
count for the lndefatigable virulcncc with
which he Is pursued, upon any principle In
the code Of political justice. Indeed, so In
expllcable are the conditions to which General
Buffers public career has bccn subject In
this respect that we have come almost TO
consider them ,as portion Of his own extra
ordinary Individuality, the inevitable accom-.
panimcnt Of the strong, rosolute, and defiant
character by which they arc confronted, as
though, indeed, the Essex giant were to be
regarded as q sort Of political Enccladus, by
his every movement occasloning an eruption
In the Etna Of public life.
| Ihc latest lnslhnCc Oi NHOitshlC uCiutnh-
ton Of Gen. Butler which has fallen under
our notice Is contained In the New York Tri-
bune Of q recent date, Il having been fulml-
mated against him because Of his candidacy
| for the Office OF Governor Of Massachusetts,.
| We cite therefrom the following extract to
begin with, than which Il will be found moth
Ing could be more characteristic Of the Tri-
bune when defamation Of charactcrl Is Its con-
genial purpose
"The character Of Mr.. Butter Il fower and
/ fruit OF the time. lie has grown out OF It, and
he thoroughly illustrates Il. Peculiar In many
things, he n In his general presentation OF
characteristics, in the assemblaee Of his quail
tiea his intellectual tout ensemble, 80 TO speak,
Just what We might sxpect.a perfectly natural
twelve years have led up-or down-to him. His
| roots have reached out Into the fertiizing rot
tennesa where public virtue fell; sap, moisture,
| vital strength, he drew from sources where NTH
beEot nth, and creeping things crawied and bur-
| ruwed; he grew and devoloued In q bad atmos-
phere and on a we % so,,, and ~ today a rank, un,
passing breezes, bulging above the reek that has
engendered him, imparting neither beauty to the
eye nor pleasing od1rs % n the sense M ne has
sents his age, and time, and-must we say NJ
his country"
Thus 1t Is that the Tribune, while Ii bewails
the low standard Of public morality and the
groveling tendencies Of our politics, verine.
Its views In this respect by a strain Of
abusive personality the ribaldy Of which has
not been exceeded In any of the most proni,
gate prcss Of the country. Malignant, calum
mating aud scandalous as arc Its rcproachcs,
they constitute simply an example Of thai
wholesale aud indiscriminate defamation OF
which we speak. We may well hold the
Tribune to an accountability for the viola.
tIon Of Its own pretended standards Of dc.
corum aud propriety, but the intended Oh.
loquy Of Its attack upon Gen. Butler We dis
miss with the contempt which II deserves
Yet 1t is not possible for the Tribune, ever
, prejudiccd, wrong-headed and malicious a.
I Is It's present attitude toward the Republican
, party, entirely to conceal from view the grea
, facts In Gen. Buffers career, aud In the fol
! lowing extract we have the implied adinis
a sion that II does the work Of injustice anl
defamation in what 1t says concerning him
a "where others hesltated, he dared; wher
. they were tangled in technicalties, he cut hi
I way with a reckless sword-thrust, or overthre'
b his adversary with an audacious coinage Of leg
Il construction. He did good work At Baltimor
u he seemed to us almost Inspired when, at For
o ress Monroe, he for the nrst time labeled u
v negro tcontraband,' and discounted the assai
AntA OF tue mon, WHO mhFNucu WIN the NOOht
l. tuition in front Of them; he gave to captur,
u New Orleans vigorous government, whateyi
else II was; he exhibited qualities that the tiu
seemed TO call for, and that In many instanc'
were admirable. II there was anything ilsre
l. utable In his military career. or In his admin
N tration OF civil Affairs as military governor,
s. mat tsSs was good in Itself and is consequences on
Il | might be content to honor him. lie has be'
:, already honored largely. For seven years pa
d he has been prominent In civil Affairs
Ol the most COusplcuOu9 figures
a, our politics. What does he represent
~ II anything at all, 1t is the idea Of abs
\. lief in any higher motive IN tbe .saie, ~ ,pS
40 TIE notion OF paying the debt In currency, a
or TO drop II too when he found to his surprise tn
IN the people did have virtue enough to oppose
W scheme by which they could make a dollar;
lie was this that led him 10 champion 0akes Am
es and act as counsel for him; to fawn around Al
N natter President he hated; to strengthen hi
III self by the distribution Of patronage; to invt
In the salary grab, and undertake TO scon do,
IN with cheap wit the indignant protest Of the pt
vi pie; TO advise the Pacific Railroad Companies
retain candidate for Senator; to be mixed
with all sorts OF money-making contrncts, a
to do all the demagogery he has Haunted In
nations face for six years past. lie believes,
o. short. In getting money and influence by VIII
be ever means he may, and he believes the peo
q, are no better, and act from no higher moti'
VI than himself"
o Respecting tho allegation which alone
those above named has an apparent basis
~ reason upon which to stand, that concerni
~ the increase of salaries, We ask, Is Gene
Buffers offence, In the instance named,
A., offence It be, so Isolated and peculiar to hi
'"' self that the wrath Of the Tribune and of
allied libelers Is to be poured out with,
N stint upon his head aloue? or II, being
" offence, II has been general one, is he ale
~ to be sacrificed as yicarious offering for
NJ other political sinners, as well those amc
-, " the friends as the enemies OF the Tiibu
'tl- -, - ,,.-,,,t,,., - -, -, 80 -
@ e the alleged offence 30 heinous and aggraya
m In character that the Tribune Is to be ju
ne fed when denouncing 1t In an utter aband
~" ment Of every principle Of decency and tr,
w In the Hre-new zeal Of Its indignation as
''1 ~ pretended organ OF moral reformation
political confinement 1t is true that Gene
"s Butler, In common with other statesmen
y. 9th the great political parties, entertainc
aa certain view OF the legal relations OF the p
~ lie debt, viz; that "lawful money" In VIII
N the pcnsioncr, tho soldier, the public OH
'" and the people themselves received paym
Of their dues was lawful money as well
the payment by the Government OF Its o.
s' cations to the bond-holding creditor. Blu
~ II for this--the point having been set at I
" through the discreet policy Of the Admin
~, tration, in no small degree shaped by Gene
10 MM Butler hlmself-that through all time he
~ to be pillorlod In the public gaze and his
=, litical name and character cOmpassed ab
~ by hatred and detraction2 Difference
20 opinion was as general, and as legitimate I
~ ~ on that question as upon any other In tho
~ main Of disputed and legal issues. Thor
- - General Buffers views were peculiar, he
~ no means stood alone In the Republic
ranks In the entertainment Of such views.
:. That he played the part he did during
',S so last session Of Congress In the Credit Nc
. lier business, we apprehcnd his constituer
:, and the country will not hold him to gui
~ accountability, when 1t is remembered Il
-, the views which he supported were those
" = which an overwhelming majority Of
=. House Of Rep esentatlves and of both pol
y cal parties therein gave deliberate sancti
% under circumstances Of the greatest sole
no nifty.
H. So OF the frivolous allegation respect