The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-07-03
The Recent Fiasoo.

The Ohio State journal uoes AOG
seem to relish the manner in which
Foster met Butler, or the evening of
the 18th. In speaking of the wrap
tured manner in which certain
specials" had portrayed the en-
counter, it says.
When it was said that "Charley
Foster had met Butler with his own
weapons, and had taught the Massa-
chusetts bully that there was one
man on the floor able to handle him"
then, frankly we could only hope
that the enthusiastic specials were
mistaken. 1t did not seem an honor
to be coveted that a man respected
in Ohio had it in his power to be
bigger blackguard than Benjamin F.
Butler. 1t is more in sorrow than in
admiration that we confess that the
specials were not so far wrong as we
had hoped. Butler met for once
rudeness and incivility and rowdy-
ism greater than his own. He call
ed an absent man q perjurer; the
gentle Foster retorted that the gen
tleman from Massachusetts was a
thief, and much more to the same
purpose. The exhibition was hui
initiating and disgraceful as the un-
dignifed mouthings and calling of
names by two raving school-boys.
In selfrespecting dignity it was rath
er below the average courtesies of
the prize ring. Our Ohio member
has ability and courage: butno man
can safely dare to leopard his repu-
tation as a gentleman by entering
the arena with Benjamin F. Butler
and using his weapons after that
sort. We perfer to remember him
for those deeper and better quail
ties of brain exhibited by him, rath-
er than for these illustrations of
brute force and muscular vehemence
which have so enthused some Of the
specials.
Ordinarily we should agree with
the State Journal but in this in
stance it carries its point of honor
to extremes. There are some men
whom you can only gain respect
from by "beating them with their
own weapons" and though the exhi-
bition may be undesirable in itself,
yet community cannot but admire
the individual who brings the rowdy
to terms, and teaches him respect
for the rights Of others. You occa-
sionaIly find a rough, uncouth bully
in a village, of whom it may be said
"every body is aid"-perhaps not
really; but they avoid him, and even
submit to abuse which is humilia-
ting ratte than resent his foulness.
And so he becomes that despicable
thing "bully," till chance throws
in his way some quiet unpretending
youth, who with all his modesty of
demeanor possesses a spirit like the
steel which emits its spark when
coming in contact with the rough
flint. The bully exhibits his animus
once too often, and is met by the
unpretentious man and thoroughly
beaten. Does the community be-
wall the event? Does it criticise
the exhibition of muscular power,
and stubborn will which the new
combatant has brought to bear to
subdue the bully? Scarcely. He
is in a measure their deliverer, and
they hail him with pleasure and ac-
cord him credit for performing a
meritorious act. He inspires them
with a spark of his own courage and
the offensive oppressor is thereafter
met with a spirit of manliness, rath-
er than that of servirity. Such ex-
hibitions, though undesirable, oc-
casionally do good to community,
and especially if the victor does not
himself in turn usurp the bully's
place. The State Journal is too
susceptible by far.