The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-03-02
ShOrt.Sighted.

IF Gen. Buffers moral instincts bore any
reasonable proportion to his acknowledged
intele ctual force and physical energy, he
would be an irresistible power in politics
He is SO fertile in resources, so ingenious In
expedients, so apt of speech, SO bold o
action, that he inspires fear in quarter
where he fails to command respect. In de
bate, he makes up in felicity of illustration
and keenness of sarcasm what be lacks in
sincerity of conviction and rectitude of pur.
pose. On the floor Of the house he is dan
gerous antagonist, Notwithstanding he is
arrayed on the wrong side of almost every
question. The ablest OF his associates ap-
preciating his great forensic ability hestates
to break lance with him. Few have entered
the lists without getting worsted, and some
have been annihilated by we'll tur ned met
aphor or pungent epigram.
1t is great misfortune, alike to the coun-
try and to the General himself that such rare
gifts should be worse than wasted, because
there il not blended with them, the consci-
entiousness which can alone make them
subservient to noble aims. In his eagerness
to compass ends, he never b Estates about
the means. He acts on the idea that poll
tics are agame to be won by skillful playing,
and minor politicians so many pieces on the
board to be handled according to the will Of
the manip ulator.
Perhaps something of this is attributable
to his early political associations. The dem.
ocratic party had no basis of principal to
rest upon from the moment when it became
the @gis of slavery. From that hour it bar
tered right for success, the sacrifice of the
one involving the ultimate loss OF the other,
for the final triumph of justice is certain.
Butler was democrat par excellence. He
didn't stop to apologize for the crime of man
stealing. He defended and applauded il.
But when it came to overthrow and punlsh-
ment he rushed to the side of freedom with
impetuous alacrit y. His conversion was as
sudden If not as miraculous as that of his
hebrew prototype, from the Saul Of oppres
sion to the Paul of liberty. The change of
opinion however wrought no change of meth
ods. Inc old tactics were brought to the
uses OF the new policy. He proposed to work
with the same instrumentalities and to build
up 'ne party he found refuge in by organi-
zatlon'oy patronage and by appeals to the 8 J.
nsn propensities of human na,uro r,,hor
than on the firmer and better topndat;on.
OF inhexiole fidelity to abstract right
Here was his great mistake. PARTIES
live unless. they are vitalized by lenefcau.
objects which commend them to the Tow.
aDd confidence of the masses. Oroanizat;o,,
is indispensable, combinations must be form.
ed and leaders must be chosen. however on
thusiastic the popular devotion to If pnt
the people must have faith in their leaders ~
they will refuse to follrw. Voters are not 49,
donations to be moved at will, and ass;onea
or transferred TO suit the ambition or ~.
profit of the captain under whom thew yolnn-
tarily serve. They read and think and roo
son, and are quick to detect and swift to pun
ish every exhibition of selfishness or cupiditv
In the men they have been wont to trust.
Many popular idol has been sumnarily de-
'nconed when it has been discovered or sus-
pe''eo mat he has sought to serve himself in
AN Vi MS country. 1t is strange that a
c. perspicacious in many respects as
"e"' oatler, should be so lamen,abtu obl;v;-
s.,,u.., 80 u. to public opinion. All the
- 49, n' political career are attributable
to this browning defect :. 1.'l'ou.ao'e
ana ingenious in his self sees;n. ~ :, rams
seems to glory in, Instead Of trying 3 t s ne