National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-07
GENERAL BUTLER AND HIS DIS
TPTTT

We have no information in regard to
Gen. Butler and his district except what we
read in the newspapers, and time and expe-
rience have convinced us that, as general
rule, it is safe to discredit what they say
about him and his affairs. Gen. Butler is
not a favorite with the majority of
the gentlemen who control the American
press. A small party oppose him from
principle; but the larger number dislike
him on purely personal grounds. For in
stance, the Democratic organs denounce
and malign him because Of his magnificent
services in the Republican ranks the same
as they denounce Sickles and Gushing and
others of equal eminence who abandoned
the Democracy when it was the duty of
every patriotic man to abandon it. A GER
tain clique of political editors within the
Republican party, especially in New Eng
land, can never let an opportunity pass to
abuse OF misrepresent him because he inter-
feres with the plans and projects of men
who are greater favorItes with them. The
free-traders asSail him because he is a pro-
tectioniSt; and the Southern tire-eater pOurs
upon him the walls of his wrath, because,
we suppose, he did him and his more ser
vice at New Orleans and elsewhere than
almost any other general who went South.
In addition TO all, Butler is in his very
nature man of fierce antagonists. There
is no man in American politics who has
more enemies, no man who has more warm
friends or a more devoted following. Al
though he has not yet succeeded in obtain
ing the gubernatorial nomination in Massa-
chusetts, no one will deny that he is by far
the strongest man in the State. The
slightest movement on his part throws four
or five score of lesser men into the most in
tense excitement. The first Napoleon was
not more closely watched by the European
monarchs and the small fry Of Grand
Dukes and Dukes than Butler by the
Hoars and the wealth and responsibility
of the old Bay State, " to use the snobbish
phrase Of the day. The organs of these
gentlemen are busy just now in endeavor-
ing to convince themselves and the country
that there is a very strong probability that
he will fail of a denomination for Congress.
Two candidates are named as likely to con-
test the district with him, in addition to
the regular Democratic candidate, whom
General Butler generally beats by a vote of
two to one. 1t is represented that very
great dissatisfaction exists among his con-
stituents, who, we are told believe he is
not so much their representative as his own.
This may do well enough for the outside
publiC-a large number of whom will, we
suppose, accept it as true-but there is good
reason to believe that it will have very little
weight at home, among the people who
know how faithfully he has fought for
them in all that concerned their welfare
during every session of Congress since 1866,
when he was first elected. Why, it Is less
than year since the journals which are
now declaring that he has been unmindful
of his constituents were denounCing his
course on the fisheries question as actuated
solely by desire to benefit the New Eng
land fishermen. The same is true of a hun
bred other questions-internal improve
ments, the tariff, insurance, &c, &c. Would
it IT be well for the journals which &C
Cuse him of Inconsistency to show a little
consistency occasionally in their attacks
upon him? As we said in the beginning,
we are not informed as TO the actual state
of affairs in his district, hut we are certain
it is safe to discredit one half the assertions
on the subject in the columns of journals
which seem incapable of telling the truth
in anything in which he is concerned.