New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-23
THE ESSEX CLAIMANT.
cpN B,rrLER AND HIS WANING FORTUNES.

IN CoNGREss-sIMMoNs FATAL MIsTAKE-THE
DAMAGING DISCLOSURES IN THE sANBORN IN
eruRY-THE GovERNoRsHIP APPARENTLY BE-
YOND HIS REACH-HIs SEAT IN CONGRESS IN
DANGER FROM ORGANIZED AND POWERFUL oP-
PosTTION-A RUMOR THAT HE is To LEAVE THE
DISTRICT.
irRom AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRiBuNEI
Boston, May 1s.-It is just now mooted matter
whether the coming political campaign IN m"sS'
chusetts is to be especially interesting or
Ii need not be said that nearly everything u,P"
upon what are Gen. Buffers intentions vi ",i"' ".'
.ct;on ia likely TO be- Butler as everybody KNOWS
is the creator of chronic disturbance IN tue hepuo
con ranks of this State That party never tees tna'
ts harmony is secure till it is informed OF what he
.o,tcmniates doing Its only of relief from
anxiety are such as he graciousy permits
II ia not an easy matter to forecast Buffers actons'
when one has settled in his mind what prudence
and policy would dictate to him as the adVlsaDie
course to take the problem is not much nearer oeihg
solved for Butler is at times exceedingly heauSIons
and impulsive and even bis cooler Judgments as re-
CARDS political movements Is not good Tic Is no'
half the man of pluck that many people suppose MN
tn he: but few have Overestimatcd his reckessnesS
He is ALWAYS brave at the beginning; IL Is onlS
when danger or defeat is too PLAIN to be ignored ny
anvbody that the cowardlv element in his nature Is
contrast than the blatant and braggadoclo tone
with which he entered upon his two contests Tor the
Goyernorship of the State and the meek manner
with which he received his rcbuke at the hands OF
tbe Republiean conventions, which put q veto upon
his aspIrations If he were likely to have as much
wisdom aud as little courage, therefore, at the be-
ginning Of the campaign of this year as at the emu
of il, there would he comparatively slight risk III
prophosying what his course is to be-
AFRAID on THE GovERNORsIIP DOUBTFUL.
As the case stands, there may be said to be doubts
In his own mind and in those of his followers. A
portion Of the latter are urging him TO run. They
belong principally TO the class who like to see tur-
moil generally in politics, to another class who
hope to get the control of portion OF the money
that he Is expected to set in motion concomltant
of such action There is a cooler and more sagacious
opinion that advises him al least to wait and to feel
tho public pulse before committing himself to an
other effort to reach the coveted Office.
There can be no doubt that three months ago Gen.
Butler had fully determined tfat his third raid
should be made this year. His attempt to place his
chief lieutenant in the Coectorship of the Port of
Boston was the first step toward this end. 1t was
bold act and it was brilliantly successful 1t gave
him the advantage of having in the chief national
Office of New England man entirely in sympathy
wishes: and it proved that he had power with the
President to the appointment not only of the
man most obnoxious of all others to his opponents,
but of one also who was Objectionable to forty-nine
out of fifty os the merchants of Boston. He had made
the stron ges possible test of his influence
the Administration, and he had completely tri-
umphed in it, The President had done his utmost
80 give Butler the highest seat in Executive favor,
and to make his enemies his foOtStOOl Butler swag-
gered and was sure as almost never before But the
advantage gained was not without heavy cost to
both parties. The pusilldnimty of those of the Mas
sachusctts delegation of merchants iii Washington
at that tIne vino could kiss the hand of the Presi
dent that Butler put in motion to smIe Them was
not shared here by the great bulk Of those for whom
they acted There rebellion against Grant and
Butler together. IL found voice in some trencbant
articles in The Boston ddreyiiser The Presidents
name was fast ceasing to be either terror or one
to coniurc with outside a few newspaper offices or
in the minds of ordinary party hacks.
SIMMONS. sANBORN, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. BLOWS
TO HIS PROSPECTS.
The veto message Of the Currency bill came
too late to stay this tide. 1t has partially saved the
President from the less of supporters and has prob
ably prevented the breaking up OF the Republican
party of Massachusetts this year, but 1t has injured
more than ii has helped Butler. The President may
in degree have atoned for the injustice he has done
us Buffers sin remains in all its offensive proper
tons lie has lost two votes where he has made one
by the appointment of Simmons to the COllectorshp
Simmons, on nearer acquaintance, proves not par
ticlo more acceptable than he in the earliest
view. The one two appearances he has made i'll
public have been dreadfully TO his disadvantage.
The merchants find in him nothing to compensate
for the modification of having fixed upon them a
+ ID. IL, IL
any effort he makes to manipulate the caucuses will
bring them out in larger force than before. This
failure to utilize the Collectors Office, supplemented
by an added disgust with Buffers course the cur
rency question is bad enough for Buffers prospects,
The situation is made worst of all by the Sanborn
business. His connection with that has made him
more odous than any act of his life. 1t is mpossi-
bic to persuade the people that he had not a corrupt
connection with it, They say it is all so character
istic Of his tendencies They point to his earlier
connection with SanbOrn; to the extent to which
the Treasury Department has been under his con-
troll, and tolhe fact that Prescott who is now under
examination at Washington has been IN his Office in
Boston, and the recognized and accredited agent of
his schemes generally in the State aud out of it.
APPARENTLY NO CHANCE OF HIS SUCCESS
The load that Gen. Butler had to carry in the
campaign of last year heavy enough; with
these things added TO it, there seems no possible
chance of his success. The only countervaing
feature that is suggested the dissatisfaction that
grow out Of the strife for the SenatOrshpast month
Threats freely made then, on the part of the
supporters of Mr. Dawes, to throw their strength in
Buffers favor in the coming Autumn. They have
now moderated into sort of proclamation of neu-
trahty. In reality, they will have little effect upon
the politics of the State. If there any griev-
ance. it was chiefly Oh the ground of locality and