New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-06-07
KICKING and SOUIREING.

Mr.. BENJAMIN +. Butler seems unable TO fol
low. his own advice or to take his own pre-
scripton In his recent letter to My Dear
"Pitkin,n after tracing the remarkable analogy
between the sacrifice of Isaac and the removal
Of Pitkin from the Office of United States Mar
shaI, he erioined 1t upon PitkIn mot to kick
"and squiIm any more than Isaac did when
"hc lay upon the altar under the
"knife of his father Abraham" 1t was
excellent advice though Ptkin did dis
REGARD it, and kick and squirm nOthwith-
standing. But the letter containing il contained
also two or three loose statements and reckless
charges involving the reputation OF the Hon.
WAYNE MacVeagh for political and personal
integrity. to which that gentleman thought
proper-thongh to a public which knew Butler
and lis habits it was not necessaiy-tO give
brief and'pointed denial. Mr.. MacVeagh oilenSe
toward Butler lay in his having acted upon
the Commission appointed by the President
10 investigate the claims of the rival govern
ments in Louisiana and effect settlement
satisfactory 10 the people OF the state, and IN
having discharged that duty successfully with
great wisdom and discretion. The result was
not pleasing to Mr.. Butler, and he con-
scouently took to abusing the Commission
and charging upon its members the corrupt
nractiecs and crooked methods without which he
believes it impossible to accomplish any object
in politics. Being himself unable to conceive
how any purpose good or i'll can be effected i'll
politics by legitimate and honest methods, he
felt safe in charging that the Commission had
resorted to bribery, which otlense he claimed
to have the authority of Washington rlImOT
for fixing upon Mr.. MacVoagh.
The accusation being publicly made and the
allegation distinct and explcit-though only
common rumor was alleged as the authority
Mr.. MacYeagh made public denial in an open
letter 1t was very brief and business-like,
communicating the fact that Mr. Buffers
statements were base and cOwardly falsehoods,
and that Butler knew them TO be so. If a sen
tonce or two III the letter made Mr..
Buffers ears Jingle, he had only himself to
thank for it. a gentleman whose character
had never been impeached would hardly stop
20 choose smooth words and courteous phrases
i'm refuting the malicious ialSchOOds of black
guard notorious for untruthfulness and I'M
cleanness. Mr. MacNeagh did nothing more
than was demanded by the occasion, but he
did it so cleveIly that lis assalant was left
public laughing stock. il would have been
well, under these circumstances, if Mr. Bnt-
Ter could have remembered his own adj
vice to Pitkn, "nOt to kick and squirm any
"Inore than Isaac did when he lay upon the
"altar under the knife Of his father Abra-
"ham.n But the trial was too much for him.
The laugh was so decidedly against him as
the net result of the labored piece of satire
addressed to my Dear Pitkin," on which he
hoped to have the laugh with him. that he
was quite unhappy. So, having taken such
ample time for the preparation of his answer
that the original letters had almost passed out
of the public mind, he has appeared in print
again with long and elaborate cOmmunica-
ton in reply.
Mr.. Buffers habits are so well known that
il hardly need be said that the intervening
time has been diligently occupied in over
hauling Mr.. MacNeagh's personal history and
Gntecedcnts for materials from which TO pre-
pare an answer. The discoveries thus made
are thrown into the letter in Mr. Buffers
usual manner. Upon close examipation
we find them to be- first. that if Mr..
MacVeagh served in the war, Mr.. Butler does
not remember the number of his regiment
second, that, as Chairman of the Republican
State Committee of Pennsylvania, he invited
Mr.. Butler TO make speeches in the State after
the latter had been charged with stealing