The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-06-07
BEN BUTLER'S BLAST,
Sever Sarcasm-A Left.Handed IndOrsc-
ment Of the Southern Policy Of Presi-
dent Hayes,

Ter has written the following consolatory
letter to Ex-Manhal Pitkin, ofLouisiana
"WAsHIYoroN, D. G. May 20, 1877,
"MY DEAR PITKIN: i have yours ofthe
18th inst. informing me that when you
we're in Washington both the President
and Mr.. Devens, Attorney General, gave
YOU substantial assurance that you would
not be disturbed in your Office as United
States Marshal, being native OF the
State of Louisiana and agood Republican
and against whom no official malfeasance
or personal dereliction from the path OF
right had been shown, and who, there
fore, came eminently within the proyl-
sions Of Civil Service reform, which is the
cornerstone, as | understand il, OF our
Republican Administration. ! am GER
tain, therefore, that the President and
attorney General would never had asked
your resignation of the Office of Marshal,
as YOU say they have done, in contraven-
ton ftheir assurances and in disregard
of the principles of Civil Service Reform.
| am bound therefore from what | know
of both these gentlemen, to believe that
they intend in good faith to carry out
their assurances and preserve their prin-
cip'es,
One fault which find with your letter
is thatyo do not make sufficient allow"
anCe for the political necessities and en-
tangements by which good men are COM
PEELED to do that which they would rather
not do. 1t is an open secret here, as |
am informed, that Colonel Wharton,
your competitor, aided MIR. McVeagh, one
of the Commissioners at New Orleans,
very largely in getting portion OF the
members Of the Republican Legislature
to desert from Packard and 60 over to
Nichols, by which Returning Board
Legislature was put under the control OF
Nichols; then that Legislature enabled
the Commission to advise, that as the
Legislature had recognized the Nichols
Government, the Preident was bound to
withdraw the troops. tis also asserted
that 50 900 was to be paid to leading de-
serting Legislators and only 5000 to others
disguised, in the latter case, in the shape
of mileage; so that Mr. Johnson, colored
man, speaking out of the innocence of
his heart, said on the floor of the House
that all he wanted was to get his mileage
and 90 home. 1t is also asserted that
Colonel Wharton was the instrument Sc
leCted by Mr.. McYeagh to do this piece
of business, under his promise of being
made Marshal, if he successfully accomp-
lished it.
Now Wharton performed his side of
the bargain, and think you are very
unreasonable in objecting that the Admi-
nistration should carry out their side of
it, or at least do the best they can SO to
do. 1t ought to satisfy Wharton that
they have asked you to resign, and you
wont; and, therefore, they havedone the |
best they could to make good McVeagh's |
bargain, and, as they can't, Wharton
ought TO be satisfied, precisely like my |
friend General Garfield, who, having
done his best and succeeded in electing
Mr.. Stanley Matthews to the Senate at
the request of the President, as it is said,
on agreement, that the President would |
make him Speaker of the House of Re.
presentatives-will have to be, and ought |
to be, satisfied with a fair, honest and
hearty endeavor on the part of the Presi-
dent to do all he can to make him Speak
er. If he fails Garfield will have nobody |
to blame but himself for not remember
ing that "a bird in hand is worth two in
the BUSH"
Now my dear Mr.. Pitkin, l call upon
you by the love you bear the Republican
party and its principles, in memory Of
the many sacrifices you have made'dur-
ing and since the war as a Union man in |
Louisiana, for the safety of the country,
and not for the sake of holding office un-
der the United States, not to throw any |
impediments in ewGy ofthe Presidents |
fulfilling all bargains which his subordi.
mates made as necessary in inaugurating |
his Southern policy which is to be of so |
great and incalculable advantage-notl |
only to the party which you love 80 well,
but also to the Country-for the unity and |
publication of which you have given the |
hest days ofyour manhood. write thus
to you because l thought I detected in |
your note what seemed to be an unrea-
sonable complaintthat you are to be sac
ri6ced. Remember that Abraham was
about to sacrifice his only son Isaac,
the child Of his old age, to what |
he believed to be the will of God
and the necessities of his people;
and the Good Book does not make men
ton of any unreasonable complaints or
outCries Of Isaac on that occasion; and so,
when you find that the President, in obe- |
diencs to the call of his country, and the |
public exigency for its paCifcation, deems |
it necessary to sacrifice you and take |
away your Office, and give it to one who |
wore the gray when you stood in blue,
you ought not to kick and squirm any |
more than Isaac when he lay upon the
altar, under the knife of his father Abrs-
ham, / am sorry that can not write |
you any other words of comfort and con-
but such as I have I bequeath |
unto you. lam yours, truly,
BENZ. T, BUTLER.
]. R. G. Pitkin, Esq, United States |
Marshal, New Orleans,