The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-04-19
BEN BUTLER In TEXAS AND
THE MILLS AND SHERMAN
MILLERS.
The Register says that

THE WILLIS AND ShEhuAN
mILLERS.
The Register says that
II we except the Galveston Nens,
whose extreme cautlousness locates it
astraddle of every question of public
importance, leaning first to one side
and then the other, the Austin STATES
MAN has a clear field in Texas in sup
port of Hayes. The STATEsSrAN's ef-
forts to disintegrate the Democratic
party will be fruitless.
The STATESMAN has made no effort
in the direction defined. 1t is only in
sisted that while the President serves
the South and the Union fearlessly and
faithfully, violent and inflammable
party leaders, who have constantly ar
rayed the compacted North against the
"solid South" shall at least be silent.
They have done mischief enough, and
of good, God knows, they have done
nothing. They do manage, at each
session of Congress, to rouse Ben But
ler and Morton and Blaine, and give
them supreme power and conspicuous
ness, and they did aid Andrew John
son, in every possible way, IN exasper-
ating Northern Congress against the
South. They did give US the blessings
of civil war, and all the black cata-
logue of constitutional amendments
were evolved from this dire collision
between "blessed" Democracy and
"accursed" Radicalism. These are
plain, palpable facts, and the Sherman
Register would perpetuate, and we ter
inmate, their operative force. We
would have the presidents policy tri-
umph; the Register would have the old
war of sections, in which the South is
always beaten and always crushed, for
ever renewed. We concur in this with
the President; the Register with the
roaring, rousing speech makers and
officeseekers and party leaders, who
make politics trade and specula-
ton in Office and in popular
passions and rage and prejudices the
study and business of a lifetime.
Morton and Blaine and Ben Butler,
as do their Southern counterparts,
live Jy these practices and by means
of the stupidity of the North and of
the South which suffers remorseless
ambition to crafty itself by feeding
on follies of the North and of the
South. Ben Butler, as shown by his
assertions of opinion and purpose, as
printed in another place, thoroughly
comprehends this phase of popular
weakness which the Register commonly
illustrates, and TO which such newspa-
pers commonly pander. Butler knows
full well that If he can lead his party
in the House and Blaine or Morton in
the Senate, while some fierce chivalric
fellow, such as was Roger Pryor twen-
ty years ago, can swell and blow and
cane Sumner, the war, nominally end
ed in 1865, can be prosecuted indefi-
nitely to the great advantage of the
politicians aud utter ruin of the deluded
people.
Ben Butler evidently thinks that
Registers and Millses are in majority
North and South. Evidently he deems
the South Bourbonized incurably and
irreclalmably; that we have learned
nothing; that we are simple idiots;
that we are still perched, tattered and
plucked, tho veriest 'game-coeks OF
chivalry," on the fence between the
North and South, Growing defantly
and anxious to fight. For twenty
years past Southern politics, if Mast
sketched them, would consist of these
simple figures. The silliest bird with
no virtue but pluck, and the old rooster
of Massachusetts strutting and feign-
ing fury that Southern dupes, in ir-
repressible rage may strike out madly
and finally destroy themselves, would
tell the whole familiar story. Again
and again have the Northern and
Southern party leaders accepted the
idea of popular weakness defined and
ridiculed and despiscd by Ben But
Ter. He, like the Register, has no con-
fidence in the dispassionate wisdom of
the people. He thinks they have
learned nothing, that war and poverty
and rags and Davis and Kellogg and
Warmoth and Bullock and shoulder
straps and negro incapacity for tasks
of government have taught US nothing,
and that We will always re- enact fol-
lies which can only reproduce Radi-
calism North and ranting Democracy
South. Between the two mill stones
we must always be ground to powder,
and the Register and party leaders can
well afford to look on complacently.
They are the blessed few who take toll
while the people are the grist.