The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-09-27
Letter from Gen. NJ. C. Butler...An
Emphatic Denial.
From the Columbia Register.

From, the Columbia Register.
1t is with great pleasure that we Civ
prominence to the annexed letter iron
General M. G. Butler, Senator elect from
South Carolina, in reference to the sian
derous allegations concerning his sup
posed interference with the prosecution
of ex-oficlals in this State. In the mos
emphatic language, General Butler ha
set the seal of condemnation upon th'
base insinuations of the New York SW'
correspondent, whose sole aim and pur
pose is to discredit every prominent mar
| in South Carolina. 1t is lamentablt
feature of the times that so many persons
who at heart are true to the cause of De
mocracy, seem ready to believe the slam
ders and Misrepresentation against pub
lie men. But the occasion which has
called forth this letter, and many othel
instances which have come to our knowl'
edge, convince US that there is large
element of our population too ready ano
willing to accept irresponsible statements
public servants. Doubtless this is true
of other communities. The growth and
continuance of such unworthy and un.
just suspicious deserve the reprobation oi
all honest men, who would restore the
public service to the purity and rectitude
of our fathers. A persistence in this
course will drive away from official sta
ton men who are best calculated to serve
the State, and will tend to bring to the
surface class Of politicians who can
only thrive upon the downfall of others.
The manly independence of General But.
ler, in rebuking this improper spirit and
maintaining the right to his own opin-
ions, is quite refreshing, although charac-
teristic of the man. His devotion and
fealty to the State cannot be questioned
by any one, and the exalted service OF
the past-no less than the just expecta-
tions of the future-entitle him to the
unreserved confidence of every true and
loyal citizen of South Carolina. The
letter is as follows:
EDGEFIELD, S. c., Sept. 13, 1917.
Capt. James ~ Lipscom6, Chappelps De-
pot, S. c.:
My AR.SIR-Your letter of the 10th
instant was received last night on my re-
turn from Aiken Court.
You enclose a letter of September 2
from Charleston to the New York Sun,
written, presume, by the correspondent
of that paper from Charleston, in which
it is made to appear that I advised the
discontinuance of the prosecutions
against the Radical ex-oficials, with sun
dry other charges which I cannot repeat
in detail. You say that the reading of
this letter produced feeling of horror
and dread throughout the State, and
many of your (my) most devoted political
and personal friends are deeply exercised
over it," and beg me to "brand it in the
most public and decided manner"
I proceed to brand it by saying that
whoever says, or intimates, or hints that
have advised the discontinuance of the
said prosecutions is liar, and whoever
believes it is simpleton. Now, I think,
the branding part has been done, and for
the publicity, I will have to depend upon
you.
This letter to the Sun is written, as I
am informed, by Radical ex-official of
South Carolina, now living in Charles
ton, who got his position by treachery,
sustained himself while there by duplic.
ity, and having been ousted on account
of his imbecility and venality, now seeks
to make a living by lying and SANDER.
The letter which you enclose is'a speci-
men of his capacity in that line, and one
copied in the Journal Of Commerce, of the
18th instant, wherein he refers to my
having purchased estate warrant" is
another. I never before heard of such a
paper as Estate warrant" such as he
describes, and the statement is, therefore,
lie made of whole cloth.
1t is bad enough to be villifed and ira
duced by Radical political traders, but
| when one who has tried to do the best he
could for the State and the restoration of
good government, and who feels that
while he does not pretend to have been
entirely unselfsh, yet he made some per-
sonal sacrifices for the public good, has
to be subjected to the suspicion Of his
friends, who ought to knoa0 that such
statements are false, is somewhat dis
couraging.
I do not deny that I have exerted my
self earnestly to secure my seat in the
United States Senate. I have felt that
twas my duty to do so, but I have made
no bargains to secure my election, as you
know, and shall make none to get my
seat. My being seated may not help the
State in the estimation of some, but the
seating of my competitor would no doubt
be regarded by all as public calamity.
If am to succeed, I must be allowed to
do so in my own way, and not turned aside
by every lying scribbler, who sees fit to
slander me; if not, had better abandon
the field, and either let. Corbin take the
seat or some other Richmond enter the
field.
I do not mean by this that I am be.
yond or above criticism, but I do mean
to say that suspicious and "dreads, .
based upon such stuffs as that contained
in the enclosed letter to the Sun, which
is false in every essential particular so fal
as it relates to me, is disgusting and ab
surd. Ihave had nothing to do with the
prosecutions of the Radical ex-officials
| It IS not my business, and have pur'
posely avoided all connection with them
have expressed my opinion to members
of the committee and to General Conner
the Attorney General, as to the maune,
of conducting those prosecutions, ant
shall exercise that privilege again when
ever my judgment leads me to do so ane
those gentlemen are willing to hear me
think the committee of investigation
and the Attorney General have done
we'll, and are entitled to the highest com
mendations for their service, but Ger
tainly have right to an opinion. MY
being Senator elect, surely does not de
prive me of this. III does, the Senator
elect may 60, and will maintain m.
right, and if scurvy scribblers misrepre
sent my opinions and actions, and friend
suspect or doubt them, why ! can onl!
despise the one and pity the other.
| You need not have apologized for hav
ing written me as you have. / shoule
have felt hurt had you not done'so will
the information in your possession: