The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-10
SOWING THE SEED OF HATE"

SOWING THE SEED OF HATE"
Ben Buffers contribution to the oratory of
the Fourth of July is exciting considerable
comment In the North. As Is usual, Benja-
min spoke for o. purpose, which was to COM
mend himself TO the Massachusetts, Green
hackers as suitable candidate for Governor
of the State. In doing this he naturally de-
livel ed himself of sentiments which do not
meet the approval of people who are not
Greenbackers, and hence the disturbance.
For example, the New York Times says:
There Is no excuse, however for a
man who avails himself OF O national
celebration to SOW broadcast the seed of hate
between different classes of the same people.
and TO apply the precepts Of the fathers of the
republic in manner that would make anarchy
inevitable" A very touching comment, for
sooth from the Times, which, in season and
out, has cast this same seed of hate" broad
cast to choke up every highway and by-path
by which those whom the failure of secession
made outcasts sought to return TO the fold.
But, then, We were not of the same people,"
perhaps, In the Times estimation. It's moral
tiles are meant only for the chosen ones. The
people, there Is some such special dispensa-
ton as that by which the Jews claimed that
they were allowed to practice usury for
thousand years against all the unfaithful.
Anything, the Times thinks, may be allowed
for the recklessness of want or the noble
rage of profound conviction. But neither of
these impulses possessed Butler. He is rich
by questionable means or he Is not sincere in
his declarations. He does not believe with
Proudhon that property Is thett'-because it
would not be In accordance with the logic of
events that he should do so. Yet, with all
this inslncerity, Butler breaches powerful
crusade against inherited wealth and "holds
up to scorn the bondhOlders and the stock
holders of the national banks as though they
were enemies of the human race"
We are entirely willing TO agree with the
Times that Butler does not believe one-half of
all the rubbish he talked, but to save our
souls we can't see why the Times should take
him to task for Sowing broadcast the seed of
hate" and again, we can't see all the lurking
communism the Times sees in Buffers speech.
AS we read that speech it meant first, last aud
for all time, that 81, Ben Butler. want the
support of the GreenbaCkers for Governor of
Massachusetts,, and anything that may
be necessary to be said incidentally ]
am perfectly willing and even anxious
to say" In this very insincerity there
Is an assurance that should satisfy
any reasonable being that society is never to
he overturned by the doughty BENJAMIN.
But, outside of this assurance, we see nothing
alarming in any of Buffers propositions, He
hot fub
right to- in o manner, control the disposal of
wealth accumulated under its protection, and
that people have not q savage liberty Of using
and enjoying their money as they see fit.
This is no new doctrine, nor is it
q revolutionary or communistio one.
On the contrary, 1t Is q very ancient
and conservative One and 1t Is only sensa-
tional from Buffers way Of stating It, A
tirst-class reporter could, by simple change
Of Names make police item out of the old
| story of Ewes temptation Of Adam, or Of
Gains dealings with Abel, that would be just
as deceiving and thrilling. We find the prin-
| ciple announced by Butler in every code Of
laws. What man can will his property to
| whom he chooses at death His disposition
OF it is controlled by law and he cannot give
away more than o certain proportion. He has
earned all that he has, perhaps, but the law
prescribes the manner in which his inner
itance shall descend as we'll as the proportion
of his estate that he can dispose Of II his
written testament violate the formalities OF
the law, the law declares the testament null
and void, and proceeds to dispose of the
estate. Is this Communism? Certainly not
and yet we can see nothing beyond q sensa-
tional enunciation of this principle in But
ler's speech. The Times may say, with Mr..
BUNDLE IF the law says this, the law is a
hass," but so the law does say, and Gen. But
Ter scares the Times to death by reaftirm-
ing it.