National Republican., 1878-05-31
GENERAL B. r. BrTLER,s DESIGNS.

GENERAL B. +. BUTLER is not OH the war
path. He is simply suffering from IN in
sidious and enfcebling assault upon his
brain by the Presidential maggot. He gave
evidence of the presence Of this political
trachine long ago when he declared his
peculiar financial views, some of which we
indorse and some of which, bordering as
they do upon agruriNnism, we cannot in
dorse. But his address at Gettysburg yes
terday, and his recent letter TO the editor of
a South Carolina Democratic journal, both
breathing ncwly-found love for the
South, and reasons why the South should
be encouraged in pcrpetuating love of
treason by public and general, instead of
personal and private displays of grief over
the graves of the martyrs of the Lost Cause,
betray an anxiety on his part to wipe out
portions of his past record, to round off the
sharp angles of his antagonsms, and to
placate the anmosity of people who have
hitherto looked upon him as their most
implacable enemy, who have denounced
him as thief, and who have banded his
name about as the SYNONYM of every
thing that is cowardly and de-
spicable. 1t has not been among
his prominent characteristics in the past to
return good for evil, us he is now doing, but
rather his has been the eye-ior-an-e and
the tooth-ior-a-tooth policy. 1t is known
that he is already strong among the Catho-
lies of the country, and that an undercur-
rent of iavoritism for him among the work
ingmen has now and again been felt North
and South, East and West; also that the
Nationals have not neglected, in their at
tempts to organize third party, to throw
out ieelcr in his direction when looking
about for Presidential candidate His
address at Gettysburg yesterday furnished
him an opportunity to renew his devotion
to the so-callcd Stalwart ideas of the pres
ent political situation. But he ignored that
opportunity and descended to II disappont-
ing and disgusting exhibition of dcmasog-
cry unworthy Of his well-Enown abilities.
He wandered away from the pertinent
points of the occasion, failed to allude in
any way to the present situation, and seem
ingly ignored the existence of the troubles
that threaten renewal Of the civil
strife which made Memorial Day and
memorial addresses possibilities and patri-
otic necessities. Stuining after the scnsa-
tional and looking for popularity among the
ship-builders and sailors of the Atlantic
coast, he had something to say about British
privatecrs. In other respects his address
was a bundle of glittering gcneralites, ex-
ccpt that part which alluded with softened
grief and tender forgiveness TO the mart WIS
of the Lost Cause. II is easy to explain
this neglect of opportunity yesterday on the
suppostion that he doubts the propricty of
referring to the subjcct-matter of the Title
Investi cation, of the committee conducting
which he is member; but the excuse is
not satisfactory. He might have discussed,
aud it was expected that he would, the
New Rebellion in the abstract without al
luding to his duties as n committeeman. II
looks now as though he expects to go to
New Orleans rs sub committeeman and
that he went to Gettysburg to put on n life
preservcr, or to clothc himself in the habili-
ments of political eunuch and prepare
himself with n white flag of truce, as if he
feared personal violence from the hands of
friends of MUMFoRD, whose dangling body
at the end of u rope emblematizcd the pc
culiar police system he pursued when, as
he has often boosted, he made New Orleans
one Of the healthicst cities and freest from
climatic disease, in the country.