The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-12
BEN BUTLER.

Historians are likely to differ about Ben
Butler. according to their political bias.
His career was so erratlc that there was no
one whom at some period of his life lie had
not managed TO offend.
Before the war he was an uncompromis-
ing pro-slayery Democrat of the Hunker
school. He had no sympathy with Adolf
tiOnists or FreesOiers no liberation for
men like Phillips or Garrison. he went to
Charleston and voted steadily for Jefferson
Davis. But when the first powder was
burned at Fort Sumter, he realized the sit
uaii0n long before the Massachusetts Re-
publicans aweke 20 it, and turned not half
way, but all the way round. Indeed, he
had foretold the war several weeks before
it broke out, and il was largely in conse-
Quenee of his warnings that Governor An
drew was SO much better prepared than
other Northern Governors to send his men
into the field. Once in uniform, he gave
proof Of military genius. He raised the
siege of Washington by landing at An
napoiS, and quelled the brutal pro-slavery
mob of Baltimore by the occupation OF
Federal Hill. lie took long step toward
the solution of the slave problem by pro-
nouncing slaves contTaband Of war. His
occupation OF New Orleans did much TO
break down the trueuient slaYe-driVing
spirit of the Southern brig9dieES. The
hanging of Mumford, coupled with the
prevention of yellow fever. taught the
Louisianians that in him they bad met
their master. Many Northerners saw in
him the hero of the war;
But fortune. which had stood so firmly by
his side up to then, suddenly deserted him.
.la ffrF, Of m Ia
end CT the war, his career was one success
sion of failures and dsappointments. Every
thing he tried came to grief. Popular favor,
tickle as always, deserted him, and Grant
made him ridiculous as the general who
had bottled himself up. At the time OF the
surrender of AppOmattox he had retired
from hearmy and was playing COriolanus
at Essex.
But he was cut in an irTepTessbIe mold,
and be doomed up in his civil life, as bright,
as original, as pugnacious as ever He rose
to be the leader of Congress. 1t seemed
that the chief architect Of reconstruction
might attain the prize which had been de-
MED to the soldier. Here again he reached
the very verge of his am biti0n. But lie
stopped there. Other men took the lead in
Congress. and be lost his standing at home
At that moment his public life really
ended lie had a mania for becoming Gov
ernor Of Massachusetts. He appealed to
the Republicans and they refused to nOm-
mate him. He ran as a GreenJacker and
was defeated. Finally, seventeen years
after the war, he ran as a Democrat. and
was elected Two years afterwaTd he ex-
hibiled to the world the pitiable sight Of a
man VINO had at one time been pol ular
idol running for the Presidency liz polit-
zeal sidesh0w.
Butler was like q ship which carries an
enormous spread of canvas and Is amaz-
iugly swift. but contains no ballast. He
possessed absolute genius. lie was quick.
clear headed, brave, masteTful. seif-Teliant
But he had no more principle than grizzly
He was ready TO espouse any policy which
promised 10 lead TO fortune. Thus he was
all things in turn, according to his opinion
of the prevailing wind Of the hour. He
glided without jar from prO-slaYeTy Democ-
racy TO Republican abolitiOnism. At New
Orleans he remorsely stripped the foreign
sympathizeTs with the rebellion Of the coin
they were secreting for the Confederacy.
He led the impeachment Of Andrew John
son; but when he had become a Demo
cratic Green hacker he hercely arraigned
the party of reconstruction for its harsh
ness to tile South. Such man WAS the
more dangerous by reason of his extra
ordinary ability.
Comparisons have been drawn between
him and Aaron Burr. There was really
nothing 10 common between the two except
that both were disappointed men. and both
stood ready to get even with The world at
any sacrifice. In one particular the men
were contrasts. With Aaron Burr the con-
trolling influence through life was his love
for the fair sex. Butler knew Of the ex-
isience of 20 wCman but his wife, to whom
he was truly devoted. Before his marriage
Batter had been a sutton for the hand Of
another BELLE who preferred a lawyer with
straight eyes to the gentleman with the
strabismus, and Butler never forgave him.
The successful sutton had no children, while
Buffers family was large. When the two
lawyers met on opposite sides In case But
Ter rarely refrained from referring to the
joys Of paternity and from expressing his
deepest sympathy with those who had been
denied the bliss of seeing children Chamber
up their knee.