The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-12
SEATTLE. THURSDAY. JAN. Ie.


The death of BENJAMIN T. Butler re-
moves s. strange character from American
public life and politics. Butler was
curious mixture OF strength and weakness;
of patriotism and demagogy; of generosity
and meanness; of geuiality and vindietive-
ness; of franknezs and dupiicity; of pri-
vate integrity and political dishonesty.
Perhaps ne is best described by saying that
he was a man Of very great natural talents
who carried the worst traits and arts OF a
brilliant but utterly inscriptions crimi-
nal lawyer into politics and public life.
Before the war he was q bitter. vulgar,
brutal pro-sIavery Bourbon Democrat. At
the famous Charleston convention he de-
serted Douglas and voted for JEFF Davis
for president His reputation for good
faith and sincerity was SO bad that Gov.
Andrew never trusted him thoroughly.
although Butler was prompt to throw up
his hat for the Union after the firing on
Sumter. And Andrew gauged him cor
rcctIy Even as Butler before the war
deserted Douglas in 1850, so after the
war he deserted the Republicans in 1873
ard the Democrats in 1854; he was
repudiationist IN finance; he would have
paid the national debt with greenbacks: :
as a soldier or politician he was always
marplot and a demagoguc when he had
n chance. lie WAS never so happy as when
he was cheating somebody. breaking an
agreement ana turning up disagreeably in
unexpected places. His hand and voice
were always against the best men among
the leaders of the people. His character
is well set forth in Lowel's bitter lines on
Caleb Cushing:
Gineral c. Is DIRE fife smart man:
He's ben on all sides thet give places or peif;
But consistency still WIZ part of hts F4an.-
He's ben true to one party.--an' tibet is him
self.
Butler. like Cushing, was a brilliantly
gifted man intellectually without neral
sense; man of tireless energy and in
dustry; of restless ambition without faith,
feeling or convictions. lie passes off the
stage. like Gushing, without a motion OF
reverence from q nation that followed
Lincoln. Andrew and Grant with tears to
the tomb. Surely the obvious lesson of
such q career is worthy of con-
Bideration as signal proof how
mean great intellectual parts seem
except when associated with the essen
tial moral attributes of craftsmanship.
Butler in public not seldom behaved like
fellow who would rather have the ap-
piause rendered q clown in n circus
than an honorable and dirnifed retire
nent without the doubtful appearance
that is associated with the notoriety of a
n
orator he let his grim humor and rank
Wit run riot. so that he made bad inn
preston on serious. candid minds that he
brilliant rather than a profound
man. with constitutional tendency 10
iiippant speech and chronic inveracitv:
the style Of vigorous. rugged, popular
criminal lawyer. His erratic course in
politics included a proposition TO pension
all the Union soldiers, Union and Con-
federate, and the building of Fedora! SOL
dier's homes for Confederate veterans.
Al Ct. a. +. meetings Gen. Butler was ~
he WAS IN politics, 4 breeder of discomfort;
AZ incendiary. o disoreanizcr. AtaG. A.
l. camp fire IN Boston Butter once said:
have nothing To saw against tho banker or
tire capitalist, they INSIDE rs good contract as
they could: that they had ii rIgAE ~ do and
they took care - force that bargain. We many
al us. the private soldiers particularly. made :
very bad bargain pecuaiariiy.
Gov. Mckinley, Of Ohio. who was The
NEXT speaker. turned at once 10 Butler and
said:
an forced 10 dissent from the statement of
the distinguished gentleman who has JUS;
spoken when he said that ghs Grand Army al
n r.sTsshEtF- ~ WI K4r
might, hsd been engaged 4 had bargain Il =
no; t7ue.
The brutality that dlsfcured Gen. Rut-
ier's nature was corSpl2uoQsly shown Inv
campaign speech made when lie Was
seeking reelection IS governor Of Massa-
chusetts, IN which he Indignantly de-
nounced q man as 3 ''rardoned thief who
was over - years Of age and tor more tha,
fifty years had lei pure and hlzme.ess
life II public and private. Gen. Butter
said that the records cf the council
showed that Julius /. Clarke had opca
been pardoned when he was serving i sem
seuce inr larceny" Clarke was hgIt = vesrz
old VIXEN rsTdoned because OF preyiae,
good character. and if fifty years Of upright
lrreproschable life since h.s pardon could
had repented and nobody but monster
of brutality aud vla4.ctiveucss woaif
have thus blazoned the early disgrace OF
an aged man who had usntulgy Struggled
& live down his solitary youthful mlsdeei.
Clarke was not candidate for ol.ee, his
life had been b.a;ne.ss Tor atty yeats. aud
YET Gov. Butlec rake3 M his sarroyf.ll
record and II his campaign speeches tried
q cover 81 CD man. VINO had proved his
repentance by h.s life. vita the hnn:.i.
stiag publicity q his early shame. whs.
must have been the hear: q man who
would Llag the fault he h..I a,avelv strng.
s.sd 70 1--we down pG5lssly in the faee oi
"A oil man and his excelleat FANNY
naiser had = biz brain. enlarged bv liberal
. .sn AMI the vast experience and in
. - training Of .he le-at profession
,ors .s VA. sa!s powerful. man Aal - c....n ;
N4ea 62yeEaoy Le Joined Tie