The Newtown bee., 1893-02-24
Sumner to the United States Senate; it departed to the ranks of the new repub- lican party, and Benjamin Butler had not gone with it. He first

llcan party, ana BenJamln Butler had not gone with it. He first
 CAME INTO NATIONAL PROMINENCE
 when he went as delegate to the national democratic convention, which met at Charleston, April 23, 1860, and continued in stormy session through more than week, precipitating the fatal split in the party which gave the election to the re- publicans, made Abraham Lincoln pres ldent, and consequently insured the secession of the Southern states and the war for the Union. In that convention Butler led the anti-Douglas part of the Massachusetts delegation, and while tffas in accord with the representatives ofthe South, he at the same time sharply opposed the extreme demands of that | section in respect to the platform. As member of the platform committee he presented second minority report, sim ply reatfirming the Cincinnati platform, with one resolution in addition in behalf Of full protection for naturalized citizens of foreign birth; this was defeated, 105 to 19S. The real contest between the DOUGLAS WING AND THE SHAREHOLDERS. who demanded that the democratic party should affirm that the people of territo- 1 ry had no authority whatever over the | question of slavery. This affirmation, while it presented no difference of fact ! from the Douglas doctrine of popular sovereignty, was offensive as bald re- | cognition of the supreme right of the slave power, and yet the fight was not without meaning. The platform as adopted was the minority report of the committee, the Southern delegates then seeded and organized a rival convention, and the balloting for candidate for pres ident was begun without them and con- tinued through 57 ballots, in which Douglas could not gain the required number of votes, and the convention ad- journed to meet in Baltimore in June, while the seceders adjourned to meet at Richmond on the same day. In these 57 bollots, one vote was constantly cast for Jefferson Davis, and it was Benjamin F. Butler who cast it.
 When the convention reassembled in Baltimore, the seceders, who had mean time met in Richmond, presented them selves as delegates but were not admit ted A further secession took place, and among those who took part ir it were 16 members of the Massachusetts delega- tion of 26, among them the president of I hf.f. tI,1 ~1I T Cushing. Butler was the spokesman of the 16, and said, i've put our with drawal before you on the simple ground, among others, that a majority of the states have withdrawn in whole or in part; and further, as a reason perhaps more personal to myself, because
 I WILL NOT SIT IN A CONVENTION
 where the African slave trade, which is piracy by the laws of my country, is approvingly advocated.'' The Massa- chusetts seceders joined the other, and took part in the nomination of Breckin- ridge and Lane, whom Butler afterward supported. He was also the nominee of l 1 of Massachusetts and received 6000 votes 1 when Andrew had 104 ,0OO Buffers course at Charleston and Baltimore was undoubtedly dictated by his apprehen- sion that the Union was in danger and that the division of the democractic par ty on North and South lines would pre- cipitate it's fate. Or as old Ben F. Hal lett said in a speech to the convention :;
 "Religious associations have fallen to pieces, tract societies have been severed.
 wars and dissesions have disseminated
 themselves through domestic, literary,
 political and religious circles. Parties
 have fallen to pieces and gone to destruct
 ion and ruin, and now the link between
 the Northern and Southern democracy is
 the only one thai binds this Union to-
 gether. If you now strike the blow that
 is to sever that link, then
 ONLY GOD KNOWS WHAT IS TO FOLLOW. .'' Brig Gen Butler of the Massachusetts
 militia was lawyer with practice esti- mated at $25, ,000 year in April, 1861 when President Lincoln called for 75, ,OOO , troops, and he was trying case in court when the 9th regiment of his brigade was
 ordered to muster on Boston Common. By courtsey of opposing counsel and the
 court he was allowed to stop right where he was, and start after his soldiers. The z 9th regiment went through Baltimore and , had the honor of giving the first loyal , blood for the Union in it's streets; the sth | landed at Annapolis and with them Gen
 Butler, who was included. After he had q organized the reception of troops at the
 quiet old capital of Maryland, and
 HAD WARNED THE LEGISLATURE not to hold it's session under pain of ar rest, suddenly on May he appeared with 1, detachment of troops at the Relay house
 on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and
 shortly after captured the Winans steam ! gun, and few days later, on the 18th.
 he entered Baltimore with detachment ! of troops, and occupied Federal hill
 Among. his forces were portion of the
 Boston light artillery, a large part of the
 Massachusetts 9th, under Col E. F. Jones and 800 men of the New York S-h. Or ! the line of march from the train to the
 hill the streets were thronged with peo
 pie who greeted the soldiers with cheers
 women at the windows and doors way ]. ing their handkerchiefs. The next day GEN BUTLER ISSUED A PROCLAMATION