Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-03-16
THE HUBS TRIBUTE
To the Memory of the
Late Gen. Butler.
EUL0GY BY GREENHAlGE
Poet Roche's Estimate OF the Soldier,
Citizen and Statesman.

BosToN. March l6 Two thousand peo-
| pie heard an eulcgy of General Is. +.
| Butler I'm fremont Temple last night,
| pronounced by his silyertongued towns
man, ex-Congressman Frank L. Green
halge II was at the city's memorial over
| the death of the famous lawyer, soldier
and statesman. The eulogy was a good
effort, and the orator was listened TO most
attentively throughout its long delivery.
There was plenty of applause, and when
the orator finally sat down he was ap-
plauded to the echo There were a num-
Der of prominent men present.
A large painting of General Butler was
| placed over the organ. IL was draped and
a couple of ensigns were hung beside 1t. A
row of plants of various kinds in pots was
placed along the platform. At the side OF
the speakers desk was large bunch OF
various kinds of flowers The decorations
were very simple.
President Lee of the board Of aldermen
opened the meeting He introduced at
once Mayor Matthews. The mayor stated
in the briefest way that I'VE are. met to-
night TO commemorate the life and be-
moan the death of one of Massachusetts,
| foremost men, General Benjamin +.
| Butler" Then he called upon Rev.
| Robert L. Hurley to offer prayer.
The Whitney quartet sang blessed Are
They" and then Miss Eleanor l.. Sullivan
read James Jeffrey Roche's poem, written
| for the occasion. She read the poem in a
| decidedly effective manner, and was gen.
erously applauded for her efforts Follow.
ing is
The Poem.
"Paint me with every blemish." said the Lord
Protector grim.
A.. a. A. -.
ever the soul of him.
No gaudy colors to heighten, no neutral tints
10 hide
The strength OF the man self-centered, too
proud 10 be touched by pride.
Paint him with honest pigments, lay every
weakness bare;
But the mien of cant or the hue of fear ye
shall not see 1t there.
Flaw and defect and failure are clear TO the
shortest sight
But your microscope can never measure a
mountains height,
| Nor your chemists scales determine by
drachm and scruple nice
The worth and weight to land or state Of
soldiers sacrifice.
Soldier was he by birthright, and not by grace
| OF school;
He would rather win on the crudest plan than
lose by the strictest rule.
| New Hampshire's bosom Of granite, by sun
| and temptest wooed,
| No pigmy bears to the planet, nurses no puny
brood.
Such as he was she made him, tender and
brave and strong;
/ Not over-meek with the naughty. not over
| weak with the wrong.
| Holders of bonds and of bondsmen looked on
| his deeds aghast;
| He broke the bonds. and he Knocked ut the
| sacred things of caste.
But the helpless poor OWNED him. and knew
him, aye, at his best;
Who needed a friend could find him-hs
r. spared his foes the quest
| On bis country's storled pages his name is
| written large
| Citizen, soldier, statesman-faithful to every
charge!
Following are a few excerpts from
The Euiogy.
After the poem the quartet sang Into
the Silent Land" and then Mayor Mat
thews introduced the orator of the occasion,
| Hon. +. L. Greenhalge. Mr.. Greenhalge
said in part:
| am here not TO accord extravagant lauda-
n
rlerited honor; but to speak well, yet truth
fully, OF the good. the noble the heroic features
| and deeds 10 be found In the life and character
placed before us-to speak nothing but good of
the dead-and yet to speak nothing but the
| truth-to pay generous friendly and sincere
| tribute toa militant soul ever in arms and ever
| at the front in the hour of crisis and peril.
Benjamin Franklin Butler was not born
among ancestral laurels or luxury, and II a
single wreath adorned his "dreamless head"
| that winter day as he lay In his coffin, II was
| all his own. He was the son Of widow. Not
| infrequently poverty walked by his side In his
early youth and taught him her severe but
| salutary lessons. No boy in America ever
| marched to do battle with lessl impedimenta,
| with less artificial aids and advantages. But
| he carried In himself, In his own natural
| forces, supplies sufficient for every exigency
of life's journey.
When Butler appeared in the courtroom
| dullness fed before him. routine became de-
| moralized, and custom, folding its mantle with
| the dignity of Malvolio, solemnly stalked
| away; the air seemed TO become charged with
| electricity: thrill Of expectation ran through
| the assembly; ancient and familiar things
| were To be shown in the flashing light of an
original spirit; there was to be a stir,
A Sparkle Of Novelty
in long stagnant pools; there was commo-
tion like that at the awaking of the sleeping
Palace"
When colonel OF militia he had been ordered
| TO disband a company called the Jackson
| musketeers. He had declined 20 do so on the
| ground that such proceeding was illegal he
| was then threatened with removal himself,
! but he defed the authorities again. At this
| time partial reorganization of the militia
took place, possibly for the purpose Of abolish
| ing company and colonel at one blow, the
| force of which they formed n part being dis
banded. But the officers Of the new brigade
| came together and elected Butler command
| Ing officer Thus the old colonel became the
| new brigadier.
These matters were probably passing through
| the mind Of Governor Andrew as Butler stood
| before him. But the men were drawn up in
| line In front Of the state house. The tailor
| were sewing buttons on the back OF their coats
as they waited for orders They must have O
commanding officer.
The governors decision was made. Butler
was appointed. That decision enabled Massa-
chusetts, with godlike strength, 10 hurl the
Sixth regiment like thunderbolt OF loyalty
Into the Clouds OF Secession
gathering over Washington. and TO set Butler
upon the soil OF Maryland. The cause OF the
| Union was In his hands. The responsibility
great Rut ha man ~as anual tn sh.