Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-23
HOAR TELLS OF LIFE.
Venerable Senator Recounts
Seventy Years.
CAUSTIC CRITICISMS
OF GEN. B. F. BUTLER CONSTITUTE
PART OF THE WORK.
Declares His Military Carer Was Dis
gracefu1-High Tribute to
Senator Vest.
CAUSTIC CRITICISMS

Senator George F. Hoar's "AutobioSra-
ply Of Seventy Years. has just been issued
by Charles Scribner's Sons. The two good
sized volumes into which the venerable sem
ator from Massachusetts has compressed
the recollections of his long and dlst1n-
guished career are valuable and interest,"
ing contribution to the political history OF
the country, and the memories of his wlde
and often close acquaintance with the fore
most men of letters of his time have also
furnished many delightful chapters
OF his boyhood in Concord Mr.. Hoar
writes entertainingly of the famous men
that town sheltered, recalling many anec-
dotes of them. One of Edward Everett is
new. At the Concord celebration in 1870
the great orator turned in the midst of his
speech and addressed Amos Baker and JON
athan Harrington, two veterans OF the rev.
olution. At once they both stood up, and
Mr.. Everett said, with fine dramatic effect:
sit. venerable friends. 1t is for us to
stand in your presence
After the proceedings were over old Amos
Baker was heard to say to somebody:
what do you suppose Squire Everett
meant? He came to US before his speech
and told us to stand UP when he spoke to
us, and when we stood up he told US to SIT
down.
In Reconstruction Times.
In brief sketches Mr.. Hoar has estimated
the more prominent men with whom he
served in Congress, paying a friends trlb-
ute to them The chapter on reconstruction
is especially interesting. He says:
'It was the desire of many republican
leaders, especially Mr. Sumner and Gen.
Grant that there should be provision at
the national charge for the education of all
the citizens in the southern states, black
and white, so far as the states were unable
or unwilling to afford it, such as had been
provided for In the states of the north for
all their citizens 1t was never contem-
plated by them to give the right to vote to
a large number of illiterate citizens without
ample provision for their education at the
public charge.
Gen. Grant accompanied his official an
nouncement to Congress of the adoption of
the fifteenth amendment with an earnest
recommendation of such provision. Earn
est efforts were made to accomplish this
result by liberal grants from the national
treasury. Many liberal and patriotic south
ern democrats supported it. But it was de-
feated by the timidity or mistaken notions
of economy of northern statesmen. In my
opinion this defeat accounts for the failure
of the policy of reconstruction so far as it
has failed. 1 do not believe that self-gov-
eminent with universal suffrage could be
maintained long in any northern state or in
any country in the world without ample
provision for public education"
remuneration OF Butler.
The autobiography touches with a sngu-
larry gentle pen most of the men it men,
tons There is but one exception, and that
is when Mr.. Hoar reaches Benjamin +.
Butler. chapter of thirty-four pages is
devoted to Gen. Butler. Senator Hoar says:
NO person can adequately comprehend
the political history of Massachusetts for
the thirty-fve years beginning with 1850
knowledge character
career and behavior of Benjamin F. Butler.
If there be such thing in the universe as
a moral law; If the distinction between
right and wrong be other than fancy or a
dream, the difference between Gen. Butler
and the men who contended with him be-
longs not to this life alone. 1t relates to
matters more permanent than human life.
1t enters into the fate of republics and will
endure after the fashion of this world pass
eth away.
Il cannot tell the story of my life at a
most important period without putting on
record my estimate of him and the nature
of his influence over the youth of the COM
mOnwealth. Besides, 1t IL to be remember
ed that he took special pains to write and
to leave behind him a book in which he
gave his own account of the great contro-
VERSES in which he engaged, and bitterly
attacked some Of the men who thWarted his
ambitions. This book he sent to public
libraries, including that of the British Mu-
scum, where he had good reason to expect
it would be permanently preserved.
Il shall say nothing Of him which l did
not say In public speeches or published let
tiers while he was living and in the fullness
of his strength, activity and power. History
deals with Benedict Arnold, with Aaron
Burr, with the evil counselors of Charles
and Charles II. with Robespierre, with
Barere and with Cataline, upon their
merits. and draws from their lives exam
Piles or warnings without considering the
fact that they are dead. This especially Is
a duty to be performed fearlessly, though
with due caution, when 1t is proposed in
some quarters to erect monuments or stat
ues to such men for the admiration of the
youth of future generations.
Military Career Disgraceful.
His military career was disgraceful tc
himself and unfortunate to the country
From the beginning of Buffers recruiting
for the war wherever he was in command
rebels through the lines and the putting
of unfit persons in responsible positions -
Mr.. Hoar reviews General Buffers mill
tary career in considerable detail and with
great frankness. concluding as follows:
so the contribution of General Buffers
military genius to the success of the
United States in the war consisted of a
scheme to blow up a powder boat in the
capture of Fort Fisher, some what after
the Chinese fashion of warfare which Gen.
excite the curiosity of the occupants OF
the fort which it had been intended to de-
molish and of his scheme of engineering
at Dutch Gap and Bermuda Hundred.
General Grant got tired of him at last
and ordered him to report at Lowell Sc
ended the military career of incompetence
boasting and failure "
General Buffers career after the war is
then taken up, and one passage contains
this sentence:
Il repeat what I said of General Butler
in his lifetime, when he was at the height
of his power, with a full knowledge of his
vindictive character, that the success OF
his attempt to use and consolidate the DO.
litical forces of Massa chusetts would have
been the corruption of her. youth, the de.
struction of everything valuable in hel
character and the establishment at the
mouth of the Charles river of another New
York with its frauds. Tweed rings ant
scandals.
Tribute to Senator Vest.
Senator Hoar's tributes to his collea que.
during long service in the Senate en-
brace many senators of opposing politica
belief, most of them southerners. They in
clude Senator Vest, Senator Daniel of Vir
ginia, the late Senator Walthall of Missis
sippi and many others. OF Senator Vest ht
says:
No list of the rema rkab senators of m,
time would be complete which did not CON
toll, tha ~ Tor o.