Year: 1868


and Dutch Gap. He gave us q touch Of his
quality in the impeachment trial, where, from
his superior capacities as cross- examiner, and
from bis tact, audacity, zeal and activity, he
cut out all his competitors Of the House Com
mittee OF Managers, and made himself backed
up by "Old Thad," the master Of the prosecu-
tion by general consent.


Now, such man in the next Congress, with
his decisive character and his great experience
and skill In the management of men, and with
his peculiar ideas and crotchets on the money
question and on other questions, would be
hard customer to deal with by any other man
or set Of men attempting to lead the House on
another tack. Hence the desire among various
aspirants for the leadership, OF some leader
ship, In the next Congress to GUST Butler.
And what has carried General Fitzpatrick into
Buffers district to assist the boilers in their
Fitzpatrick goes by authority Of General Grant,
or with his consent, from mistrust Of Butler,
to bottle him up once more. But assuming
that General Grant has nothing to do with this
affair Of Fitzpatrick one way or the other, it is
still full Of mischief. It is, in short, the be-
ginning Of conflict in the republican camp
for the mastery, which probably In the next
Congress will break up the party 80 far as to
open the door Of the White House to the de-
mocracy In 1872.


The smash-up Of the democratic party in the
Charleston Convention of 1860 may be traced
to factlous movement against Douglas some
what resembling this factious movement against
Butler. Douglas, on his squatter sovereignty
policy in the Senate, made himself OBJ
noxious to the JEFF Davises, the Masons and
Slidells of the Southern slaveholding oligarchy.
They accordingly superseded him ip the Senate
as Chairman on Territories, and black-balled
him In every way they could. At the Charles
ton Convention they resolved to shelve him at
all hazards, and in carrying out this resolution
they broke up the democratic party, and in
bringing on the rebellion Brought about their
own destruction as the ruling oligarchy Of the
United States and established the republican
party firmly in power. Such were the conse-
quences to the Southern oligarchy and the
democratic party from the sectional war in the
party camp against Douglas and his dogma Of
squatter sovereignty-that is to say, that the
people Of the Territories respectively had the
right to settle the question of slavery or no
slavery for themselves. The South consented,
under the leading Of Douglas, to try this ex-
pertinent in Kansas, but after Kansas they
were done with and dead set against Douglas,
aud hence the smash-up at Charleston.


General Butler, who in that convention
voted some ffty-seven times for jeff Davis,
can tell the whole story. At present, how
ever, we say he holds in his party position
somewhat resembling that of Douglas when
the Southern olgarchy first began to black
ball him in the Senate. The conflict in But
ler's district means q similar conflict in the
next Congress-. 1t is apprehended that But
Ter, on the financial and some other questions,
will, If not headed off in season, create a good
deal of trouble and dissafection in Congress,
and that he may carry of the balance Of power
in the House, either for or against the admins
tration Of General Grant, against the policy of
the dominant wing Of the republican party.
The best of 1t Is, however, that whether But
ler Is defeated or elected In this MASSACHUSETTS,
contest, these apprehended troubles, disaffec-
tions and squabbIos in the next Congress are
sure to come. In the defeat Of Butler the
small fry will get rid of q giant but II is not
by any means certain that they will defeat
him. The chances are in bis favor, and If re-
elected his first care, perhaps, will be to pay
of the outstanding balances due on his books
to the Dana coalition. In any event, however,
Butler or no Butler, the Inauguration Of
Grants administration will be the signal for
terrible struggle for the high places in Con-
gress. Herein lies the meaning of the present
contest in Buffers district, aud we 80 for
Butler.