Year: 1876

No greater compliment could be paid to
Gen. Butler by the doughfaces Of Massa-
chusetts than is conferred upon him by the
Independent candidacy for Congress in the
Essex district. The Republicans of that
district, apprecisting the illustrious service
rendered the country by Gen. Butler, both
in a civil and military capacity, placed him
in nomination for Congress to the end that
the nation might experience in him valiant
defender, and tricksters like Hill and
Tucker might be rebuked for their disloy-
atty. A regard for decency and proper
appreciation for good record should have
impelled hearty support of Gen. Butler,
and in almost any other State save cavilous
Massachusetts, might he have hoped for and
realized such support; but encouraged by
the boiling utterances of George William
Curtis and other sO-called machine men the
independent candidacy of Judge Hoar has
been announced. Although there can be no
hope of the election of the bolter, the result
will probably be the election OF TarboX.
Day by day reveals the fact that those
statesmen who have rendered themselves
odious 10 the doughfaces and Southern
rebels merely because they stood by the
Union in its bloody trials and aided to per-
petuate its unity, have, strangely to say,
lost caste with no inconsiderable element
in Northern politics Gen. Phil. Sheridan,
who by single edict drove louisiana ban
dts into their holes, and thus prevented
the massacre by wholesale of loyal citizens,
would not by any means be available as
candidate among the blue bloods of the Bay
State. He would be by all odds too radical
for them. IfJohn Brown was alive to-day.
he would be stoned if, in imitation of Ser
geaut Bates, he were to undertake to carry
the Stars and Stripes through the Essex
district. For the same reason such gentle
men as Senators Logan and Morton or Sec
retary Cameron could not pass muster be-
fore Massachusetts, conclaye. This is the
more refreshing when we reflect upon the
fact that the Bay State first gave impetus to
the grand idea which eliminated in war
and rendered the acts of these gentlemen
necessary. When Bob Toombs was told of
Judge Hoar's candidacy the other day, he
said: 81 told you so. See how the ID
yankees are coming to their senses?
"Why, it will not be decade before they
"will hail me with delight as l ascend
Bunker Hill to call the roll of my
Slaves" Opposition to gentlemen like
Mr.. Butler is giving aid and comfort to
rebels. Besides, it is making history which
in days TO come will have its influence. A
century hence the atrocities of the late civil
war will still be fresh in the minds of Amer
leans, and generations yet unborn will
wonder why patriots were dishonored sim
ply because they made themselves obnox-
ious TO pestiferous rebels while serving
their country, by protecting its soldiers from
outrage and insult The same element
which objects to Mr.. Butler because of his
staunch Republicanism would hail with de-
light the advent to power of a demlgogue
like Tilden or an ex rebel like Hendricks.
General Butler may be defeated by this
doughface combination, but he will have
the sympathy of all true Republicans of
the Union, who appreciate him for what he
has done in the past and for the splendid
service it was reasonable to expect of him
in the future.