Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler

[108] depreciated he will find loco foco purchasers enough. Remember these words of the demagogue. He may possibly plead that he was drunk when he made the declaration, but these are the miscreant's words. Mark him.

Again, this was published on the morning of the day of the second election:--

[Lowell Courier, November 20, 1851.]

voters of Lowell, remember

That the infamous arch demagogue, B. F. Butler, has publicly boasted that his object is to break down the corporations, to reduce the value of their stock to twenty-five or thirty cents on the dollar in order that by the depreciation the Democrats might buy it up, employ Democratic agents, and have good Democratic times. Let all who have at heart the welfare of the city and its working-men remember this at the polls.

Other publications I brought to the attention of the same grand jury that indicted the aldermen, and they found indictments against both the publisher and the editor. The publisher was tried before the same Whig judge and convicted, but when the editor came to be tried upon an article reading as follows:--

Ben Butler.

This notorious demagogue and political scoundrel, having swilled three or four extra glasses of liquor, spread himself at whole length in the City Hall last night. . . . The only wonder is that a character so foolish, so grovelling and obscene, can for a moment be admitted into decent society anywhere out of the pale of prostitutes and debauches.

the judge charged the jury that the government was bound to prove beyond a doubt that the article was intended for Benjamin F. Butler. He said: “You must try it upon the evidence before you. It is not sufficient to read the article. If the name that is given to it corresponds, that is sufficient. The article is headed ‘ Ben Butler,’ and this is the only proof I have heard that it applied to Benjamin F. Butler. If this is sufficient by its application to the complainant, the defendant must be found guilty. I am at a loss to see that there is any evidence upon this point to make it sufficient. There is nothing ”