Benjamin F. Butler: Peace Now = Perpetual War
It’s election season once again. In this letter, General Benjamin F. Butler, during the Union combined navy-army operation against Cape Hatteras, responds to those who want to know if he is interested in opposing the Republican Massachusetts Governor John Andrew in the upcoming election.
From The New-York Times September 9, 1861:
LETTER FROM MAJOR-GEN. BUTLER.
UNITED STATES STEAM-FRIGATE MINNESOTA, OFF CAPE HATTERAS, Aug. 27, 1861.
The Lowell (Mass.) Advertiser publishes the following letter from Major-Gen. BUTLER upon the condition of the country and the coming State election:
"there can be no peace" until authority of National Government recognized
MY DEAR FRIEND: I have received your note, as well as those of many others of my true friends in Massachusetts, asking my opinion about political questions, and some kindly suggesting my name as a candidate for Governor at the ensuing election. I reply to you as representing them all, because our intimacy will permit more frankness than would seem meet toward those less closely connected. As I have stated to you, and as I have publicly repeated, when I left home I left all politics, in a party sense of the term, behind me, and I now know no politics in any sense, save as represented by the question — How best to preserve the Union and restore the country in its integrity? Peace is desirable to all, and to none more so than to the soldier who has left his friends and his home to do his duty to his country. But however desirable, it is not to be purchased upon any terms, save the recognition of the authority of the National Government over every inch of territory which ever belonged to it. Upon no condition whatever, other than this, would I consent to peace. A peace involving the disintegration of the Union, or until the supremacy of the Government is forever established, would be simply a declaration of perpetual war of sections. Were the Southern Confederacy to-day acknowledged in the fullness of good faith, two months would not elapse before causes of war would arise, sufficient not only to justify, but to demand, a renewal of the conflict. No two months have passed, in the last ten years at least, in which outrages have not been committed upon Northern men in the South, which, had they been perpetrated by a foreign nation, would have demanded a redress of grievances, under pain of a suspension of diplomatic relations. But we have borne these outragec because there was no tribunal to the arbitrament of which we could submit them, and it was against the genius of our people to appeal to arms. Therefore I see with pain, upon the part of some of those with whom I have acted in political organizations, a disposition to advocate peaceful sentiments wherein there can be no peace. Therefore this war must go on, not for the purpose of subjugation; but if those who have commenced it bring upon themselves that condition as an incident, it will only be another illustration of the fruit of sowing the wind. Besides these there are no other politics.
The Minnesota
On the matter of the nomination, I cannot consent that my name shall be used by any party. While on some things, as you are aware, I do not agree with the principles upon which both the State and the National Administrations were inaugurated, yet we are a long way past that. The Republican Party, having won a political victory, both in the State and in the nation, is entitled to the patriotic endeavor of every man to give it a fair trial in the administration of the Government, and in that it should, as it does, take the lead in official positions. And now there is left nothing for us to contend against, save any corruption, inefficiency or impropriety of administration, which I doubt not would at once be rebuked as well by Republicans as by Democrats. But as far as regards the personnel of administration, in the State, I believe Gov. ANDREW has endeavored faithfully, zealously and efficiently to put our Commonwealth on the side of the nation and to sustain the Union, I, therefore, for one, would not desire to see a change in the Executive, although I doubt not people will demand changes in some of the minor offices. I do not say that I would vote for Gov. ANDREW, but were I at home I would not vote against him. Let it be understood, that without distinction of party and without raising party issues, all men who love the Union are determined to stand by it and the country until this rebellion shall be quelled, and then we may hereafter divide as we please upon the minor differences of administration of Government.
Operation at Cape Hatteras (LOC - LC-DIG-ppmsca-21467)
To you, my dear friend, I need urge no justification for this course. You will appreciate it, for you are aware of the sacrifice, both of feeling and of position, I made a year ago, in the earnest endeavor to save the country from this calamity, which I then partly foresaw, and acting in the best light, I had endeavored to prevent. And I am ready to make a like sacrifice now to repel that which I then sought to avert. I need to thank you and others of my friends for this, among many other kindnesses you have shown me. Very truly, yours,
BENJ. F. BUTLER.
F.A. HILDRETH, Esq.
I guess general Butler really was a political general – he made time to write during a major military operation. Another political aspect of his military leadership was his refusal at Fort(ress) Monroe to return escaped slaves on the grounds that they were contrabands of war.
“Peace is desirable to all, and to none more so than to the soldier who has left his friends and his home to do his duty to his country.” For a look at the more tender side of Butler I recommend a piece at Civil War Daily Gazette.
The (Fort) Monroe Doctrine (LOC - LC-USZ62-36161)
