[Walt 255] There is no proof that Butler and Lincoln even met, and no way to corroborate Butler's story which, amazingly, he didn't bother to publish until 1892.
[nolu chan 269] As you note in 255, Butler's Book was published in 1892. Could you please provide your documentation regarding Butler running for office in 1892?
You have claimed that Lerone Bennett, Jr., is NOT a reputable historian BECAUSE (your claim) "Butler had every reason to lie. He was seeking office."
You have provided no support for your claim that it would have somehow helped Butler to lie about Lincoln and colonization.
You claim that Butler was seeking office. You document the fact that Butler's Book was published in 1892. It appears that, in reality, Butler had not sought any political office in about 8 years. If you have anything whatever to support your claim that Butler was seeking any political office in 1892, please present it.
It appears that you have attempted to denigrate the reputation of Lerone Bennett, Jr., by using make-believe "facts." If there is any support whatever for your claim, please provide the evidence.
Robert C. Kennedy, HarpWeek
Sources consulted: Dictionary of American Biography;
Harper’s Weekly Encyclopedia of United States History; and>br> Mark Boatner, The Civil War Dictionary
Benjamin Franklin Butler
(5 November 1818 - 11 January 1893)
Source: Harper's Weekly
Active in the Democratic party, he served one term as state representative in 1853, one term as state senator in 1858, and ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1859. The following year, he supported John Breckinridge, the Southern Democrat, for president and again ran unsuccessfully for governor, this time on the ticket of the Breckinridge faction.
* * *
After the war, Butler returned to Congress as a Republican, serving from 1867 to 1875 and from 1877 to 1879. He enthusiastically backed the Radical Reconstruction policies of the Congressional Republicans. A vociferous, unrelenting critic of President Johnson, he authored the tenth article of impeachment aimed at the President’s verbal attacks on Congress. At the suggestion of the ailing Thaddeus Stevens, Butler became the lead House prosecutor at Johnson’s removal trial in the Senate. The Massachusetts Congressman’s poor performance, however, has often been cited as a factor in Johnson’s acquittal.
Butler was an almost perennial candidate for governor of Massachusetts, running unsuccessfully in 1871, 1873, 1874, 1878, and 1879, before being elected in 1882. In his final bid for office, he was the Presidential nominee of the Greenback-Labor and Anti-Monopoly parties in 1884, polling less than 2% of the popular vote. Butler died in Washington, D.C.
I didn't say that Butler was running for office, I said he was -seeking- office. Butler never, after 1865, gave up trying to regain the power he had during the war. He didn't -plan- on dying in 1893. This story of his alleged meeting with President Lincoln in April, 1865 is of a piece with that.
Discussion over on the ACW moderated newsgroup indicates that Dr. Mark Neely says that the story of Lincoln's meeting with Butler and looking favorably on deporting all blacks is a complete fabrication. You should treat it as such.
Walt