When the truthful historian shall write the history of this sad and
unholy civil war, there will be in the volume many pages over which
a shadow of blackness will forever rest; but the blackest page will
be that which hands down to future generations the record of General
Butler’s order in regard to the women of New Orleans. Like the shadow
of a great wrong, it will forever darken the fair brow of the Goddess
of Liberty. The millions yet unborn will read it with commingled
feelings of shame and pity, and doubt our boasted claim to freedom,
civilization and Christianity. True, it is but the act of one man, but
that man commissioned and paid by his country for the enforcement of
the laws and the preservation of society. If the government retains
him in commission, it becomes responsible for his acts, and endorses
his infamy.
No man respects more than we do the well-earned reputation of the
American army:
“It is a school
Where every principle tending to honor
Is taught—_if followed_;”
but in the name of that distinguished army we solemnly protest against
an act which would blight its greenest laurels, and lay its trophies
prostrate in the dust. If they war, let it not be done on domestic
happiness; if they invade, be their country’s hearths inviolable; let
them achieve a triumph wherever their banners fly, but be it not over
morals, innocence and virtue.
Let the government remove this stigma from its name by removing
General Butler from his command.—_Ohio Dayton Empire, June 7._
* * * * *
There is a United States Court at Washington city which makes a
business of catching and surrendering persons claimed as fugitive
slaves, and refuses to hear evidence that the claimants are traitors.
If anybody wants to be taxed for the support of such a court, let him
be so taxed; we don’t. How many judicial functionaries, beginning with
Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, are taking pay from the United States,
while their hearts are with the Southern Confederacy, we cannot say;
but we think the number ought to be reduced. Who shall devise the
proper mode?—_New York Tribune._
_June 25th._ To-day a lady from Alexandria, Virginia, called to see
a prisoner, and the latter remarked to her that he had suffered very
much since his confinement from sickness and privation, and the lady
replied, “Well, you must bear it manfully, you are doing what you
believe to be your duty,” whereupon the Yankee Lieutenant present,
whose name is Holmes, told her she “must leave the room, or she would
be arrested.” The Rev. Mr. Nourse, heretofore permitted to preach
funeral sermons over prisoners who have died here, has been superseded
on the charge of uttering Secession sentiments. Having heard every
sermon he has preached, I can truthfully record that he has not at
any time said anything which could be _tortured_ into “Secession
sentiments.” They must have objected to the repetition by Mr. Nourse
of the commandments: “Thou shalt not steal,” or “thou shalt not covet
thy neighbor’s man servant, nor his maid servant,” &c.; for no doubt
their guilty consciences caused them to feel pain upon the utterance of
these imperative injunctions from Holy Writ, and some one of them were
compelled to be present on such an occasion:
_Extracts from Northern papers._