The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-17

ready contradicted, in the most positive terms,
upon authentic and official information, that any
such alleged fact is in possession of the government
or that General Taylor has made the slightest com
plant against this gallant and distinguished officer
Il is a shame upon the press that such articles
should go forth, without the slightest shadow OF
foundation. ......
From the ~ o. Courier
GENERAL BUTLER
The writers Of letters from Washington to wing
journals have become proverbial for their false
hoods, to such degree, that these statements are
very little regarded by any party. Not only are
they regardless Of truth, but they make most wan
ton attacks upon the feelings and reputation of indi-
viduas, for which they are, in reality no more to
blame than the editors who employ them. The man
who pays another 10 commit a crime, is an equal
sharer in his guilt
The United States Gazette Of Philadelphia has a
letter from Washington, which gives az a rumor that
Eat the siege Of Monterey, General B. did not CON
duct his with the galantry which was expect
ed of him" And again-'it is stated that so eyi.
dent the deficiency in his gallantry, to draw
from General Taylor serious and severe remon-
STRANGE"
This is the fasehood sent forth in one wing paper
of Philadelphia, respecting Gen. Butler. Another
is given in letter, from Washington correspond
ent of the Philad lphia Sun, as follows
'fOr some Jays tnefc mas Doen report IN clrcu-
ation that Gen. Butler did not, in the recent attack
on Monterey, conduct himself as TO establish for
himself military reputation. Ii is now understood
than the facts are in possession Of the goyenme nt
and that they exhibit want Of nerve, to use IN 6
| most delicate phrase, which entirely units him for
the station to which the Understanding friendship
OF Mr.. Polk has elevated him. The current rumor
goes so far to state that General Taylor was SO
much excited by the behavior of General Butler that
| he took him severely 10 task. Whether the Union
or any other journal in the confidence of the admins
trauon, will give circulation TO this incident of the
campaign, remains 10 be seen"
We have rarely, even in whig journal, read a
paragraph SO base, so shameless, as this last one;
for the nimation that the general is friend Of Mr.
Polk, and consequently democrat, sufficiently ndi-
Gates the motive in which the calumny originated
| and with every sensible man, who is &C uuainted
with the character of the whg press in general its
intended effect upon General Butler is neutralized
But remark the bold yet insidious nature Of the
writer's assertions. at IL now understood that the
facts are in possession Of the government and that
they exhibita want Of nerve,n de, &c. We are
without words TO express our disgust at the in
fanny Of this atrocous libel upon of the most gal
liant men that ever drew a sword in his country
cause. We have conyersed with Colonel Bale
| Peyton and Mr.. Kendall, both of them wings
who in the fights at Monterey, and they say,
without hesitation, that If the conduct of General
| Butler were deemed blamable in the smallest de-
gree, il was for being precipitate and rash, and
leading his men TO assault Notifications Of the enc
my, which it impossible for them TO carry in
| that way. To prove how unfounded is the asser-
ton that there was Misunderstanding between him
and General Taylor, or that Taylor found fault with
his conduct, 1t Is only necessary 10 refer TO Tayors
dispatches to the War Department, where he speaks
OF General Buffers in action together with
| those of Generals Worth and Twiggs, in terms OF
high praise and appreciation. These are the three
| officers who commanded divisions; and Taylor is
not the who would praise a major general for
good conduct, when he had exhibited a want of
nerve in battle.
But the whole story is a falsehood fabricated in
order TO injure General Butler, because he is dem
ocrat. The base and dastardy inventor and the no
less base and dastardly publisher, must have read
the letter of General Taylor to headquarters at
Washington, in which he commends the behaviour
| Of General Butler, and must have known that what
| one was writing and the other publishing to the
world, in disparagcmert Of him, was lie. But
Butler is q staunch, warm hearted, eloquent, and
talented democrat; and this excuse sufficient for
| stabbing him in the back
General William o. Butler was an officer in the
| northwestern army at the commencement of the
last war with England and distinguished himself
by his chivalrc gaantry in several rencontres with
| the enemy and their allies, the savages. In the
year 1914 he held the rank of captain in the 44th
regiment Of infantry, whose princi pal station was in
New Orleans, and he served with that corps during
| the invasion of Louisiana by the British army. In
| every encounter he displayed that cool, unhnch-
ing bravery, peculiar TO men of strong nerve and
high-toned minds. In particular manner he at
tracted the notice Of General Jackson, keen Judge
| Of men, and who looked deep into their
thoughts and character. By that great chief Captain
Butler was taken from the line, and appointed one
of his aids-decamp. Is it probable, is it possible
that old soldier like Jackson, who had repeatedly
witnessed Buffers conduct in action, would have
given him such an appointment--an appointment
which requires him who bears it to be constantly in
the presence of his commander, to carry orders to
any part of the field to rally corps which may have
been broken, and to lead charges upon tho enemyi
| Every one knows, who knows anything about mill
ary affairs, that the place of aiddecamp to the COM
mancer-in-chief is never bestowed but upon the
most active, the most intelligent, and the most
gallant officers in the army. We ask once more, is
it possible that General Jackson, after observing
Buffers behavior in several engagements, would
have appointed him his ad-de-camp, if he was def
Gent in nerve, those infamous scribbers asscr,
that he was in the stormng of Montereyi
| Not only did General Jackson appoint him one
Of his aids, but several times mentioned his name in
terms Of high praise in general ORDERS and in letters
to the War Department. Take these facts, which
| occurred thirty years ago, and which are tesmo-
mails to Buffers vaor and good conduct, which none
but bastard and a scoundre would dispute; take
these facts in connection with the style in which his
name is mentioned in the dispatches of Gen. TAYLOR
and we have evidence sufficient to explode this foul
calumny, and to cover its inventors and propagators
with infamy.
Before'we leave this subject, we cannot refrain
from referring to the candid and gentlemanlike man.
ner in which the revilers of General Butler are
treated by Colonel Hodge, the new editor of the
Bulletin. Colonel II. had only read the silly false
hood that General Butler needlessly led the BaIti-
more battalion into the enemy's fire. by which that
and some other corps suffered great loss of men
when in truth the Baltimore battalion was not at
tached to General Buffers division, as we are as
sured by persons who were on the spot. Colonel
Hodge justly observes in the Bulletin, in alusion to
this false rumor: "We do not so much blame the
writer's of those letters we do the receivers of
them as they were probably only meant for private
information, and not for publication. The Ameri-
can people, however, will not be particularly dis
posed to find fault with any for little extra dis
play Of galantry in action though we think it rath-
er hard for General Butler that he should in any
way be censured on the present occasion, when we
recollect that no fault intimaon of the kind has
been furnished by the commander-n-chief, but who,
on the contrary, speaks in high terms of him in his