Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-05-23
Gen. Benjamin F. Butler ON the Arm.
ing Of the Negroes.

While Gen. Hunter, in the South
Carolina Department, is freeing the ne
groes and arming them, Gen. Butler,
the commander OF the Federal forces at
New Orleans, entertains very different
views Of its propriety. In a letter
which be wrote while commanding in
Maryland, about year ago, to Cover
nor Andrew, of Massachusetts, be said /:
"But | am to act hereafter, it may be,
in an enemy's country, among servile
population, when the question may arise,
as it has not arisen, as we'll in a moral
and Christian as in political and mill
tary point of view. What shall l then
do? Will your ExcelIency bear with
me moment while this question is dis
cussed?
81 appreciate fully your Excellency's
suggestion as to the inherent weakness
Of the rebels, arising from the prepon-
derance Of their servile population. The
question then is: in what manner shall
we take advantage of that weakness +?
By allowing and, OF course, armiug that
population to rise upon the dcfenceless
women and children Of the country,
carrying rapine, arson, and murder
all the horrors of st. Domingo million
times magni6ed-among those whom
we hope to reunite with US as brethren,
many of whom are already SO, and all
who are worth preserving will be when
this horrible madness shall have passed
away or lie thrashed out Of them !?
Would your Excellency advise the
troops under my command to make war
in person upon the defcnceless women
and children Of any part of the Union,
accompanied with the brutalitics too
horrible to be named? You will say,
God forbid!' If we may not do so in
person, shall we arm others so to do,
over whom we can have no restraint, ex-
ercise no control, and who, when once
they have tasted blood, may turn the
very arms VIC put in their hands against
ourselves, as a part of the expressing
white racer The reading of history. so
familiar to your Excellency, will tell You
the bitterest cause Of complaint which
our fathers had against Great Britain in
the v ar of the Revolution was the arm.
ing by the British Ministry of the red
man with the tomahawk and the scalp.
ing knife against tho women and chill.
dren of the colonies, so that the phrase,
May we not use all the means which
God and nature have put in our power
to subjugate the colonies 2 has passed
into legend Of iufamy against the lead.
er Of that Ministry who used it in Par.
lament. Shall history teach us in vain
Could we justify ourselves to ourselves,
although, with arms in our hands, amid
the savage wildness of camps and field,
We may have blunted many of the FINER
moral sensibilitles, in letting loose four
millions of worse than savaees upon the
homes aud hearths of the South? Could
we be justified to the Christian oommu.
nifty OF Massachusetts! Would such a
course be consonant with the teachings
Of our holy religiona I have a verv
decided opinion upon the subject. ana
IT any one desires, - / know your ~.
cellency does not, this unhappy conte.t
to 5e prosecuted in that manser. soms
instrument other than myself must he
found TO carry it on" -
This language il humane. patrio.;c
and sensible, and contrasts noblv Vii
the scaudalous and bloody poliov ~
Hunter.