The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-05-09
LETTER FROM FLAG OFFICER
FARRAGUT.
BITTER RESPONSE OF THE May
OR.

-, io"o"lnS correspondence Idhtu lTULu
the Richmond Enquirer of yesterday, which
city 1t reached by telegraph, was today res
celved at the War Department. The COR.
respondence is between the Mayor of New
Orleans and Flag Officer Farragut
U. 8. FLAG SHIP HARTFORD,
vi New Orleans, April 26. 1862. {
10 his Excellency, the Mayor of the City of
New Orleans:
SIR--Upon my arrival before your city,
had the honor to send to your Honor Capt.
Bailey, U. s. n, second in command of
the expedition, to demand of you the sur.
render of New Orleans to me, as the repre-
sentative of the Government of the United
States. Captain Bailey reported the result
OF an interview with yourself and the milf
tary authorities. 1t must occur to your
Honor that it is not within the province of
naval officer to assume the duties of
military commandant. came here to re.
duce New Orleans to obedience to the laws
OF, and to vindicate the offended majesty of
the Government of the United States. The
rights OF persons and property shall be se=
cured.
l therefore demand of you, as its repre-.
sentative, the unqualified surrender OF the
city, and that the emblem of the sovereign.
ty OF the United States be hoisted over the
City Hall, Mint, and the Custom House,
by meridian this day, and all the flags and
other emblems of sovereignty other than
this of the United States be removed from
the public buildings by that hour. l par~
ticularly request that you shall exercise
your authority to quell disturbance, restore
order, and call upon all the good people of
New Orleans to return at once to their
vacations, and particularly demand that
no person shall be mOested in person, prop.
erty or sentiments of loyalty to their Cow
erIment.
l shall speedily and severely punish any
person or persons who shall commit such
Outrages as were witnessed yesterday by
armed men firing upon helpless women and
children for giving expression of their pleas.
ure at witnessing the sold flag"
am. very respectfully
Flag Officer Western Gulf Squadron.
THE REPLY.
MAYORS OFFICE, CITY HALL,
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, april &c, 1862.
Flag Officer d. &. Farrsgut. U. S. Flag ship
Hartford
SIR: In pursuance of resolution which
we though proper to take out of regard for
the lives OF the women and children who
still crowd the metropolis, Gen. Lowell has
evacuated it with bis troops, and restored
back to me the administration of its gov.
eminent and the custody of its power.
l have, in council with the City Fathers,
considered the demand you made of me yes
terday--of an unconditional surrender of
the city, coupled with requisition to hoist
the flag of the United States on the public
edfces, and haul down the flag that still
floats upon the breeze from the dome of this
Hall. 1t becomes my duty to transmit to
you an answer which is the universal senti.
ment of my constituents, no less than the
prompting OF my own heart, dictated to me
on this sad and solemn occasion. The city
is without the means of defense, aud is ut,
terly destitute of the force and material that
might enable it to resist an overpowering
armament now displayed in sight OF it.
am no military man and possess no au-
thority beyond that of executing the NUM-
cipal laws of the city of New Orleans. it
would be presumptuous in me to attempt to
lead an army to the field, if l had one at
command; and l know still less how to sur.
render an undefended place, held as this is
at the mercy oil your gunneIs and your
mOrtars. To surrender such a place were
an idle and unmeaning ceremony.
The city is yours by the power of brutal
force, not by my choice or the consent of
its inha bitants. 1t is for you to determine
what the fate that awaits here. AS to
hosting any flag not OF our own adoption
end allegiance, let me say to you that the
man lives not in our midst whose hand and
heart would not be paralyzed at the mere
thought OF such an act. Nor could I find
In my entire constituency so desperate and
wretched renegade as would dare to pros
fame with his hand the sacred emblems of
our aspirations.
Sir, you have manifested sentiments which
would become one engaged in a better
cause than that to which you have devoted
your sword. doubt not that they spring
from noble though decided nature, and I
know how to appreciate the emotion which
inspired them. You have gallant people
to administrate during your occupancy of
this city-a people sensitive to all that can
in the least affect their dignity and self-res.
pect. Pray, sir, do not fail to regard their
susceptibilities. The obligations which I
shall assume in their name shall be religious.
ly complied with. You may trust their hon.
or, though you might not count on their
submission to unmerited wrong.
In conclusion, l beg you to understand
that the people Of New Orleans, while una
BILE to resist your force, do not allow them.
selves to be insulted by the interference of
such as have rendered themselves odious
and contemplate by their dastardly deser-
ton of our cause in the mighty struggle in
which we are engaged, or such as might re.
mind them too forcibly that they are the
conquered, and you the conquerors. Peace
and order may be preserved without resort
to measures which could not at this mo.
ment prevent. Your occupying the city
does not transfer allegiance from the gov,
eminent of their choice to one which they
have deliberately repudiated, and that they
yield the obedience which the conQueror is
entitled to extort from the conquered.
Respectfully,