, 1862-08-20
mere burden, they might become q heutfeent
element Of governmental power. j. ". P.

ington, D. c.: I
s1R--yinding It impossible to serve in this |
department without doing VIOLENCE to my con
victlons Of right aad public necessity, re-
spectfnlly tender you the resignation Of my
commission as an officer Of the army Of the |
United States, and requestas early an aeknow1- !
edgmtnt Of its acceptance as conveniently
possible. have the honor to be, sir, very
respectfully, yonr obedient servant,
J. ". PPELPs, Brigadier General
HEADQUARTERS, DErAA1 MEEr OF THE GULF,
New OHLEANs, ang1st s, 1e61.
GENEA1-YOur communication Of to-day
has been received. I had forHarded your
resignation On the day it was received to the
viii be no occasion for forwarding dapli- |
cate. General, not at liberty to accept your
resignation, l cannot consistently with my J
duty and the orders Of the VAT department., !
grant y0n leave Of absence till it is accepted |
BY the president, for Eant Of officers to supply
your place. i see nothing unusual, nor DO I !
intend anyfhing SO, il the refusal to accept !
the resignation OF an officer where his place |
cannot at the present moment be supplied. I |
pray you to understand that thera was nothing |
intended to be offensive to you either in the |
matter or manner Of my Communication in
directing ycu to cease military organization |
Of the negroes. do but carry ont The law of !
CongTess. as understand it, and in doing
which have no choice. can see neither !
African, nor any other slavery in the COM
mander Of the post clearing FROM the front Of |
this line, by means Of able bodied men under |
his control, the trees and unaerbrush which !
would afford cover and shelter to his enemies |
in case OF an attack, especially when the very |
By yourself; and while, in Difference to your
age and experience as asoldier, and the appr1-
citation have Of your many good qualities Of
heart, have Withdrawn and do withdraw any
thing son m9s find offensive in my comu,uni-
cation, still, must request a categorical an-
sTer to this question:: will you or will you
not employ d proportion of the negroes in
emitting down the trees which afford cover to
the enemy in front and right Of your line
pray you to observe that, If there Is anything
Jon have sufficiently protested against it.
YUn are not responsible for it more than the
hand that executes it. It can offand neither
your political nor moral sense. With 6enti-
BENZ, f.. BUTLER.
Th Brig. Gen. PHELPS.
GENERAL BUTLER ASSESSING TIE NEW
ORLEANS sE:ESSI0NI5T5.
In order to provide for the wants Of the suf-
fering poor of New Orleans, General Butler
has assessed the secession;sts OF that city who
subscribed to the defense fund, and the cotton
brokers who couEselled the planters not to
bring their produce to market. The folloRing
is tho Generals order:
tUEADouARTERs DEPARTMENT or TIE GuIF,t
NEw ORLEANS, Apg. 4 1869.
"GESERA. ORDER No. 55.-It appears that
| the reeed Of relief to tie destitute poor OF
greater outlay than hare yet been mad=-
"1t becomes question in Justice upon
! whom should this burden fall.
| fsCIearIy upon those Hho have brought this
[ great calamity upon their feIloW citizens.
| It should not be borne by taxation Of the
1141a
working men have neVer been heard as the
ballot-box, unawel by threats and menaced
| by Thugs and paid assassins Of conspirators
against peace and good order. Beside, mora
than the vote which was Claimed lor secession
have taken the oath Of allegiance to the Uni
| ted States,
"The United States government does it's
share when il protects, defends and preserves
! the people in the enjoyment Of law, order and
calm quiet.
this Etsgnation Of business, this deEolation Of
I the hearfhstone, this starvation Of the poor
aud helpless, shonld, as far as they may be
able, relieve distresses.
"Ihere were two classes whom it would
seem peculiarly fit should at first contribute
to this end. First, those Individuals and cor
poration6 who have aided the rebellion with
their means; and, second, these who have
endeayosea to destroy the commercial pros:
pc1ity Of the city, upon which the welfare Of
| 4tb lCGC4u6-
sit is brought to the knowledge Of the
Commanding general that q subscription Of
| S1,25G, Geo was made by the corporate bodies,
business firms and persons whose names are
set forth in schedule a. annexed to thi:
order, and that sum placed iu the hands Of an
illegal body known as the Committee Of Pub
, lie Safety for the reasonable purpose Of de
finding the city sgainst the government o
/ the United States, under whose humane rule
/ the city ol New Orleans had enjoyed such IN
Io1 - L
, were filled with the trade of all nations wht
came to share her freedom, TO take part il
g. the benefits Of her commercial superiority
| and thus SIZE Tas made the representative
, 1.-THE stupidity and wastefulness with
= when this immense sum Vas spent, Tas OIL
= eoualsed by the folly which led to its bein:
raised at all. The subscribers to this fund, b.
this very act, betray their treas sonable designs
4 and their ability to psy at least e much snsEe
: : Eschedule 81 is q list of cotton brokers
who, claiming to control that great 1nteres
in New Orleans, to which she is so much it
y papers in October, 1861, a manifesto de1ibe!
II atcly advising the planters not to bring thei
i produce to the city, measure which hrougl
"a ruin at the came time upon the producer IN
:: the ei'y: -. sntso,oa*,r +o.*;so. +ba ,n.,,,
r.
nt 1.ent their neighhors, and it is to be regfe
n fed that their ability to relieve theic feITo
of citizens is not equal 10 their facilities for il
[e juripg Them.
:, suffering poor Of New Or1eaas-yea, eve
Fl | though the needy he ff1e starving wives sc
ii children Ct those in arms ut Richmond ar
elsewhere against the United States--;t ri
ha be impossible to make mistake sa7e in ha
er ing the assessment too easy and the bnrdt
- tco light
e7 "It is therefore ordered
ct HrSt-That the sums In schedules a
X ncsed, marked "A and b. set against Il
n. names Of the several persons, business flrf
,s- and corporations therein described. be 81
hereby ere assessed upon each respectively.
ed Sscona-That said sums be paid to Lief
N barid C. G. Field, financial clerk, at his
fee in the Custom House On or before Mo
RI. day, the llth inst, OF that the property
~ the delinquent be forthwith seized and SO
p:t at public auction, to pay the amount, With
en- necessary charges and expenses, Or the Pal
,te ! imprisoned till pA{d.
''' t:INi,a-The money raised By this asse
mt ne1t to be q fuud for the purpose Of proyidi
;er employment and Iocd for the deserving pt
m people Of New Orleans.
~ "{ajor.General DuTLER
ec I. s. DAVIS, Captain and 4. 4. 4. G.
ost The amount Assessed is 1,9l6, OF VII
the cotton brokers must pay sec, 200. ]
,-.r Eitjztns' B2Gk of Lou1sIaua, which s.
hN Ec1ibed ss06, 400 to the defense fund, is
j, eessed SIC, 600. This summary measure !
:, st once relieve the pressing wants Of the 4
oe7 titpte and teach the rebels sa1ntary le55o
OF Benevo1ent War-Cla1m Associate
eo. The needs of the time hare brought
o: on. numerous forms Of charity and beneyole
aass:e ase designed to aid those who give their srryi
hl' to their country. Union defense commit t.
NJ, sanitary commissions, soldiers aid socies
aIy srsEc from common spirit OF patriotism,
OF charity in its broad sense Of love for
:na- fellow men. No one will question the ano
ave Of good done through these channels.
@ @esl- The latest form Of this charity, aud By
nss means an insignificant work, has been stal
TOE in this city Reference is made to the Bs1
are olent War Claim Association. A brief St
ment Of its objects and its plan OF opera1
% is a11 that is needed to commend 1t TO Il
1ea, who have at heart the welfare of our sold
1iea and their families. Its object is to aid
wv sick or wounded soldiers, the wiiows
son- heirs Of deceased soldiers, and all those
snef have claims against the government ari
r. out Of actual military service, in Obtain
uuY their dues from the government. 1t is 8
ape known fact that q large msjority Of the
any sens Of this Glass, who are entitled to INK
oulle @ from the government, are ignorant Of
@ .sls- mode Of obtaining it, and are compelled
|our put their claims inte the hands Of thuse