The Goodhue volunteer., 1863-01-28
Eloquent Address OF Gen. Butler to the
f.$s Citizens Of New Orleans. -st 3

TCtzens Of Meso Orleans: #. ". i - >z. ~. ::>9
lit may not be appropriate, n it Is not
limportune in occasion, that there should BE-
addressed to you few words At parting, by
one whose name is to be hereafter indisso!u
bly, connected with your city. ~.:#< .ss!j s
shall speak in no bitterness, because I
am not conscious Of q single personal ami
mostly. Commanding the Army Of the
Gulf found you captured. but not surren-
|dered; conquered, but orderly; relieved
from the presence Of an army, but incapable
oftakiDg care Of yourselves. So far from
Eitgou have called uponta foreign legion to
Protect you from yourselves. restored or
der, punished crime, opened commerce,
brought provisions to your starving people.
reformed your currency. and gave you quiet
protection, such@as you have not enjoyed for
many years.
While doing this my soldiers were sub
ject to obliquy, reproach and insult.
And low, speaking to you, who know the
truth, There declare that whoever has quiet
! ly remained about his business, affording
neither hid nor comfort to the enemies Of
the United States, has never been interfered
with blythe soldiers Of the United States
The men who had assumed to govern you
and to defend your city in arms have fled :;
some Oh your women fouted at the presence
of those who came to protect them. By a
simplesorder (No. 29,) called upon every
soldier Of this army to treat the women of
New Orleans as gentlemen should with
such elect now call upon the just minded
ladies Of New Orleans to say whether they
have ever enjoyed so complete protection and
calm qniet for themselves and their families
as snce the advent of the United States
troops.
Tlc enemies Of my country, unrepentant
and imp|acable, have treated with merited
severity. hold that rebellion, treason, and
.hattreason persisted in is death, and any
punishment short OF that due traitor gives
so much clear gain to him from the clemen-
cy Of the government. Upon this thesis l
administered the authority of the United
/ States; because Of which am not unconsci-
Gus Of complaint, do not feel that have
erred into too much harshness, for that
harshness has ever been exeibited to dis]oyal
enemies OF my country and not to loyal
friends. TO be sure l might have RECALLED
you with the amncties of British civilization
and yet within supposed rules OF civilized
death in cayerns, as were the Covenanters
Of Scotland by the command Of a general Of
the Royal House Of England or roasted like
the inhabitants Of Algiers during the French
campaign; your wives might have been Civ
en- over to the ravishers as were the unfor-
tunate danes Of Spain in the Peninsula
war or you might have been scalpcd and
tomahawked as our mothers were at Wyo-
ming by the saya,es allies of Great Britain
in our own revolution; your property could
have been turned over to indscriminan,
loot like the palace Of the Emperor Of Chi
ma; works of art which adorned your build
ngs might have been sent away like the
paintings Of the Vatican; your sors might
have been blown from tho mouths Of cannon
like the Sepoys of DELHI, and YET. all this
!, would have been within the rules Of civilized
warfare as practiced by the most polished
; and the most hypocritical nations Of Europe
:, For such acts the records of the dojngs o
+ some of the Inhabitants of your city 70
wards the friends Of the Union, before my
!, coming, were a sufficient provocative anf
justification. ..-.....-
RI But have not so conducted. On thu
contrary the worst punishment inflicted, cx
|cept for criminal acts punishable by ever.
law, has been Punishment with labor to
barren island, where l encamped my Owl
| soldiers before marching here. 81 s.z..T
? lis true / levied upon the wealthy reb
r els and paid out nearly half million
q dollars to feed 40, 600 Of the Starving poo
T of ali nations assembled here, made 50 b5
: this war. sssg zsfsi zsa : .asz@~ ~
/ saw that this rebellion was , var Q! tn
r aristocrats sgains. the middling men !; OF th
+ rich against the poor = war OF the 'an'
owner against the laborer that it was
j struggle for the retention Of power IN th'
hands of the few against the many and
Ell found no conclusion to It saSe in the sutju
+ Igatiou Of the few and the disentarsllmen
i of many tneretes felt no hesitation i
taking the substance Of the wealthy wh
a caused the war to feed the innocent poo
r y no had suffered bJ the war. And shal
T. COW lezse you with the proud CONSCIOUSNESS
that carr with me the blessings ct q q
q humble and loyai uader the roof Of the col
|. I,ase and in The cabin of the slave and 50 q
3 - <,f frzA s.{o