The mountain Democrat., 1863-09-26
restoring the Seeded states.


her respectable old fathers family, Pater
Familias made great Outcry, the neigh
bors drew their swords, picked up clubs,
and formed small volunteer army to re.
store Desdenona to her fathers house. -
They rush, we will suppose, TO Othello's
headquarters and violently demand the
immediate return Of the wayward sister.
She puts her head outOf tbs-second story
window and declines to go back to her
father, does not wish any interference
with her domestic institutions, and only
desires to be let alone. The volunteers.
with much noise and cracked skull or
two, get into the house, and Immediately
commence general smash Of windows,
doors, and thorough destruction of eve
rything that cannot be carried away
J These efforts failing to convince Qesdemo-
! ma of the prOpricty of her return, the vol.
unteers argue that if they cannot crafty
her father by carrying her back, they can
immensely benefit themselves by procu
ring a substitute.
! They turn their attention to what Mr..
Wemmick calls portable property, first
enlisting Desdemona's own servants in
the service. They eat and drink every
thing that can be found in the house :;
they pocket Othello's cigars and his meer
scham, Oatter not coloredD; the walls are
stripped of fine paintings; the furniture
is carted away; the spoons, plate, piano,
Desdcmona's diamonds, her crinoline even,
are all summarily "contiscated" by the
ringleader, or sold to his brother; Othelio
and DeSdemona are written down in a
! large'b rs registered enemies, and a
huge placard on the door announces that
this property is siezed by the authorities
for the'use of the government-meaning
that it is to be let to the first colonel who
happens to have his wife with him, or to
California widow who desires to board,
temporarily or permanently, any number
Of budding brigadiers who are satisfied
with her accommodations. The volun-
teers take drink of Othelo's wine all
around in honor Of the restoration.
This is but very faint picture of the
career pursued by some Of the 'patriots"
who came here to restore Louisiana to
the Union. If they ever had a single
honest purpose Cf that or any other sort,
it speedily evaporated as soon as they
saw how fair, fat and extensive was the
field of rlunder. Butler stlid in this city
tor months, while important points aiong
the river, Port Hudson among them, were
occupied and fortified by the Confede-
rates. To him, and to the enormous fly
like swarmS of sugar spectators who fol-
lowed and accompanied him, the return
of Louisiana to the Union was as nothing
to the returns of the sliced and "contiS.
Gated" plantations. and the value of this
vast territory to the United States was Of
no account in comparison with the wealth
the stolen wealth which the patriots
could and did put in their pockets. The
history of the Butler administration in
this department is familiar through hun
dreds of sources to nearly half the civil
lied world. 1t is known nowhere so sub
stantially, so mlnutely, so completely, as
it is to the Government Of the United
States, and the folios of petitions prayers,
aftidavits and testimony accumulated in
the State and War Departments against
men whe even now hold honorable" po-
Sitions in the Federal Government Of the
small portion Of the State now in Federal
poSsession-ir England, in France, indeed
in almost every civilized country Of the
earth, would have suggested the immcdi-
ate opening of a new and extensive penal
colony. In America it seems thus far to
have raised only the question whether the
chief "patriot was entitled to the first or
the sixth rank among the generals of the
volunteer army.
II is fairly sickening to recapitulate out
RACES committed here by men who were
sent to restore this State, and who acted
upon the theory that 'reStoration" meant
robbery, and patriotism was pIunder, ev-
erv conceivable abuse that could be heap
ed upon the people was "conciliation, and
the entire object Of the war was the en-
richment of individuals, so-called "ofti
GERS" their brothers, auntS. sisters, mis-
tresses, dependents and followers. To
the Sh0ddy mad patriots Of the North this
wholesale plunder Of the South was per-
fecty right. 70 Butler & Co. ii was
morr-.it was immensely profitable. There
are towns in New England that are fairly
filled with ''tr"phies" from this depart
mcnt; blood horses, fine furniture, pic
lures, jewclry, money. every thing the re-
storers could lay their hands upon. Men
who came here as poor as Lazarus went
away as rich as Dives.
A hurricane, fire, total inundation OF
the whole delta Of the Mississippi could
hardly have swept the department 50
thoroughly us il was "cleaned up" by
these men. There was, here and there,
in spots, bit Of Union sentiment. n lin.
gering love for the old Stars and Stripes,
but in the general sweep every particle
of loyalty in this locality was swept away
and men who were almost ruined for tneir
Union sentiments when the State was in
the hands of the Confederates, are tn,
most violent secesslonist| here to-day, fol
they have been completely beggared by
their "friends" from the North.
General Banks came with clean hand.
and an unsullied reputation, which he ha!
maintaired in spite of the misdoings o
some Of his followers. The task of resto
ration was infinitely increased by his pre-
decessor, who turned over to him the ac
cumulated difficulties Of the department
who had permitted Port Hudson to be for
tilted, and whose attention during hi
short but disastrous reign in Louisiana
was devoted to ascertaining, not the sen
timcnts of the people, but the amount o
their property, and to whom the territory
as fast as it fell into their hands, wa
viewed only in respect to its capablitie
ior the production Of cotton and sugar.
Banks had not only to do his work, bu
to clear away the obstacles which his pre-
decessor had thrown in his way. Their
was a reasonable hope that the new com
manding general would have nothing t.
do hut "drive en. :.AS 7ebels" antf reseor
the State. There was apparently so littl
! left for the spectators and swindIers thn