Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-01-17

SeherRI Butler on Southern Life md
Society.
coSvERsATIoS WITH THE NEW YORK COM
nconTersatiOuwitht the committee which
waited upon him to tender him the honor
of public dinner, General Butler gave a
most interesting account of his administra-
tion in New Orleans, and of the condition
of affairs and society he found there. We
make some extracts from report of his
remarks below, and join, with a LADY cor
respondent, whose note we printed yester-
day, in the hope that the General will be
invited to address the people of the city, on
his return from the East, at the ACADEMY
ofMusfc.
General Butler said:
"lf they would allow him to be colIo,pi-
al he would speak of few things resnect-
ing his course in New Orleans, which had
oeen carped at and very severely criticised
oy those who had been accustomed to act
with him politically in times past-not for
'ne purpose of injuriag him, but the cause
oil the country. With reference to the sIa-
very question, his views had uuderpone
radical change during his residence at New
orleans, and while entertaining no preiu-
dlces against his old political associates.
who found fault with him on that score, he
would only say to them, that if they had
gone there with the same sentiments that
ne felt, tuey would have come away With
the same sentiments that he felt. CL,auqh.
teri He thought he might say that the
principal members of Els staff, aud the
prominent officers of his regiments, with
ont any exception, went out to New Or
leans bunker Democrats of the huukerest
sort, for it was but natural that he should
draw around him those whose views we're
similar to his own. and every individual of
The number had come to precisely the came
belief on the question of slavery, as he had
put forth in his farewell address to the peo-
pie of New Orleans. This change came
about from seeing what all of them saw.
day By day. -
" In this war the entire property of the
Soufh was against us. because almost the
entire property of the South was bound nm
in the institution of slavery. This was a
well known fact, probably, bnt he did not
become fully aware of it until he had
spent some time at New Orleans The
South han $i63 ,OO0,O of taxable proper-
ty in slaves, and Sl63 Oeo, 900 in all other
kinds of property. And this was the cause
why the merchants OF New Orleans had
not remained loyal. They found them
selves ruiued-all their property being
loaned upon planters notes and mortgages
upon plantations and slaves, all of which
property is now mcasurably worthless.-
Again, he had learned what he did not
know before, thas this was not rebellion
against us, but simply a rebellion to per-
petuate power in the hands of a few slave
| holders fret hh haa l.
slavery was the cause of the rebellion. but
attributed it to Davis, SIidell aud others.
who had brought it about to make political
tiumphs by which to regain their former
asceudancy.
The rebellion was against the humble
and poorer classes, and there were in the
| South large numbers of secret societies,
dealing in cabalistiO signs, organized for
the purpose of perpetuatiug the power of
the rich over the poor.
When he saw the utter disqualification
of the people, resulting from slavery, it
struck him that it was an institution which
should be thrust out of the Union. He had,
on reading Mrs. Stoves book Uncle
Toms Cabin-believed it to be an over
drawn, highly-Wrought picture of Southern
| life; but he had seen with his own ewes and
heard with his own ears many things
which go beyond her book as much as her
book does beyond an ordinary school girls
novel. He related an instance of the
shocking Decentralization of society at New
| OrleSns. There came into his office a
! woman twenty-seven years OF age, perfect
ly white, who asked him, III proper Lam
guaga if he would put her in one of her
fathers houses. Her history was this:
Her father had educated her in the CITY of
New York until she was between seventeen
and eighteen years of age, and taken her
to one of the metropolitan hotels, where
he kept her as his mistress Not relishing
the connection, and desiring to get away
from him, she went to New Orleans. He
followed her, but she refused to live with
him, at which he whipped her in the pub,
lie street, and made her marry a slave.
She afterwards resumed the unnatural re-
lation, going to Cincinnati, but was brought
back by her husband or father, with a
child belonging to somebody.
"Eer father fled from the city Mt the
time of its occupation by the United States
forces, leaving her in State of destitu.
ton. She wanted to live in one of her
fathers houses, but her story was not cred
ibie, and he determined to investigate it
To his surprise, it was found to be we'll
known and testimony of its truth was
obtained from A, and @, without diff
Guilty, Notwithstanding this fact, widely
known as it was, this man could be elect
ed IN Louisiana, in the city of New Or.
leans, judge of one of the courts
"On one occasion one of his aids brought
before him young woman, almost white,
who had been brrtally whipped and turn
ed out of the house of her father. For
this outrage, the man had eeen made to
pay hue of $1,000 and give the woman a
| deed of emancipation, + EAunlanse I