Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-02-24
4 scene at the white hl0use.-A
Trlameuiar Fight between
EsutIer, nfnileck and Old Abe--
Nobody RespOnslbEe, and "NO-
body Hnrt.r


mutIer, nEnileck and Old Abe--
Nobody RcspOnslbie, and sNo-
body Hertz
The following i from the Nashngsop cor
respondenoe OF The Abolition ClnelnneN Ga
tefie. The writer is the Clerk pf the Senate
Finance Committee, and doubtless Knows the
truth OF what he ntters
The public has vainly sought TO be in
formed Of the reaAon Of General Butler re.
movAl am now Abou, o reveal great Sc.
cret which has been 80 well kept that the
Pfesidens hiinaelf does not know Il, but think
Won may draw inferences from his ignorance
When General Butler was relieved he re-
ceived no letter, OF note or line concerning
his removal, except the official order, couched
in the brieiest terms. When he reported at
Washington, aud called on President Lin.
coin, he was received cordially ut the White
House, but still found the same mysterious
silence about the removal, Mr.. Liucolns hrst
remark, characteristics in It's clumsy kindi'
ness, was
Greatly don't know, General Butler wheth-
or can say | am glad or sorry TO see you
here. don't quite know why you are here.
What a remark from the President TO a
General just removed from the command OF
Department which he had 30 administered
for eight months as to earn The goodwill OF
every loyalst and the hearty hate Of every
rebel, reducing mean while, the most malig-
nantly rebellious city OF the South to uuques-
tioning obedience, and showing himself in all
respects one Of the few men ia our service
equal to its exigencies.
VERY well, Mr.. President, said the Gener.
al, ~ am ready for duty lf you want me; IL
not, should very much like to 90 TO Lowell"
Certainly we want you, replied the Presi-
dent, and at once | want you to 20 to the
West, and take command Of all the negroes 10
the Valley Of the Mississippi, organize them
into armies, aud occupy the country as fast as
our forces conquer il You shall have fall
authority and every possible facility for the
work.
VERY good, Mr. President am ready to
start at once. think understand why you
want IL lf you will give me the authority
| need to accomplish it, you may rely on the
work being done
"what authority do you want, General ?
You shall have the most ample
"0hly the Commanderliu-chief Of all the
armies in the Mississippi Valley
| There was an answerl The President and
Gen. HAlleck, the Secretary Stanton, who had
come in during the interview, were not uana-
turally little surprised, and asked for an ex-
PLANTATION.
General Butler said in substance, that II
the President wished him to go out West,
only TO organize into regiments and brigsdes
the negroes who came within the Union lines,
there were Lieutenants enough in the army
who could do that as well as he could, "You
don't want TO send one Of you Major.Generals
out West as recruiting sergeant But II,
As he supposed must be intended the Presi-
dent wished him TO undertake the admins
traton of great department, the organiza-
ton OF scheme for the reception of liberated
slaves into the Union service, and still further
to construct a system by which at once the
negroes should be usefully employed, the
country subdued and great States returned to
loyal allegiance, then he must have adequate
means at his disposal
"But suppose, General interrupted the
President, I'VE give you the command you de
sire, where will you establish your headquar
ters at first p
"At New Orleans
But do you consider in what position tina
, wonld place Gen BanksY'
"Yes, in exactly the position in which
found myself two weeks ago"
The conversation was protracted, but ter
> minated without decision. Neither Stanton
nor Gen Halleck would assent to Gen But
lers proposal, and the President as usua
Q hesitated
Meeting General Halleck aGerward, Gen
> eIal Butler was assured by him in the mos
I positive terms that there were no militar
reasons for his removal; that he regretted
. personally and that il was wholly due to th
complications with foreign powers which ha
i arisen out at New Orleans affecting foreig
subjects. Secretary Seward was next encouI
tered, and that distinguished official, not les
+ than General Halleck, deplorcd the removA
and Of course, blandly invited the General
dinner At dinner Mr. Seward said that If
- had depended on himself or his Department
e General Butler would have retained his pla,
"a at New Orleans that he understood thel
were some reasons Of military charact
II which required his displacement; but he cou
l. assure him positively that matters Of State
N relations with foreign powers had nothin
whatever to do with IT,
6 "Mr. Secretary" replied General Butler,
,e have the most profound confidence in eveI
statement you make to me. | only wish
'' remark, however, that your HAlleck here is Il
II most consummate "--but il won't do
Ia finish that sentence. The intelligent read
" may supply the dash as best agrees with
own views OF the lacts ana OF deneral III
a. leck' we'll known character for veracity, viii,
ts "a equal, perhaps, even to that of Soereta
II Seward
ii Now the foregoing conversation is not
e. whole or in part imaginary, II is a record
whatdid actually occur.
Va ~~---..SD.~----
'r COlOred Population.
Y, The canAna of 1860 shnus The nnlnrah M