Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-01-07
From the New York World, December o.
New Orleans and General Butler.

From the New York World, December o..
New Orleans and General Butler.
There are American journals so ignorant
or so base as to praise the administration OF
Gen. Butler at New Orleans. The fact is
that be not only disgraces the Union cause
he disgraces civilization and humanity itself.
lie would be Without apologists In Algiers.
He ought to be without eulogists in America.
Silence concerning his abuses of power and
mslfeasances in tfice, his brutality and tie
populations at which he winks, if he does not
share their preft, might be tolerated by the
conscicnces of those who, hopeless of moving
the mind of Mr.. Lincoln, were unwilling to
really obstruct the Government; or even seem
to encourage disloyalty. But when that si-
encc is misconstrued into appreciation, when
presses are found which, like most of our CON
tempurarics in this city, actually praise Gen.
Butler, dwell upon the cleverness of his rhet-
oric and the efficiency Of his rule, which laud
the safe brutality Of his intercourse with Sc
cessionists, as if that were the best means Of
bringing them TO reason-when presses exist
which have the ehrontery or The ignorance to
represent the number of those who have ta-
ken an enforced oath Of allegiance as tie
number Of those whose hearts have been CON
strained to loyalty, then silence becolnds
lie. The truth concerning this basest and
most unprincipl man should theu lie told
and bis misconduct be denounced as it de.
serves, that the sham Of the loyal and hon.
est millions whose Government Mr.. Lincoln
has sent him to represent may at least be
undescrved.
But for General Butler, New Orleans might
today llave become Union city-so say the
few loyal men of the city, so confess the
disloyal. The loyal mourn, the disloyal ex-
ult, over the folly and the blindness which
placed him in control of the commercial me-
lropYlis ur the Southwest, and has continued
him in power there to drive the disloyal into
deeper depths of olduracy and to turn tue
hearts of the loyal against the Cause which
they loved. by the base"ess and the cruelty OF
tine urccr assigned to its upholding. In the
early days Of The rebellion Ne" Orleans clung
to the Union. She gave heavy majority
against secession. 1t only needed, after The
r,v fell, that q firm. wise, honest pal riot.
should be put in command OF the department
for the genuine loyalty ui The city 10 Lave
shown itself. and treason TO have been thrcwn
back into hopeless minority. But Gen.
Butler was Put in co1nTand, and t"da: the
c!,ef Southern city held by Federal troops
l,aies mos, intensely the Federal lue. Not
=. solitary Scce>sio>, has been won back to
his cid and rightrul al!cgionce. Thousands
of the truly though secretly loyal, his crimes
his brutality and his bulllcrs have made dis
lo,a. Had Gen. Dix or Gen. Banks been
sent to tha: important command, to-day the
country would lave cuuntcd upon the 10y
atty of New Orleans with more coIili'ience
than it counts upon the loyalty Vi baltimore.
We do not mean 20 9rprcri"te tho sharl-
ness of Gen. Buffers zen or lhe cieverness
of his cunning mind. Pcttifogscrs have found
themselves surpassed N their c"n arts, nnd
thieves could teach Gen. Butler nothing
which lie did rot know. He has not been
outwiltci. So much st least may be said to
his credi;, hu; that is all. Another syllable
in hi praise beyond that is false.
lie Las disgraced the army, for the army
is honest, he has disgraccd bis Government,
for his Government is yet grca. enough TO he
lust; he has disgraced his country, for his
name barbs the scorn of fu.eigp enemies and
iu.tlhes the severity Of foreign friends; he
has d!shonored the chief magistrate, by pre-
sc:ibing him to ministers of the Gospel as
the subject Of their compulsory prayers; he
has dishoncred the North, by incarnating
every mean and sordid characteristic which,
falsely, Southern passion has ascrbed to
Northern phlegm, by surrounding himself
with men whose forgotten gains. making dis
honesty and loyalty profitable, cause disloyal
honesty to seem respectable By comparison;
he has disgraced bis sex, for not even wo-
men have been exempt from his cruelty, but
like men have been made to suiler as trai-
tors for the sef-respect Of their intercourse
with him as women; if it is possible he has
lsrraced him elf, for the most subservient
tool Of Southern men and obseauious lauder
of Southern institutions has become their
most assiGuous enemy, seeking Il place for
the heel of power where once he looked only
to lick the spitle of scrvili,y.
General Buffers whole cureer is known to
rrry many loyal men at the North, who blush
in silence and shame at TIC imbccility which
tplerates him for mn instant in power. Tie
administration presses will act wisely not to
praise him. They should be thankful if their
own silence secures his immunity from public