The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-01-03
GEN. BUTLER AND ALL HIS OFF,
GERS 10 BE EXECUTED.
TO BE PAROLED.
NEGROES In ARMS TO BE HUNG
WHEN TAKEN.
NY the President Of tho Csnsed crate
States.
A P II OCL A Al A T / o N

After the recital Of the Munford case,
and correspondence in relation thereto,
jeff Davis proclamation proceeds:
And whereas, The silence Of the gov
eminent of the United States, and its
maintaining of said Butler in high Office
under its authority Tor many months af-
ter his commission Of an act that can be
viewed in no other light than as DELHI
crate murder, as well as of numerous 9th.
er outrages and atrocities hereafter to be
mentioned, afford evidence too conclusive
that the said government sanctions the
conduct of the said Butler, and deter
mined that he shall remain unpunished for
these crimes;
Now, therefore, /, Jefferson Davis,
President of the Confederate States OF
America, and in their name, do pro-
nounce and declare the said Benjamin
+. Butler to he telon, deserving OF cap
ltal punishment. do order that he shall
no longer be considered or treated simply
as a public enemy of the Confederate
States of America, but as an outlaw and
common enemy of mankind, and that, in
the event of captere, the officer in CON-
mand of the capturing force do cause him
to be immediately executed by hang
ing.
And / do further order that no COM
missionod tiiiccr of the u. s., taken cap
tive. shall be released on parole, before
exchange, until the said Butler shall have
met with due punishment for his crimes
And Whereas, The hostilities waged
against this Confederacy by the U. s..
under the command of said Benjamin +.
Butler have borne no resemblance to such
warfare as is alone permissible by the
rules of international law or the usage of
civilization, but have been characterized
! by repeated atrocities and outrages,
among the large number Of which, the
following may be cited as examples
Peaceful and aged citizens, unresist-
ing captives and non combatants. have
been confined at hard labor, with hard
chains attached to their limbs, and are
still SO held In dungeons and fortresses.
Others have been submitted to like
degrading punishment for selling medl.
cines to the sick soldiers of the Confede-
racy.
The soldiers of the United States have
been invited and encouraged in gen.
eral orders to insult and outrage the
wives, the mothers and the sisters of our
citizens.
| Helpless women have been torn from
their homes, and subjected to solitary
confinement, some in fortresses aud pris-
ons, and one especially on an Island of
barren sand, under tropical sun, have
been Ted with loathsome ratlons that had
been CONDEMNED as unfit for soldiers, and
have been exposed to the vilest insults.
Prisoners of war, who surrendered to
the naval forces of the United States, on
agreement that they should be released on
parole, have been seized and kept 10 close
| confinement
Repeated rreiexts have been sought
or invented for plundering the inhab
tants of the captured city, by fines levied
and collected under threats Of imprison-
ing recusants at hard labor with ball and
chain. The entire population Of New Or
leans have been forced to elect between
starvation by the con6soation Of all their
property, aud taking an oath against con.
science to bear allegiance to the invader
of their country.
| Egress from the city has been refused
to those whose fortitude withstood the
test, and even to Lone and aged women,
and to helpless children, and after being
elected from their homes and robbed oi
their property. they have been left to
starve Ia the streets or subsist on char.
ity.
4 Slaves have been driven from planta.
tons in the neighborhood Of New Or
leans, until their owners would consen,
70 share their crops with the Command.
ms General, his brother, Andrew J. But.
Ter. and other officers, and when such CON
sent had been extorted, slaves have beer
restored to the plantations and there
compelled to work, undor bayonets Of the
guard Of United States soldiers. Where
J that partnership was refused, armed OF.
, Ipeditions have been sent to plantations to
, rob them of everything that was suscep.
tible OF removal.
u And even slaves. too aged or in6rm
for work, have, in spite of their entreaie.
been forced from the homes provided BY
their owners. and driven to wander help.
less on the highway By recent gen
eral order No 81, the entire property in
that part OF Louisiana west of the Missis.
slplh river, Is sequestrated for con6ssa.
tom and officers have been assigned t.
duty with orders to gather up and collect
the personal property and turn over tc
tho proper officers, upon their receipts,
such OF said property as may be required
for the use of the United States army te
tcollect together oil ths, other personal
property anu bring the same % New Or.
|ieans, aud cause it to be sold, at public
auction. to the highest bidder--an order
which if executed, condemns 10 punish.
| ment hy starvation nj leaaf q cua rt>r ~ =