The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-11-20
A southern ATIstocrat and his
n0nUhtnr.

The following anecdOte is from Par
toms forthcoming book ON Gen. Buffers
government in New Orleans. 1t is an
"o'er true tale showing the dep.avity
of human nature in the midst Of slavery:
One Sunday morning, while General
Butler was seated at the breakfast table,
Major Strong, gentleman who was most
given to undue emotion, rushed into the
room, pale with rage and horror.
"General," he exclaimed, "there is the
most damnabls thing out herep
The General followed him to the office.
There he found the staff assembled,
standing round woman, gazing upon
her with flashing eyes, their countenances
betraying mingled pity and fury. Tho
servants of the house were crowding a
bout the doors of the room. The woman
who was the object Of 50 much attention
was nearly white, aged about twenty
seven. Her face showed at the first
glance that she was one of those unfor-
tunate creatures whom some savages re-
gard with kind of religious awe, and
whom civilized beings are accustomed To
consider peculiarly entitled {, tender
ness and forbearAnce. She was simple
minded. Not absolutely an idiot, but
imbecile, vacant, half silly.
"LOOk here, General" said Major
Strong, as he opened the dress of this
poor creature.
Her back was cut to pieces with the in
fernal cowhide. II WAS all black and
red--red where the Internal instrument Of
torture had broken the skin, black where
it had not. To convey an idea of its
appearance, Gen. Strong used TO say that
il resembled very rare beefsteAk, with
the black marks of the gridiron across it,
No one ever saw Gen. Butler 80 pro-
foundly moved as he was while gazing
upon this pitiable spectacle.
"Who did this ?" he asked the girl.
"Master," she replied.
"Who is your mAsterp'
"Mr. Landry"
Landry was a respectable merchant
living near headquarters, not unknown TO
the members of the staff.
"What did he do it TO" " asked the
General.
81 went out after the clothes from the
wash" said she, "and stayed out late.
| When l came home, master kicked me
and said he would teach me to run
away"
"Orderly, go to Lsndry's house and
bring him before me.
In few minutes Landry entered the
office-a spare, tall, gentlemahlike person
of fifty-fye.
"Mr Landry" said the General, "this
is infamous. The girl is evidently sim
pie. 1t is the awfulest spectacle ever
beheld in my life"
At this moment Major Strong whis.
pered in the Generals ear piece of in.
formation which caused him TO compar,
the faces of the master aud the slave
The resemblance between them wa
striking.
SIS this woman your daughter ?? ask
ed the General.
"There are reports to that effect" sal,
Landry.
The insolent nonchalsnee of the man
as he replied TO the last question, 80 in
famed the rage of all who witnessed il
that il needed but wink from the Gen
eral 20 have set a dozen infuriated mel
at his throat. The general merely said
81 AN answered, sir"
The General, for once, seemed deprivet
of the power to judge with promptnesl
ole remained for sometime, says an eye
witness, apparently lost in abstraction
/ shall never forget the singular expires
sion on his face. | had been accustome
10 soc him in storm OF passion At an
instance Of oppression or ilAgrAnt injus
tice; but on this occasion be WAS TO
deeply affected to obtain relief In IA
, usual way. His whole air was one o
detection, almost listlessness his indig
nation too intense, and his anger Ia
, stern, 10 find expression even 10 his coun
D tenanCo.
4 "Nevor have seen that peculiar loo
? but on three OF four occasions similar
, the one | ana narfalng, when / knew /
o. was pondering upon tho baleful curse thl
= had cast its withering blight upon a
Y around, until manhood and humanil
o were crushed out Of tho people, and ou
q rageH such as lhe above were looked upS
e with Complacsucy, sud tho peTpelfat0