Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1863-01-15

! Where this partnership was re-
fused, armed expeditions have been
sent to the plantations to rob them
of everything that was susccpti-
bic of removal, and even slaves, too
] aged or infilm for work, have, in
spite oftheir cntreaties, been forced
from the homes nrovided by the
owners and driven to wander'help-
/ less on tue highway.
! By a recent General Order No.
611 the entire property in that part
of Louisiana, lying west OF the Mis-
d 5sissippi river, has been sequestrated
for confscation, and officers have
been assigned to duty with orders
to gather up and collect the per-
sonal property and turn over to
the proper officers upon their re-
ceipts such Of said property as
may be required for the use Of tie
United States army; to collect. to-
gether all tie other personal prop
erty, bring the same to New
Orleans, and cause it to be sold at
public auction to the highest bid
der, an order which, if executed,
condemns to punishment by star
vation, at least quarter OF a
million of human beings, CT all
ages. sexes and conditions; ard OF
which the execution, although
forbidden to military officers by
tie orders of President Lincoln,
| is Ill accordance with the confiSca-
tion law of our enemies, which he
has directed to be enforced through
the agency of civil officials. And
finally, tie African slaves have not
ouly been excited. to instruction
by. every license and encourage
ment. but numbers If them have
actually been armed fol' a serVlle
war. a war in its nature far exceed
ing in horrors tue most mercliesS
atrocities of sagages. ~
And whereas, the officers under
the command of said Butler have
been, inmany instances, active and
Jealous age4tsi in the commission OF
these crimes, and no instance IS
known of the refusal Of any one Of
them to participate in the outrages
atCve narrated. ''-
And, whereas, the President of
the United States has, by public
and official declaration, signliied
not.oaiy his approval Of the eflortto
excite serviie war within the Con-
tederacy, hut his intention to give
aid and encouragement thereto, if
these INDEPENDENT States shall con-
tinue to refuse submission to q for
eign power after the FIRST day Of
January next; and has thus made
known that all appeals to tie laws
of nations, the dictates Of reason,
tie instincts Of humanity, would
be addressed in vain to our enc
mics, ard that they can be deter
red from tie commission OF these
crimes only b. the terrors Of just
retribution: ..
Now, therefore, ], Jefferson Da-
Wis, President of tie Confederate
States Of America, and acting by
their authority, appealing to the
Divine Judge in attestation that
their conduct is not guided BY the
passion. Of revenge, but that they
reluctantly yield TO the solemn du-
ty of repressing by necessary Sc
verify, crimes of which their citi-
zens are the victims, do issue this
my proclamation, and by virtue OF
nv authority as Commander-in-
Chief of the armies of the Con-
federate States, do order, 3
list. That all commissioned offi-
GERS in the command OF SAID Ben]a-
MINI Butler be declared not en-
titled to be considered as soldiers
engaged in honorable warfare, hut
as robbers and criminals, deserving
death, and they and each of them
be-, whenever captured, reserved
for execution. E-l
I'd. That the privates and nom
commissioned officers in the army
of said Butler be considered as on
ly. the instruments used tor the
commission of the crimes perpe-
trated by-his orders, and not as
free agents; that they be treated
when captured as prisoners of war,
with Kindness and humanity, and
be sent home on the usual parole,
that they will in no manner aid or
serve the United States in any ca
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