The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-11
General Buffers Address to the Peo-
pie of New Orleans.

CITIZENS or New ORLEANs.--- ID may
not be Inappropriate, as tits not inOp-
perfume ia occasion, that there should be
addressed TO you few words al parting,
by one whose name is 10 be hereafter in
dissolubly connected with your city.
shall speak in no bitterness, because
am not conscious of single personal ami
mostly. Commanding the Army of the
Gulf, ! found you captured, but not sur
rendered; conquered, but not orderly; re-
lieved from the presence of an army, but
incapable Of taking care Of yourselves.
So far from il, you had called upon a
foreign legion TO protect you from your.
selves. restored order, punished crime,
opened commerce, brought provisions to
your starving people, reformed your cur
rency, and gave you quiet protection,
such as you had not enjoyed FOR mauy
years, aT Ilsc n
While doing this my soldiers were
subjected 70 obloquy, reproarh, and in
suit.
And now, speaking 10 you, who know
the truth, here declare that whoever
has quietly remained about bis business,
affording neither aid nor comfort to the
enemies Of the United States, has never
been interfered with by soldiers of the
United States. ra
The men who had assumed TO govern
you and defend your city in arms having
fed, come of your women ilouted at the
presence Of those who came TO protect
them. BY sinlple order No. 26)
called upon every soldier of this army TO
/ treat the women of New Orleans as gem
tlemen should deal with the sex, with
such effect that / now call upon the just
minded ladies of New Orleans to say
whether they have ever enjoyed 90 COM
pIote protection and calm quiet for them
selves and their families as since the
advent Of the United States troops.
The enemies Of my country, nnrepen-
tant and implacable, have treated with
merited severity. hold that rebellion
is treason, and treason persisted in
is death, and that any punishment short
Of that due traitor, gives so much clear
gain TO him FROM the clemency Of the
Government. Upon this thesis have
administered the authority of the United
States, because Of which am not uucon-
scious Of complaint l do not feel thai
| have erred in too much harshness, fol
that harshness has ever been exhibited
to disloyal enemies of my country anC
not to loyal friends. To be sure NIGH
have RECALLED you with the amenities o.
British civilization, and yet BEEN with
in the supposed rules Of civilized war.
fare. You might have been smoked 4
death in caverDs, as were the Coyenan.
ters Of Scotland by the command Of
General Of the royal household Of Eng
tand or roasted, like the inhabi
ants Of Algiers during the French
campaign your wives aud daughters
might have been given over 10 the rayish.
err as were the unfortunate danes o
Spain in the Peninsular War; or yol
might have been scalped ard tomahaWk
ed, as our mothers were at Wyoming by
the savage allies Of Great Britain in on
own revolution; your property coul'
have been turned over 10 indiscriminat
loot" like the palace Of the Emperor o
China; works Of art which adoraed you
buildings might have been sent away
like the paintings Of the Vatican; you
sons might have been blown from th
mouths Of cannon, like the SepOys 0
Delhi; aud yet all this would have beet
within the rules Of civilized warfare a
pracliced by the most polished aud IA
most hypocriiicnl nations Of Europ,
For such acts The records Of the doing
Of some oil the Inhabitants Of your cit
toward the friends Of the Uuion, befor
my coming, were sufficient provocaiiY
and justification.
But have not So conducted On IA
! contrary, the worst punishment inilioto,
! except for criminal acts punishable b
/ every law, has been Punishment with Ia
) Dor 10 barren island, where encampe
{ my own soldiers before marching here.
i IL Is true have levied upon Il
G wealthy rebel and paid out nearly ha
! a million of dollars 10 feed 10000 Of th
i starving poor Of an nations assemble
e here, made 50 by this war.
e saw Chat this rebellion MAS 3 war
4 aristocrais against ibe middling men
r. the rich against the poor; a war Of q
e landowner against the laborer; that
s was a struggle iol the retention Of pow
g In the hands of The few against 4
j. many aud / found no Conclusion 10
= save ia the subjugation Of the few a.
n the disoBthralmcut of the MANY