East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-01-13
General Buffers Reception and
Speech nt Philadelphia.
From the New York Tribune
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 7.

PHLDELPHA, Jan. 7.
Major General Butler arrived here
this evening, en- route for New York and
Boston whitherhc departs in the NOR.
ming. During the evening he addressed
a party of two hundred and fifty gentle.
r,nn assembled in the reception room
OF the Continental Hotter 10 pay their
respects. After his introduction by
Judge Lewis, General Butler made a
speech ofsome length and great interest
After replying in fitting terms to the
eulogy with which he had been intro.
duceI, lie referred to the very different
circumstances under which he had pre-
viously passed through Philadelphia, on
the 10th of April, 1861, when commu.
nication was cut off with the capital,
and paid high compliment to the Pres.
ident of the Wilmington and Baltimore
Railroad, and tho authorities of Phla.
delphia, for their efforts in enabling him
to proceed to Annapolis. lie said, you
have been pleased to alludc to an act OF
high executive responsibility, which, in
the performance of duty, became pain
'"i hSSSSsAly -du dNt NiilVh StuSSu iloIc
complaints and praises than any other
The execution Of William b. Mum.
ford. [Applausel. Owing to the un.
courteous terms in which the so-called
Confederate government demanded an
explanation, no report, even, could be
made. BY offensive language that gov
ernment shut up all possible commune
cation or our part. Then it was as.
sumed that some wrong was done, and
the proclamation, which you have all
doubtless seen, was issued in consc
quencc. 1t may not be indicate here
to speak of that act for moment more
After referring to the incidents of the
day, he said: The flag of the United
States was raised upon the United
States miut, and, after floating there a
short time, was dragged down by a
drunken gambler in the presence of the
feet, in broad daylight. The symbol
of our nationality, which We all rever
ence, was torn in shreds, and every one
that could, bore off piece as trophy.
That act, in its consequences, might
have been most calamitous. The com.
man1er of the Federal fleet had right
to suppose that the Mayor of the city
had come to the conclusion to renew the
contest, and the symbol of that removal
was the tearing down of the flag. 1t
might, as a military proposition, have
brought upon the city inst ant lombard.
ment [applaesc], but through the very
proper caution Of Commodore Farragut
a shot or two was fired and no response
made. Mark you'll it was not the fault
of Mumford that New Orleans was not
laid in ashes, and men, women and chill
dren crushed beneath the shells Of the
Federal fleet. 1t was in mercy for the
town that we should take hereafter, that
left it necessary to punish Mumford &C.
cording to the just laws Of war, after
the'confession of guilt. Whether right.
ly or wrongly, the act still commends
itself to my judgment. Applause -
Feeling the utter worthlessness of the
man that treason had attempted to ex.
alt into patriot, was inclined to spare
him. But that was not permitted. The
Thugs, rowdes and gamblers assembled
before the execution and resolved that
he should not DC hung. 1t became
question whether they ruled Now Or
leans or the Commanding General of
the United States, and from that day
there was never any question upon that
subject. [Applause]. / have been be-
traycd into saying moro than antici--
pated. [Cries of "Go on, go on,"] /
looked upon the campaign in the South
west as substantially ended. The rebel