Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-01-11
General Butler md DR.. COttman--An Ia
teresfinG Interview.


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General Butler md DR.. COttman--An Ia
terestinE Interview.
From the New Orleans Correspondence Of the Bos
toa Traveller.
As to DR.. COttman, beside the trifng OBJ
lection that he was never elected TO Con.
gress, there is another difficulty in the
Wsy; and this leads one to relate q story
Of General Buffers administration which
does not appear in Mr.. Psrtoa's book. a
little over a year ago We had an election
for Cougressmen in the First snd Second
Districts, by direction Of the President =
DR.. Cottman engaged to be candidate,
and was thereupon sent for by General
Butler. The conversation between the
tWo took place in the presence Of two res
idents Of this city, to one Of which 1 am
indebted for 6 report Of its substance.
The General, after inquiring whether it
was really true thet the Doctor was can
didate with his own consent, and receiving
en- affirmative ansWer, read the osth which
he would be required to take before enter
ing upon the Congressional duties. It is q
pretty stringent covenant you may re-
MEMBER wish had copy Of 1t to in
sert here-declsring that the deponent has
never given aid or comfort to the internal
or external enemies Of the Republic, never
held or sought Office under the pretended
government Of the Confederate States, or
in any way countensnced the great rebel
lion. HsVing thus called the attention Of
Of the Doctor TO the terrible ordeal which
awaited him, the General drew forth q
large fac-simile Of the ordinance Of seces-
sion and pointed to the signature, Thomas
E H. Cottman, which appears thereon in a
fair, round, schoolmsster-like hand
"Now,7 asked the General show can you
take that oath after having signed that
reasonable document2D
"But did not assent to it. opposed
separate secession all through"
"But you signed the ordinance-snd
the signature looks ss though you thought
it something to be proud Of"
81 signed it merely as witness to the
record"
"signed as witnessl Boshl What non
senseI Suppose, Doctor, you really were
3 Member Of Congress, and old Jake Bar
ker, as The representative Of Benjamin
Franklin, should present claim for wit
ness fees on the ground that his ancestor
signed the Declaration of Independence
only in thst capacity-wOuld you vote for
it7'
The Doctor appeared to be afflicted with
a bronchial disorder, which prevented his
making immediate answer.
"NoW," says the General, " l tell you /
think it an insult to loyal men that g sign
er of that ordinance should offer to ta6e
the oath l have read. You know very
veil that the signing of that document was
made test Of the devotion Of members Of
the Convention to the cause of secession.
You know very well that it was made q
test in the case of Mr.. Rozier, and you
knew that he did not meet it as you did, by
surrendering to tressonn
"Very well, Sir, 1 will announce in the
newspapers that am ordered By the mil.
itsry commander TO withdraw my name
from the canvass"
"No you Wont-nothiDg Of that sort. l
have given you no orders; shall give you
none. / have only to say that 1 think it
grossly scandalOus that you, after having
signed an ordinance Of secession, should
ask the people Of this district to put you
in position to take this oath; and even
if you can bring your conscience to allow
you 10 take that oath, certain it is no
House Of Representative will allow you
to take it in its presence"
So the Doctor went his way, announced
in the True Delta, that unforeseen circum-
stances commanded his withdrawal from
the canvass. Mr.. Hahn was nominated and
elected.
Now Dr. Cottmsn has the efrontery, not
only to offer to take the extraordinary
oath, but to pretend to a seat in Congress
to which he was never elected, in accord
ance With any law Of any State, of the
United States Of the Confederate States, 30
called, or even in conformity to the pro-
grsmme Of his own committee, which I'M
lawfully, in disregard of the authority Of
the Government, and in fraud of the rights
Of other men, formed scheme of obtain
ing 8 snap judgmentin their own favor by
an ex-psrte election on the % Of Novem-
ber-G scheme which they made haste to
abandon as soon as its iniquitous character
was exposed. The sommittee had not the
hsTdihood TO face the public after their
trick was discovered. The Doctor is not
so modest by half