The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-05-06
THE POSITION OF GEN. BUTLER.
HE Is NOT DESTROYS OF BEING
RELIEVED.
somebody Making MOney....What
Became of the Rents at Old Point.


NORFOLK, Va, April %.
GEN. BUTLER DON r CARE TO BE RELIEVED.
On Saturday last our entire community was
more or less exercised at an announcement
which reached here through the Northern pa
pers that General Butler had asked to be re-
lieved from duty in this Department. Little
groups of people might be seen here and there
discussing the exciting theme. Expression of
opinion was carefully avoided, for the legion of
spies which infest and curse this city were
deemed to be around, and men spake with
bated breath. All doubtless wished that what
had been written might prove true. but none
gave utterance to the wish nearest the heart
A careful analysis of this paragraph, which
found in the american, convinced me that some
ingenious party had got off a most exquisite
joke at somebody's expense So apparently
characteristic was the wording of the para
graph of Buffers style that it seemed like the
voice of Jacob but the hands were those of
Esau. My deductions are that General Butler
is not foolish enough to do so sensible a
thing as to ask to be relieved from this de-
partment; he has too good thing" here
and would sooner be Mayor of Old Point,
or recording secretary to Major General W.
F. Smith, or ANY other man." than give up
his position in this department.. As I have
before mentioned, General Butler is not
intrusted with military operations in this
quarter and is perfectly contented with his civic
military situation. He is so far sensible of his
want of capacity in military affairs that he is
quite willing that some one else shall do the
tghting but he will be quite as ready to take
whatever of credit somebody may be entitled
to if he can find an opportunity. The General
has never been under fire since the commence
ment of the war, and never will be even by ae-
cident. His discretion is perfectly well under
stood to be too great to permit him to expose
hims IF to the foe but he is immense in his
onslaught upon rebels in petticoats in general
AID rebel property in particular. Were to
write history of the war should say General
Butler was slightly great in administrative
ability, and great slightly in military capacity.
Besides he does not pretend to military pro-
fundity; he is far better at a legal bubble than
in marshalling troops for effective service.
He never set squadron in the field
Nor the division OF a battle knows
More than spinster"
Very little is expected of him in the APP
preaching contest, OUTSIDE of his civil duties
and / have no doubt but that he will acauit
himself creditably. We all hope So at least.
STILL TURNING AN HONEST PENNY
Quite an Interesting question has been pending at
Old Point 70. come time past An order was iss,ed
about two months ago fixing ground rent upon the
various Buildings owned by parties doing business at
planned of the eXOrbitant rate of the assessment
Some idea may be formed Of this enormous tax lev
led upon the business at Old Point when say that
AAAAoChiy DAOtucLS were I'd pay rent Oh
one thousand eight hundred dollars per month, and
Wizards restaurant one thousand dollars pr month
The rate was subsequently modified to one thousand
dollars in one case, and eight hundred dollars in the
other In most of the the ground rent cunts
TO prohibition Of doing business Protests have
been made to General Butler but relief outside of
the payment of money, is denied The irvariable
answer is "move away if you deem the rent too
high" or expressions to that effect Receipt or
knowedgment of any kind is refused to the traders
and even drafts on Baltimore are declined There Is
plenty of evidence that the rent required but zone
whatever that it has been paid What becomes of
all the money collected in this department in various
ways is the question frequently asked, but nobody
except at headquarters knows anything upon that
score think am moderate in the calculation that
$780, 600 have been gathered In since Butler
took command of the department. and doubt II
there has been any record kept of these of
Revenue and the mode Of expenditure The taxes
imposed in various ways fall heavily upon the Union
men doing business in this city, and are not calcu-
lated to embarraes or weaken the rebellion. For one
cannot comprehend the policy which tends to crp-
Die the trade Of Union-loving cizens and such ap-
pears to prevail here at present If people elsewhere
grumble abo1t their taxes, believe they would
swear outright after short sojourn in Norfolk Per-
haps there some strategy in the drilling of traders
past finding out by ordinary mertals although we do
not understand the philosophy.