, 1864-01-15
TIE DUTIER LITERATURE
OF THE WAR.
Old Ben Butler has 8onae P1olo Talk
with Norfolk SecessIonls4s.

:: The Gas Company Of Norfolk having sealed
up their works, and refused for six or, eight
months past to light the city, General Butler
ordered the establishment to- be seized.
Thereupon the directors came out under: the
constitutional rights dodge" arguing that
the military authorities had no right to seize
the works under the Constitution, General
Buffers letter contains the argument Of the
directors and General Buffers answer:
't s.HKADeuAnTERs 18TH Anxr Coapa, 4
! DErr or V1Ro1s1A Iap NoRrH CAHolIHA,
FonTExss MONROE; Va; Dee. q, 1868.
+, "GEsERAL-1 lave received your con.mu-
nieation Of the 24th Of December to A. Z. M.
Cooke, Esq, chairman Of the stockholders;
meeting Of the Norfolk gus company, cover
ing the letter of Mr.. Cooke to yourself re-
lating to the taking Of the Norfolk gas WqrSs
by tho military authorities of the United
States, and beg that you will forward him
Gooas ea}s n te4 ssp is ssh COM
rany that they possess very valuable works,
for which they now claim large compensation
from the Government; tllst the minority Of
the stockholders have duly conformed othe
requirements of General :Order No. 40, md
that the company were nhout putting the
works In order when they We're taken By the
Government for military, purposes, in viola
ut will be observed, fnst, TINT until with
IN few days the majority Of the stockhold-
ers hare acknowledged and are known as
having been IN rebellion against tho Govern
nlent Of the United States, and % harrington
about which now they SO tglibIy talk: and
have only just now taken the oath Of allegi-
ance to that Government which thoy have
sought to destroy, In conformity to the ire.
qulrements Of military order. And even
now, under. these peculiar circumstauScs.
vita the: oath fresh in their mouths-in a
communication from the Stockholders to tho
agents Of the Government, with their claims
Of .new.aedged rights frequently repeated;
the word loyalty or allegiance to The Govern.
ment never finds pluce. They say. that they
have confOrmed to the requirements of Gen
eral Order No. 40. That order requires! Of
them nothing, and more than one of them
have aald, as am informed aud believe, that
they took the oath to savo their property, and
that they claim-not that they arc loyal-but
they have taken out protection. t..
'"Such men, loyal With lip-serYice only so
far US ! nm concerned, have few conBtltu-
tlonn1 rights which I feel Inclined to respect.
When they become loyal in heart as o1 lip,
and speak Of taking the oath. Of allegiance to
their country not IS a requirement, but as q
duty, it will be time en- nough to discuss their.
constitutional rights. If their property is! as
valuable as they claim 1t why have tue con-
pany;lclt 1t to 90 to ruin for : many months,
without my attempt on their part to put the
gas works IN nsoperation and Tight the city?; =.
Did their rebe}iious procllY overcome
even their love of gain, so that they were
willIpg to sacrifice their property rather than
to aid the Government of the United States;
By lighting it, In protecting their city from.
the robber, the burglar and the: incendiary =
Is it not true that thoy have refused the mil
itary authorities Of tile United: States more
tlan once, to light the city, and. continued
In that refusal until after tEcy wera informed
'that the works were to be seized upon for
that purpose, md the government had In
CURED expenses in That behalf!'>' ~ -,
~ should be quite inclined, as IN act of
Justice, to promise them Id the future
monthly average rene-equal to what they
have received ior the past nine months, US q
compensation from the Government for the
use Of their works. Their chairman talks Of:
the economical management Of the compiny
Us compared with the prospective manage
1nent Of the Government, and he certainty
ought to be quite satisfied if he is assured
from the Government the same rent which
lc Ind received nndcr his own management,
Exactly What VIII be done is this: the works
Will be put In repair, more economically By
twenty per cent. than the estimate Which
Tas made by the company fol. the: repair Of
"They win be carried on: ef1actually;: and
economically 90 that the city Of Norfolk will
DC 11lly lighted, and As peace and quiet in
the darkness Of the isht be assured, until it
Is made certain that, IN case OF IN attack up-
on the city OF Norfolk, the Rebel procliyitjes
of the oTne1s will not leave the city In dark
ness, as means Of fmpairiny the defence
meac by the United States forces, and wien
the owners have By their works, and
not By their lips, convinced the military an-
hal