The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-06-07

war will be even more important than the war
itself, and that the great political parties will
completely change front before many months
But while the leading politicians are arranging
their plans at Saratoga and other summer
resorts our agitators can spend their time very
agreeably at the South, and we advise, request
and urge them to depart.
| General Buffers "Bull-pen''-His At
tempt to Blow mp Psrscn.
The military career Of General Butler, when
! ever the same shall come to be dispas-
| sionately written, without fear or favor, will
present not injurious variety of phases,
widely differing. His first movement from
| the Relay House, on the railroad line con-
Meeting Washington with the North, by which
he seized Federal Hill in Baltimore and domi-
| mated therefrom that then rebellious city, was
success of the first magnitude, both in popu-
lar estimation and in its practical results, al
though at the time condemned by Lieutenant
General Scott as an act of grossly mischievous
laundering and insubordnation, for which
the perpetratOr deserved dismissal or cashier
ment.
the public was his discovery of the term econ
traband," as a full reply to all shareholders de-
handing the return of their fugitive chattels
from within the lines of our various armies.
This term, it is true, was not original with the
major general from Massachusetts. But as it
was new to the public and furnished weapon
whereby the gordian knot Of an otherwise much
In
sundered at a blow, the people took up the
phrase with both avidity and humor; and
Butler, in those early days of our military limo
cence, was as much praised for having
"invinted" it as if he had won battle.
The last success of this remarkable officer
was his civil administration of the city of New
Orleans and his civil government of 80 much Of
the State of Louisiana as our navy could bring
and hold within our lines-for of military sue
cesses in the Department of the Gull, under his
management, there were none Of striking
nature. General Wetzel, it is true, did some
quite respectable marching in various direc-
tons and had some little skirmishes, and even
"affairs' which reflected credit on his troops.
In these things, however, General Butler had no
direct part, his headquarters being permanently
in New Orleans, and the only weapons he
welded coming under the head Of stationery"
and not "ordnance and ordnance materials"
Of his military reverses and blunders we
need only remark that they were as numerous
as the occasions on which he was brought
within "presence of the enemy" or had
personal direction Of any movements which ex-
posed the troops under his command to the
possibility of a repulse. AT Big Bethel he was
badly beaten-"beaten out of his boots" said
the soldiers. At Fort Fisher he was only not
beaten because he refused to fight. At Lowell
he found himself despitefully entreated at the
hands of sturdy builder Of sewers and cul-
verts; while at Drury's Bluff, in his mad at
tempt, with few regiments of unreliable troops,
to iorestal General Grant in the glory Of captur-
ing Richmond, his command suffered useless
and cruel slaughter to an extent which aroused
an erudite Shaksperian chaplain of the New York
volunteer engineers to write bitter private
letter thereanent to one of the poets of the
EreNing Post.
This private letter the poet, Of course, used In
q manner clearly indicating the Rev. Shakspe-
rian chaplain, Mr.. Hudson, as its author;
whereupon General Butler caused said chap
lain to be hauled before him by his officers,
and Of the suferings which he caused this
worthy and reverend man to endure are they
not written out and printed in full in PAM
phlet now before us, entitled "Letter from an
Army Chaplain to General b. F. Butler ~
This letter is a strange comminglement Of piety
and the drama. Its quotations from the Old
| Testament and Timon Of Athens are equally
reconcile and applicable. St Mark and Mac
beth, Luke and Loves Labor Lost, St. John
and Romeo and Juliet-all the Eangelists, in
word, and all the plays from Shakspere's
pen are impartially laid under contribution to
furnish opposite illustrations for the suferings
| Of the parson in Buffers bulLpen," and for
the parsons precise estimate of Beast Buffers
| brutality"
Now, we respectfully submit to General But
Ter that this business Of locking up 40 clergy
man in good standing Of the Protestant Epis-
copal Church" in an ordnance tent, containing
several open barrels Of gunpowder and piles
Of decorating three hundred FOUNDER shells
! filled with Greek fire, was not wise occupa-
ton for . commanding officer in front Of Pc
tersburg to be engaged in. The parson, 1t IL
true, was in danger Of blowing up" in
earnest, and piteously-though . brave man,
who had often been under fre-describes his
terror lest some involuntary motion in his sleep
should roll down on him and explode about
his ears one of those dreadful shells. But now
the "blowing up" Il on the other side; and,
with oil the pulpits in the land making common
cause with their reverend erudite, military and
dramatic brother, there ID NO knowing but the
reputation Of General Butler may suffer even
more from this act Of alleged tyranny than II
had to endure in consequence Of the undis-