The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-01-17


every good citizen.
MvrMY m HI0H PIACEs-A DUTY Mn. LINCOLN
OWES THE ARMY.-Having shown utter unftness
for military command in his recent operations
against Wilmington, General Butler has been
very properly relieved and ordered to his homo
Ia Lowell, there to await orders in due course
through the Adjstant General Of the army.
This Is tho polite way, We are aware, ofinform-
ing incompetent generals that their services
will never again, in all likelihood, be put into
requisition; and perhaps this punishment for
Buffers tasso at Fort Fisher might have been
sufficient had not the irrepressible lawyer-sol-
der Of the Bay State seen at to make his "faro-
we'll order to his troops' the vehicle for direct
and most damaging attack upon the admins
tration, and bitter sneer against the General
in-Chief of our armies well calculated to en-
courage mutiny, discomfort and positive revolt
among the troops now engaged in the attack
upon Richmond. az have refused" says
Butler, towards the conclusion of his bonn
bastio order, "to order useless sacrifices of
the lives Of such soldiers, and am relieved
from your oommand"-the inference here being
obvious that bloodthirsty administration,
men, has removed this compassionate officer
solely and wholly because he would not be a
party to these sanguinary and unproductive
sacrifices. In the mex. sentence the insinuation
against General Grant is yet more broad, pal
pable and insubordinate, where Butler says
'eThe wasted blood Of my men does not stain
my garments"-the very charge with which
the rebel journals and orators, both Of Rich
mond and New York, have been endeavoring
10 poison the loyalty Of our troops in the field
during the past twelve months.
We respectfully submit to the President that
some punishment more severe than retirement
70 his homo In Lowell and the society Of the
sturdy bricklayer Of that place should be
awarded TO General Butler for the unsoldier-
like and mutinous sneers contained In the Inst
paragraph Of this precious order. For such o
Milnre as that made by the Massachusetts, militia
man at Cape Fear Island any commander IN the
French or British service would most certainly
be court martialed, and would be lucky to
escape with simple cashierment on the finding
OF III peers Dub IOr IN OIl8lusi Oucuo0 VI 80
grave character, when aggravated by tho
turbulent and undisciplined spirit evinced in
such an order a. we have quoted, the more
rigorous systems Of all old military nations
have prescribed an memorable penalty, to
which We do not care at present more pointedly
to refer. This, however, we are assured of:
that Mr.. Lincoln owes II to himself and the
country to resent the imputation sought TO be
cast upon General Grant by the flying arrow Of
this Parthean warrior, and that General Butler,
having received only the mild punishment Of
being relieved and sent homo for his recent
Ridiculous fhilure, should now be summarily
dismissed the service for having, In 80 high .
place, set an example Of mutiny and insolence,
not only "prejudicial TO-" bat wholly subver-
sive Of "good order and military discipline, !" II
suffered TO pass without some such scathing re-
buke. To man Of General Buffers cast Of
mind remaining ct home and safe out Of harms
way ID not likely to prove very insupportable
infection. He should be mustered out In m
order reciting the language We have quoted a
the cause Of his dismissal