The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-01-20
Letter from Washington.
: q WASHINGTON, Jan. l6. 1886,


to Lowell, Mass, and from thence to report
to the War Department by letter, whilst it
creates no great surprise here, excites consid-
cradle comment, generally Of nature COM
mandatory Of the step in question. Ut is I
pretty generally agreed that the order had its
origin in the combined failures of the Dutch
Gap Canal and the great Wilmington expedi
ton. For the latter, the General is held quite
mainly responsible by military and naval
authorities here. In fact, ever since the Cen
erals military career opened in this war, he
has never been able to command any very
great success, and his two canal projects,
each of which challenged such high expecta-
tons, and cost so much time, labor aud mon
ey, only resulted in lamcntable failures. The
Generals peculiar forte lay in the sharp, stern
administration of the duties OF military Gov
ernorship, overthe turbulent people Of such
cities and territories as have been brought
back by the force Of Union arms, to the rule
of the Constitution and the laws In the per-
Torrance Of duties such as these, he has, no
i doubt, rendered signal service, and if he erred
at all in the discharge of this particular Office
it cannot with truth be said that it was on the
as he has heretofore been well known to be,
in the appreciation of the Executive, causes
of no ordinary nature must have conspired to
tear him from active service, and to consign
Nun to what will most probably prove TO be q
permanent retirement from the excitements of
military life to those in " hich he had, in other
days, won SO distinguished reputation, viz:
criminal jurisprudence. = = - e -1s.4
1 cannot dismiss this matter Without re-
marking that to nay mind, the retirement of
Gen. Butler, at this time, has peculiar sig
nifcance. 1t is this: Thatthe administration,
| sympathizing in the general public conviction
-aconviction which is Strengthening every
daY--that the war is fast approaching a final
close, has wisely determined toso shape lis
future policy as to heal, so far as possible, all
sectional resentmeats In proportion as the
South shew signs of submission to Federal
authority. Those sigls are now accommodating
every day. Gen. Butler, it is Well known is,
above all other officers in the Federal service,
peculiarly obnoxious to the Southern people,
|
Never of much account as General, his ser.
vices as a military Governor over such COM
munities as may hereafter be forced to, or
who may voluntarily submit to the Federal
sway, might be calculated to chill the growing
Union sentiment at the South, and his pres
ence among them be far more calculated to
retard than to promote the great leading pur-
pose of this war, viz: restoration Of the
old fraternity which once bound these States
together as with hooks of steel, Hence the
policy Of his retirement now. If my copject-
ures should be correct they will only go TO
prove that Mr.. Lincoln is determined that no
considerations of personal or political regard
shall for moment stand in the way Of the
sole object of the war, viz: the restoration of
the Uaion. ,g0r~MN hwg9Eeg uyeM
1 am informed by those who have every
rightto come to an accurate Judgment in the
premises that the Constitutional amendment
BaI" which has been under discussion for the
past week in the House, is doomed to almost
certain defeat, the SPEECHES, TOO numerous
and altogether of too partizan nature, only
having the effect to consolidate all the ele-
ments Of opposition without gaining friends
tothe measure. You may very safely put the
measure down as suffocated by ver-nursing
on the part Of its friends. 1lrtatqe
The passage, yesterday, in the Senate, of
the bill directing notice to be given or the
abrogation Of the so-called Reciprocity Urea
ty between the us. and Canada, by "a vote
Of 81 IN @ is noeif;vo ;nd;oa.;o,x Il IL,
growing uupopularity of that one sided treaty.
Its abrogation viii be a matter of almost uni
gersal satisfaction. The active sympathy
which the people and authorities OF Conada
have exhibited with the cause of rebellion
since its outbreak, has, mo doubt, caused our
statesmen to look more narrowly into its CO.
equal workings than they would have done
under other circumstanees-b it is time 1t
was repealed. anyhow. -, ~ ~
Your new Senator Hon. Mr.. Farweli) has
already won golden opinions among his col
leagues in the Senate Chamber, for his indus
try aud efficiency in the discharge of his
responsible duties. Mr.. F., as all know, is
an emphatically self-made nau--the sole ar
chiteet of his own fortunes, social, political
and financial. Whilst he makes no pretensions
to the arts and graces of soul-stirring oratory
none to the poetry of mere rhetoric, which
charms at times without convincing--yet
when he chooses to speak, his practical, mat
ter Of fact, white-oak sentences fall upon
needing ears, aud tell with trip-hammer effect.
He is the author Of one bill in particular,
Regulating the number of boys to be enjoyed
on board each merchant vessel which has
been warmly commended by the press in all
the Northern and Eastern States. It's object
is to provide for future supply of we'll
trained seamen, to be employed in our alrea
dy great and growing navy, as future exigen-
cies may require. Mr.. F. may well congratu-
late himself that, during his term Of Senatorial
service, brief as it may be, that he has sue
ceeded in benefcially impressing upon the
legislative history OF his country measures for
which he will receive the thanks Of his con-
stiluents and of the whole country.r1 no i
Among the distinguished citizenslof Maine
now temporarily in Washington are Hon.
Lewis D. Moore, late Assistant Secretary of
State. ao .re91 5..ry54 ssf
LIE weatueI to-uay, aiter ioug series OF
storms, interspersed with an occasional day oil
hard, cold, unrelenting weather, has finally
settled down into spenetential mood and to-
gay We are in the enjoyment of an atmos-
pnere of almost oriental warmth and magni-
ficence. TrnIv AJW /
MAINE soLDIERs.-Mr. George B. French,
VINO recently arrived home from the rebel pris-
on az Florence 5. C., reports the names of the
following Maine Soldiers known to him to
have died at Andersonyille Ga, to WITT
Francis Holden 81 regt; John Rr.c,ov do.
WIN. Conley, Co. +, 9th; George Divine. q,
9th; inflow Walker, |, 9Th Sergt. Peabodv T