The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1865-03-03
Gen. Butler and the $4,000 of Gold.

Judge Lu"dIuS iclTepOHt, WHO Uas
long been well known to the pubic on the
bench aud in his profession as a LAWYER,
as we'll As in bis association, under the
orders Of the present administration, with
General Dix on the commission relating
to prisoners Of state, has published a let
ter 20 the speaker of the house of repre-
sentativss in reply to the defence Of Gen
Butler, which was made in the house BY
a Massachusetts representative. This let
ter presents a series Of astounding facts
astounding only to those who have beer
in the dark on this sui usject-about the
fifty Thousand dollars in gold which Gen.
Butler appropriated in New Orleans and
Of which very little that was true bu, a
great deal Of falsehooI has been publish
ed. Judge Pierreponts character alone
is sufficient to give the highest Importance
10 hi. statements, but be doe. not leave
the reader to depend on his unsupported
statements. He publishes the whole cor
respondence which has taken place on the
subject between himself ard General But.
Ter, and the history, as furnished by Gen.
Buffers admissions and contradictory
statements at different times, is most re-
markable. We have no space TO 90 over
the whole history. a brief statement, is
all that We can make, |. appears that
Mr.. Smith of the firm Of Sta;.h d Co ban
kerr, was loyal Union man, a banker in
New Orleans, who bad sccumul aed a for
tune bv honest industry, and that on the
approach of the federal troops, fearing
mobs, rio, and pluuder, hs concealed the
gold, which was his own private property,
The result Of years Of labor. Judge Pier
repont etnphalica:ly denies and disproves
a statement published in New York pa
per the other day, that this gold was
"proceeds Of robbery of the United
States MINI lie shows clearly enough
tina, it was the private property of Mr
Smith, who he asserts is a thorough Un>
ion uan Gen. Butler had the books of
Smith examined, and finding that he had
gold, imprisoned him until he diyu'g ged the
place of is concea!mens, whereupon he
wen and seized It.
Gen. Butler adults taking the money.
Then commences the complication. The
question is, what did he do with ii I! The
answer lie, that lie has it to this day ,
What exc.aims the reader Gid lie 80,
pay it over to the government! No. Did
he no. use it to pay troops: No. Did he
not expend ii on government accoun.
No. Is it not mixed up in his accounts
in some way? No. Ii was two years
and n.ne months ago, and he has not ac>
counted to any ore, government or indl>
vidual, up to this dag for tha $50, 900.
1t suddeuI disappeared 1t vanished
from public and private view. /: WAS IL
Smiths vault, of which The masonry vas
taken down TO enable Butler TO get a, it,
and from tue time j: left the vault it has
not been seen, ror has II appeared In any
account or memorandum Of account Of
Butler with government or any one else.
Butler now admits that lie has It. But
did he ALWAYS admit as much
Judge Piarrepont produces letter
OF Ap.Il 2, 1862, which states An exam
ina;lon OF the upert made 10 this depart
meUt by General Butler discioses The fol-
lowing facts that $50 coo in coin in he
possession Of SInith q Co, was seized BY
General Butler, and by him appropriated
towards the pay of the army" So 1t
seems that Gen. Butler reported that be
had used this god to rsy tie army, bat
there 'cas moi a word V truth IN this report
and Butler long since abandoned that
story. lie has been urged again and
again 10 pay the money over TO the gov
ernmeu,, but declines. The reader OF the
letter Of Judge Pierrepont, which is print-
ed n pamphlet form, will bs amused at
the sharp lodges of the Lowell lawyer, and
the ingenuity with which he succeeds IN
evadiug Judge Pierreporl's frank and con-
iiIiug attempts to induce him 10 disgorge
this money eisher TO the government or to
Mr. Smith. Fer the judge reslIy seems
for year or go TO have had confidence
iha. Butler might he induced to pay over
the money. But finally he was compelled
TO sue him here il New York. And then
followed funny incident illustrating the
game of confidence which is played on
some newspapers by Especial dispatches "
Butler left new lo:k for " Washington
Nov. l5lh, aud reached there tie 10Th.
On the next morning, the Eth, The 1rs
tune published Especial from Washing
ton as follows;
"The coppsrhead attachment for Gen.
eral Butler. New Orleans gold will have
10 penetrate the vaults of the United States
Treasury before 1t will be forthcoming,
every dollar being in the keeping Of that
department
The Ifimcs of l1e same morning also
bad a special saying. ...-
" Il is proper to say that tbe gold refer.
red to is in the Treasury of the United
States, aOd ,ha. the plaintiff must seek
redress, if they fee! sggrieved agairs. the
government and no! against Gen. Butl4r
Another paper, friendly to Butler, had
similar Especial We can imagine
Judge Pierrepont's astonishmeut when be
read these bold falsehoods. lie had been
working hard for more than year 10
persuade Butler to pay the money into
the United States Treasury. Ths! WAS all
Mr. Smith or bis counsel wanted him to
90 +; and the coolest deception imaginable
was practiced by the correspondent OF
these three papers, in asserting tha. the
money was Ia the treasury. 1t would ds