Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-18

Mr.. Charles A. Dana, Late Assistant Sec
rstary OF War. on Some Of Mr.. Bon.
Buffers Malice.
From the New York SUM-
II we can Judge by the reports which
from time 10 time appear in the journals,
General b. +. Butler is engaged in. a
very elaborate campaign against Gen.
Dyer, the Chief Of the Bureau OF Ord
nance in the War Department As the
head of an investigating committee.
appointed jointly by the two Houses OF
Congress, General Butler seems to be
not merely inquiring into all the trans-
actions Of the Ordnance Bureau, which
is perfectly right. but waging a personal
quarrel against Gen. Dyer, which is per-
fectly wrong. The fact is, also, that this
distinguished representative OF Massa-
chusetts would have shown nicer sense
of deicacy, not to say more scrupu
lous feeling Of honor, had he retrained
from acting as q member of this com
mittee at all for the reason that he can
not help appearing there ms one who
seeks to redress private grievances
through a public agency.
While commanding in the army, Gen
eral Butler had constant differences with
the Ordnance Bureau under General
Ripley and General Ramsey, as well as
General Dyer he was great iancier
of new-fangled artillery, aud repeatedly
used his power as a commanding officer
10 purchasc arms like the Sawyer can
non and the Gatnell coffse-mill rifle bat
terry, which the Ordnance Bureau did not
approve, and has never consented to pay
for. Probably, at this moment, bills for
such arms are pending to the amount OF
$50. 900, contracted by General Butler,
and never paid, because they were con-
tracted without proper authority.
Now. we are far from saying that but
for these events General Butler would
have pursued any other course In the
premises than he is now pursuing. We
do not mean even to intimate that had
the officers of the Ordnance Bureau pur-
chased all the warlike engines he took
fancy to, and approved and paid his bills,
instead of leaving them as they are, dis
allowed by the War Department, and
forming sort of debt against General
Butler himself, he would not have en-
gagged in the present investigation. In
deed. we trust he would have set it on
foot and made it quite as thorough and
searching as possible, for such examina-
tions are always wholesome. But, in that
event, no one could have suspected him
of any persanal bitterness, which, con-
sidering the antecedents we have men
toned, is not the case now.
As for General Dyer, we have no fear
hut that he will come out safe from the
ordeal of any inquiry into his actions.
Devoting talents of the highest order to
the public service for very limited com
pensation, he has disbursed millions du-
ring the past seven years, and is still
poor man. He may have been mistaken
some times, but possibly, in regard to the
weapons of Sawyer and Gatnell, his judg.
ment was not so good as that of General
Butler. These are questions which only
experts can decide, and about which the
highest authorities will differ. But with
regard to professional ability and person
al integrity, we are confident that
neither ingenuity or malice can ever fix
stain upon the honorable reputation OF
the Chief of Ordnance.