Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-12-16
Butler 70 Greeley.


than the reply of General Butler to Horace
Greeley. Mr.. Greeley, 1t will be remembered,
in q letter in the Tribune to General b., read
the latter lesson upon what he ought and ought
not to do in the matter of reconstruction. GEN
eral Butler apologies for not answering soondt,
on the ground that he awaited the result OF the
elections in Texas and Tennessee to instruct him
more fully upon the state of the public mind in
the rebellious States, because (dig Number 1,)
ssI had in your epistle an awful example Of the
futility of discussion without knowledge"
He denies that he is identified, as charged by
Greeley, with policy which "prolongs indeti-
nitely the prescription and acknowledgements of
a large portion of the men of the South for
their part in the late rebellion" and says: "I
would not prolong an hour the acknowledgements
of any man who has fully repented of the part
he took in the rebellion, and who hereafter in
tends to remain good and patriotic citizen of
this country"
He holds to the opinion that the leaders who
misled their communities, and brought war, with
all its attendant evils, upon the country, should
have been punished, as examples to deter others
in like case of offending, but that 1t is too late
now to make such opinions operative, as "aIl
idea of punishment, either as retributive JUS
tice for crime upon the individual offender or
example to deter others from like treasons and
fel0nies, went out when he who, when the war
began. cried loudest "On to Richmond!, to
crush the rebellion, to the sacrifice of the lives
of thousands of his fellow-citizens ere peace
was had and the grass had grown green over
their graves, became sponsor and mainprize for
the arch traitor Of Richmond, who, to sustain
the rebellion, starved to murderous death other
thousands of his fellow-citizens in the prison.
pens of Belle Isle and Andersonville.r
He OBJ is willing that bygones shall be by
cones with ex-rebels, and repentant rebel States
ready to accept the situation with good faith;
but is opposed to the present rebel who is only
restrained by the strong arm Of the Government
from showing the intensity Of his hate toward
the Cnion- He is anxious for the adoption of
the fifteenth amendment, not on the low ground
Of mere party success, as urged by Mr.. c., but
As measure of justice and right. Therefore.
my dear Mr.. Greeley" says the General-and IL
may he noted that whenever he thus designates
his opponent, which happens pretty often i'm the
course of the epistle, he straightway smites
him vieiously under the ribs-s.therefore, INV
dear Mr.. Greedy, am much more anxious that
the fifteenth amendment shall be enforced in
good faith in letter and spirit in the Southern
States, whereby life and liberty alone can be
secured after its Passage, than that it should be
passed ard then not there enforced, although
its passage may give the Republicans some votes
IN the Northern States, thus making the amend
ment simply political engine.''
he reminds Greeley as illustrating the diff
ference between the adoption and the enforce
ment of a constitutional provision that tn aa
vice of the Tribune in regard to the conduct of
matters in Georgia had been followed resulting
in ousting of the Colored members of the Leyisla-
ture; the murder of a Republican Senator and
three Representatives; United States assessors
dri mt of
and so many outrages committed that General
Terry, the commanding general, states that
life and property in Georgia are unsafe. Gen.
Butler pounces savagely upon Greeley's panacea
Tor all political evils universal amnesty and
universal suffrage" and contrasts the bad con-
dition Of affairs in Tennessee, where that
"panaeea' was faithfully applied, with Mssis-
s1ppi and Texas, where we have had loval gen.
erals with military government holding bad
and raitorous men, filled with hate to the Gov
eminent, away from the polls, and letting the
true men vote. The fifteenth amendment will
be adopted in both those States, and there they
have neither universal amnesty nor universal
suffrage" General Butler thinks Greeley's
judgment has been warped by the ssnorous
sounding of the two universal in the phrase,
and adds with snap disqualification is one OF
the arts of rhetoric TO delude weak mindsn
He declines the invitation of Mr.. Greeley to
place himself at the head of a movement look
ing TO the instant and complete removal of all
political disabilities whatever from any and
every one who favors, or shall favor, the
fifteenth amendment, and declares positively
that he does not propose to restore to the priv
ileges of citizenship and give political power to
every traitor and rebel who favors the fifteenth
amendment, if convincedthat he favors it simply
for the purpose of getting such restoration, and
intends, as soon as he obtains it and gets where
he feels himself beyond the reach of Congress,
to turn around and abrogate the fifteenth
amendment, as was done in the case of Georgia
with the fourteenth amendment, and Cypress
the colored men and loyal white men of the
South.
The verdict of the people upon the respective
views held by Mr.. Greeley and himself he inti-
mates was shown by the result when they were
candidates for Office, he OBJ getting-despite
The opposition of the TriJHRe-a larger relative
vote than was ever given a Republican candi-
date in his district, while Greeley failed in his
own State, supported by the Tribune, aided
by the prestige of a most popular general of the
war as yOke-fellOw, supported by the New York
Sxs, d" paper which is the most bitter oppo-
nent of Gen. Grants AdminiStra.ion-to obtain
which support you are said to have sacririced
your friend and henchnan at the bidding of its
Ms
Continuing in this savage vein, General B.
says, in conclusion
with your magnanimity and universal am
nesty and universal suffrage" fully understood,
and ably presented by your friends, a. well a
by the enemies of the Republican party AMI
more particularly by the latter; with the fac
smile OF the bail-bond of Jeff. Davis widely pub
ilshed during the canvass, showing that You
manifested your ''faith by yOur works. vet
what must have been to your intense gratiiica-
ton, running the lowest on your ticket in the
Republican counties Of the State of New York
where Republican majorities were given for the
friends OF the Administration by an honest AMI
Just ballot But in the Democratic wards of
new YORK, where you yourself insist the most
outrageous frauds upon the Republican voters
were perpetrated; where the adherents of the
principal on your bond were in the greatest
maJorlties; where the murderers of the oolored
orphan children, and burners OF their asylums
m the draft riots of 1858, had full possession OF
The polls you led every one on YOUR ticket as one
could have easily foreseen. Ii was not you dear
SIR, but your riers. that run I'm that contest
-'Let US have peace"
Ii Is needless TO add that this caustic and
characteristic reioinder by General Butler is
the topic Of conversation about the capitol to-
day.