Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-04-15
,senst Butler and the Devn,

We give below q highly entertaining
sketch Of Butler and the Devil in Wash
incton, together with some crispy criti
ci=ms upon the morality of the men and
women who hang about the modern So
dom. It is almost needless to say that
IJon Piatt Is responsible for it:
rode 20 The Capitol yesterday through
fearful world or dust, There was pull
velizcd continent ahoat or. every square.
To one who has never suffered, no words
can tell the extent, depth ard strength of
this curse, The cruel oppressor of the
Hebrew children who stood out with hard
oned heart, after the punishment of frogs
and nice would have incUntinently come
down before a windy day in Washington.
He would have covered his kingly skull
with sackcloth and ashes to shield him
from the evil, and cried out in a loud
voice at the cussed Jews, Go and be
What with the wide unpaved streets and
avenues, the light sandy soil and winds,
we have the Capitol on the move most of
tho time. There are certain rebellious,
unreconstructed winds in Virginia that
come up every day and meet certain other
IOynl winds from Vermont and Connecticut
that rush down TO Washington, and their
meetings continue in wrath, throwing
dirt 1T each other, very like the Vindictive
Democrats and gaseous Republicans in
Congress. Standing upon the broad steps
that lead TO the Senate Chamber, l saw the
city enve!oped in a gray cloud that rolled
and swelIed and belIied up in wrath, and
felt deep sorrow for the poor people who
go to make up the population of this
dreadful place
Entering the Capitol, l passed along the
wide, beautiful corridor, and for second
glanced at the gorgeous reception room of
the Senate Chamber. 1t was alive with
women, gayly attired-chatting ng-some
merily, and others earnestly with the law
makers of the Senatorial Fog bank. The
gilded walls and frescoed ceiling, from
which tumbied multitude of naked babes
and half dressed females; the tall and wide
mirrors on every hand the soft carpets
and the stunning upholstery, all seemed to
tit and frame in the women who ratified
out their small talk to the dignifed Sena-
tors 10 one who has knocked about this
world a good deal, the character and pur-
suits OF these women we're unmlstakable.
Some were strangers, gazing curiOusly at
the legislative surrounding, but the ma
iOrity were the instruments of the rings
and lobbies that shape and influence legis
Iation so as to fill their pockets with public
plumber.
From the reception-room of the Senate,
through the wide and narrow halls, and
dark passages, through the rotunda to the
hall Of the house, one passes, or meets in
groups or streams, the same material,
garnished by creatures of the male gender,
carrying IN their countenances the same
evidences of prostitution.
[ noticed ali the more closely, for was
on my way to the reporters gallery to hear
4 debate upon the better way to arrest
polygamy in Utah, and legi3late for the
better spread Of morals and Christianity.
In the reporters gallery sat tho Devil. A
quiet, well dressed gentleman
"His jacket was red and his breeches were blue,
With a nice little hole where the tail came
through"
And bis Satanic Majesty had on his coun-
tenance a smile of sardonic satisfaction.
He looked down through the softened
light upon his children, talking and laugh
ing and moving to and fro. They were
the Saints Of the Cave legislating for the
Sinners of Utah. His Majesty laughed a
quiet laugh, scarcely audible, as he watched
the venerable Ben. Butler swing his pom
derous belly over his slender legs, and
Mephlstopheles actually rubbed his deli
cately gloved hands in glee when Benia-
min spoke Of the great Republican party
being committed to this moral move. The
twin relics of barbarism, slavery and poly
gamy, must die together, cried Benjamin.
''Ah, yes," said the Devil, 'and they
die rich and Benjamin administers upon
their estates. [ was with him in New Or
leans, and his co-administrator was J. Will
son Shatfer, Quartermaster. Qdartermas-
tering was good business during the war,
and j. Wilson and old Ben. halved on the
quarterings. It was rich unto fatness.
Now Benjamin, who has moro influence
over Ulysses than any man in the country,
ERpxI