New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-27


g 50 oes..i:a. & =. .a.ses y. .s..,s.,s.s
II. Drotksr = tbs z6rada2ion * intxodneing 4
That il not true. On NO occasion, till til,
seventh instant, did he, when Offering ,
resolution, or In auv other way, state \tt
the Senate or elsewhere publicly any fact
concerning General Butler, AZ recounted By
Mr.. Brother, or anybody else, as the foun
dation for introducing resolution or other
wise. He says: ts
A few days after having moved this resolution :
second time, received .discourteous note IRON
i General Butler. 80 g.y
It is not true that he ever moved the
resolution second time. 1t is not true
that he received aisconrteous note from
General Butler, although he did receive
note, which / will ask to have read IN
moment from the Globe, which Davis him
self at the time pronounced one that every
man would write under the circumstances
l. Thereupon Che says) pronounced General But
Ter . military plunderer, and that his cowardice
shame and dishonor upon his country. its govern
ment and arms at Big Bethel, New Orleans and
Wilmington.
1t is not true that he pronounced in the
Senate that General Butler was q military
plunderer, md that his cowardice and in.
competence az commander had brought
shame and dishOnOr upon his country, ite
| government, and arms, at Big Bethel, New
Orleans and Wilmington. He never men
toned in the Senate Big Bethel, New Or
leans or Wilmington in connection with
General Butler. 1t was not possible, in
the nature of things, that he could have
spoken OF Wilmington, because the last
mention, till the present month, Mr.. Davis
made Of General Butler in the Senate was
on the eighth day of June, 1864, and Gen
eral Butler had never been at WHINING ton,
or within two hundred miles of it, during
the war, until December, 1864, more than
six months afterward, when he commanded
the Fort Fisher expedition.
have taken, 40 far, only Mr.. Davis own
account of his own acts. Many things can
be pardoned for the failure Of memory in
old age. But failure Of memory is the in
ability to recall what has in fact happened,
not the ability to recall what never dfd and
never could happen. So there is no refuge
for the falseh0Ods Of Mr.. Davis by the most
charitable allowance for his increasing in
frmities. s..=.-,
beg now to read from the Globe exactly
what, and all every word Mr.. Davis did say,
which will show that the denials Of his
truthfulness just made by me are absolutely
correct, and that the statements made by
himself Of his own supposed d0ings are as
absolutely untrue.
On the thirty first day of May, 1864, Mr..
Davis, without a. word Of preface, intro
duced q resolution in manner following.
quote from the Globe:
Mr.: Davis 4 submit The following resolution,
which ask to have read and printed
public prints and other modes that when the lead,
ers OF the recent rebellion were engaged in plot
ting SPd maturingit. BENJAMIN ?. Butler was cog
INFANT Of and privy to their reasonable purposes,
and gave them his countenance, sympathy and
support, and that be. tho said Butler, after some
of the rebel States had publshed ordnaneesAof se-
cession, turned against the cohspirators whom he
the Jnssa States s sn.Ss
objects, and that after hS was appointed to, and
while he was acting in the military service he was
guilt, q se. Sss
ton and embezzlement against the United States
and many acte Of ext0rtion plumber, despoliati0n
oppression ana cruelty asainat individuals; there
BE it resolved, That the President Of the Senate
such charges agans: Che ssd Bue tSst sa "a
COMMITTEES have power to SIT during the recess Of
the Senate. to employ clerk, to send for persons
its proceedings to the next session Of the Senate
Mr.. Wilson IL object to the cOnsderatiou or
The President ppo tempore: Objection helm,
made, 1t will lie over.
No further action or debate was asked or
had upon that resolution until on the eighth
day of June-nine days after.
Senator Harris, having called up his bill
and being about to put it on its passa re.
Mr.. Davis rose and said:
Will the Senator from New York allow me a
moment to say . word personal to myself!
MI. Harris: have no objection. p
J MI. Davis: have received letter, which will
read to the Senate: -
HEADQUARTERS IN THE FIELD, :
.us5Ne4 June 3, 1864. s
SIR have read your resolution of inqulry You
can do me no greater favor than to have every act
of my political life, which began on the frat Thea
day Of November. 1889. and ended on the fifteenth
DAY o. fb april lssi most thoroughly scrutnssd
official life which began ~ hgadier general OF the
Massachusetts militia April Is, 1861 and viii end
Ike examination. have no favors to ask, and but
one act of justice, that the inquistion may not be-
Your obedient servant,
Major General United States Volunteers
Garrett Davis, ESQ.,. Member Of the Senate of the
United States from kentucky" \
This letter 10 couched In terms which every man
would suppose an individual. conscious of his m
nocence and resenting lmputations against him,
precate General Butler in my estimation, and are
somewhat prima facie evidence of his innocence
He may be innocent Of the charges imputed in the
not be innocent. had no personal information on
have no personal preiudic. .rar.4 f,a,.-.,prt
Ter. never saw him that am conscious Of Il he
and all men against whom such charges can be
made can challenge, in the Indignant terms that be
uses an Investigation 10 me it would afford salts
pulse or disposition to have an innocent man pun
ished, nor an innocent man charged; and 1t always
affords me pleasure for man who ID charged and
who il innocent to have IN opportunity and be
able to exculpate himself.
General Butler says in this letter that he had
terms and 'edeots He 10 aman Of ability and large
experience, and no doubt Of parliamentary Iearninr
and fully and correctly appreciates the appeNpYian
effect OF the resolution If it should pass He NOT
only, in this letter. desrcA but he challenges in
vestigatiOn and scrutiny. Of course he invites It
according to the terms Of tho resolution which
have offered. That resolution 10 that select com.
mttee Ofthree he raised BY tho chair to
the conduct OF General Butler according to tlle
terms expressed In the resolution; that it have
power to sit during vacation Of the Senste and to
Butler to have accepted the gage, and to take It
up just in tho form in which It has been rendered
to him. Now, sir, - Senator and as . man. feel
perfectly confident to do General Butler Justice in
this matter; to enter upon the investigation and
be collected with an entirely Just Judgment; and
to render him Justice according to the truth of his
case = !
therefore hope, in obedience I'd his wishes and |
request that the Senate will permit the resolution
to be read that they will vote upon it without any
thorize the committee TO be raised; and authoriz
it to proceed to the execution Of the matters
which the resolution would charge it with as
General Butler seems to desire I therefore
ask that the reDaution be read and that the SEN
ate pass it. - = : |
Mr. Harrfs: hope that will be postponed unit,
after have passed my bill.
A.. The President pro tempore: The question is ON
the motion OF the Senator from New York.
So the matter naseed nv hecauae being |