Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-06-05
Butter on his Sarcasm.
His Advice to Marshal Pitkin OF Louis
lana.

WASHINGTON, ID. g., May 20, 1871.
Ny Dear Pitkin have yours OF the
18th inst. informing me that when you
were in Washington, both the President
and Mr.. Devens, the encouragement,
gave you substantial assurance that you
would not be disturbed in your office as
United States marshal, being native OF
the state of Louisiana and a good Repub-
lican, and against whom no official NAL
feasance or personal dereliction from the
path of right had been shown, and who,
therefore, came eminently within the pro-
visions of the civil-service reform, which
is the cornerstone, as | understand 1t, OF
our Republican administration. l am
certain, therefore that the President and
Attorney general would never have asked
your resignation of the office OF Marshal,
as you say they have done, in cOntraven-
ton of their assurance and in disregard
of the principles Of civil service reform.
| am bound, therefore, from what | know
of both these gentlemen, to believe that
they intend in good faith to carry out
their assurance and preserve their prinei-
Piles.
One fault which find with your letter
is that YOU do not make sufficient allow
ance for political necessities and entangle-
ments by which good men are compelled
to DO that which they would rather not
10. 1t is an open sesret here, as | am
Informed, that Col. Wharton, your COM
petitor, aided Mr.. McVeigh, one Of the
commissioners at New Orleans, very large
" in getting portion Of the members Of
the Republican Legislature to desert from
Packard and 90 over to Nichols, by
which q returning board Legislature was
put under the control Of Nichols, and
then that Legislature enabled the COM
mission to advise that, as the Legislature
had recognized the Nichols government,
the President was bound to withdraw the
troops. Ii also asserted that $4,000 was
to be paid to the leading DESERVING legis-
lotors, and only 5000 to others, disguised
in the latter case in the shape Of mileage,
so that Mr.. johnson, 4 colorcd man speak
inc out of the innocence Of his heart, said
on the floor of the House, that all he
wanted was to get his mileage and 90
home. Ii Is also asserted here that Col
Wharton, being the instrument selected
by Mr.. McVeigh to do this piece Of busi-
ness, had his promise of being made
marshal if he successfully accomplished
1t. Now Wharton performed his side Of
the bargain, and | think you are very I'M
reasonable in directing that the admins
tration should carry out their side Of it,
or at least do the best they can so to do
Ii ought to satisfy Wharton that they
have asked you to resign and you won't,
and therefore they have done the best
they could to make good McVeigh's barg-
ain, and as they can't Wharton ought to
be satisfied, precisely ike my friend Gen
Garfield, who having done his best and
succeeded in electing Mr.. Stanley Matth-
ewS to the Senate, at the request Of the
president, as it Is said, on the agreement
that the president would make him speak
er of the House Of Representatives, will
have to be, and ought to be, satisfied with
a fair, honest and hearty endeayor on
the part of the preSiden: to do all he can
to make him speaker, and if he fails Gar
field will have nobody to blame but him
self for not remembering that "a bird in
the hand Is worth two in the bush"
Now, my dear Mr.. Pitkin, | call upon
YOU, by the love you bear to the Repub-
ican party and Its principles, in memory
Of the many sacrifices you have made dur
ing and since the war Us 4 Union man in
Louisiana, for the safety OF the country,
and not for the sake of holding office un-
der the United States, not to throw any
impeachment in the way of the Presidents
fulfilling all these bargains which his sub
ordinateS made, as necessary steps in
inaugurating his Southern policy, which
Is to be Of so great and incaicuable ad-
vantage not only TO tina party which you
love so well, but also to the country, for
the union and pacifcation of which you
have given the best days of your man
hood. | write thus to you because |
thought | detected in your note to me an
unreasonable tone of complaint that you
are thus TO be sacrificed. Remember that
Abraham was about to sacrifice his only
son, Isaac, the child Of his old age, TO
what he believed 10 be the will of God
and the necessities Of his people, and the
Good Book does not make mention Of any
unreasonable complaints or outcries Of
Isaac on the occasion and so, when you
find the President, in obedience to the
call Of the country and the public ext
geney for its pacifcatiOn, deems it neces-
sary 20 sacrifice you, and take away your
office and give it to one who wore the gray
when you stood in the blue, you ought
not to kick aud squirm any more than
Isaac did when he lay upon the altar
under the knife of his father, Abraham.
| am sorry that | cannot write you any
other words Of consolation, but such as |
have | give unto you.
l am yours truly,
BENJAMIN +. BUTLER.
J. h. G. Pitkin, Esq, United States
Marshal, New Orleans, La.