The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-27
CUTLER TO WRITE HIS MEMOIRS.
He Will Tell the Truth About Himself, His
Friends, and His Enemies.


He viii Tell the Truth About Himself, Ills
Friends, and His Enemies.
Boston Special to New York Sun.
A reporter of the Herald called on Gen.
b. Z. Butler yesterday, and said: Gen
eral. reports are floating about in thenews-
papers that you are about TO write Incl
dents of your life. N "reminiscences of
public events and the actions of politicians
and parties which have come within your
knowledge and remembrance for the past
half u century"
General Butler-For a number of years I
have been ad vised by friends nearest and
dearest. in whose fl deity and Judgment in
confidence. that, if for no other reason.
it is due TO myself and my children that
l should give as full an account
as needful of the incidents of my action in
the forum. the field and in politics, SO that
the exact facts may be known in Justice to
my memory, and to my children's love. and
that the truth may appear upon record.
answers to the false and malicious state
ments made concerning nearly everything
| have done. engendered, by the yenOmous
hatred of portions of each political party,
because / disagreed with both, INT in the
early days of the war of the rebellion
largely written and published both in this
country and Europe, and paraded to fire
justification of rebellion and treason. 1t
was also deemed by my advisers that l might
be able, by the revelation and substantial
ton of certain political acts and conduct
of some of the leading p%ersonages, as
a part of the secret history of the Republic
not yet made known. to throw a light. even
though In some cases an unpleasant one, on
events, the causes of which are now either
unknown or misunderstood. ! also confess
that L have a personal desire that the true
Inwardness OF the actions of Sole soi-dIsant
saints, martyrs, heroes and generals, who
have figured so dramatically in the history
OF the greatest occurrences in the life of any
nation. as peddled out to magazines at so
many pennies a line. shall be set right by an
impartial statement of the true facts and
incidents of their careers. And for still
higher reasons. that far-reaching foresight,
upright motives and patriotic endeavOrs
which moved other and great men to do
everything. suffer everything, and accom-
pllsh everything for their country, shall be
also set forth and preserved in more endur-
ing form by historical narration to future
generations. who will read the true history
of their country. whenever presented,
after the ephemera of the day. with their
personal illustrations i'll wood cuts. shall
have passed away. l have, therefore, con-
cluded to devote myself. as we'll as | may,
to the elucidatiOn of such matters as will
interest every lover of his country, so he
may learn what happened, and why it hap
pened. before, at, and after the great rebel
lion. hope 1 may write impartially; / shall
try to do that. i have lived beyond all
temptations to do otherwise. / know / shall
write truthfully, for / can do that. / hope
/ shall speak plainly. for ] am accustomed
to do that; and if health and life are spared
me, / hope l shall add to the knowledge of
the civil wal that which shall inspire
loyalty to our country, love to its people,
and terror to future sectional treason for
ever. l may have laid out more than / can
accomplish, but / nave tried TO guard
against that as much as l can, If my
health and strength fail. by leaving all the
material ] can in the hands of one who is
the best historian the country affords.
Reporter-You seem, General. to have
laid out for very considerable labor in your
declining years.
General Butler-Yes, sir: / am afraid more
than l can do. But. as General jackson
put it, when explaining how he was able
after he had received in his arm the bullet
of Colonel Dickinson in their duel coolly to
raise thatarm to kill his ad versary, II be-
lieve | had will enough left to have killed
him if he had shot me through the heart"
And so l think / shall have will enou Oh to
sustain me until l have lone justice to
both my friends and enemies, and espe-
cially the latter. With an accidental ex-
ception, l believe / have in my possession a
copy of every important letter written by
me and to me since 1861, and q knowledge
of topics that will not take q great deal OF
research TO verify.