The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-09

| Butler is one of the most methodical OF
workers, and he understands how to avail
himself of all means for tightening the
drudgery Of work For many years he has
dictated all his correspondence and briefs,
and from the time he left the army he pos
sessed in private secretary named Major
a most invaluable assistant.
1t is with the aid of secretaries and by an
economy of time that Gen. Butler has al
ready been able to do so much work upon
these memoirs, From a money point OF
view it is believed that the memoirs would
be most successful of any written by per
sons who obtained prominence during the
war, excepting Gen. Grant. Butler, I'M
like all of the others who have had a story
to tell of army experiences, had already at
tanned notoriety, and had come in contact
with many of the foremost men of the day
before the war broke out His aggressive
personality, his striking audacity, his brill
fancy and his fear of no man had made his
life down to 1851 an experience which, if
he tells it with that anecdotal charm in
which he talks in private, would read like
romance.
He had before the war been in close rela-
lions with the southern Democratic lead
ers, knew Jefferson Davis intimately and
was anxious that Davis should be nom
mated for president of the United States at
the Charleston convention of 1860. Butler
was then only 40 years of age, but he had
already achieved a national reputation.
When the war came on there was a splen-
did opportunity for his peculiar genius. If
he tells in his memoirs the story of how he
opened new communication from Wash
ington to the north by way Of Annapolis,
he will tell story to the public with
which he has thrilled many of his friends.
If he describes how, by the use of single
word, he settled what promised to be
cause of infinite trouble in the early part
of the war, as he described it to the present
writer, he will furnish a most graphic and
entertaining narrative; for it was he who
solved what seemed to be an insolvable
problem regarding the <eatment of runa-
way slaves by calling them contrabands of
war, so that the word contraband came af-
terward into universal use in describing
this class.
If he tells how he declined an offer Of
the vice presidency, rendered to him at Mr..
Lincoln's request in the summer of ga, and
declined it with joke, as he narrated the
story to group of friends at little din
ner in Boston some years ago, he will tell
story both interesting and most valuable
contribution TO history. He has already
written very brief account of this scene,
but in his memoirs he viii probably tell ii
in all its details. Had he accepted that
proposition he would have been nomina-
ted. and of course he, instead of Andrew
Johnson, would have become president
an event which would have been of vast
consequence to the country.
Gen. Butler has bean In some doubt as to
whether he should tell some of the inside
history of the great impeachment trial Of
Andrew johnson, of which he was one of
the managers If he decides in the affirma-
tive, as he probably will, very important
chapter will be added to the history of that
sensational event
Gen. Buffers experience in politics in
congress, his almost whimsical canvass for
governor of Massachusetts,, when he was
defeated, and the other highly interesting
canvass which he personally conducted,
and which resulted in his election, pro-
duced many remarkable adventures, and
the anecdotes which he is able to tell there
of will not only be interesting in them
selves but will reveal side lights upon the
character of public men which will be in
teresting and of value to history There
are some OF his experiences which will be
sure to give rise to contention, and that is
something which no man who has ever
lived more greatly enjoys than Gen. But
Ter. He is a fair fighter, but he is hard
one. Some idea can be obtained of the
controversies likely to arise from the fact
that In speech year or two ago he init
mated that Admiral Porter on one occa-
sion had shown cowardice during a naval
fight, and a most heated controversy fol-
lowed. Probably nobody viii take greater
delight in the publication Of these volumes
than Gen. Butler himself, and it has
pleased him to learn from publishers that
public interest in his memoirs is sure to be
so great that they feel authorized in offer
ing him very large pecuniary temptations
for the privilege OF publishing the book.
K j EDUAPOS