Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-04-03

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himself of all means for tightening the
drudpery 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 a private secretary named MAJOR
a most invaluable assistant
It. 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 IL 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, UNI
like all of the others who have had story
to tell of army experiences, had already at
tanned notorety, 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
iancy and his fear of no man had made his
/ life down to 1861 an experience which, II
/ he tells it with that anecdotal charm In
which he talks in private, would read IKE
a romance.
He had before the war been in close rela-
tions 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 43 years Of age, but he had
already achieved a national reputation
When the war came on there was SPLEEN
did opportunity for his peculiar genius. II
he tells in his memoirs the story of how be
onened A 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 a
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 NARRATIVES; for it was he who
solved what seemed to be an insolvable
r problem regarding the treatment OF runa
way slaves by calling them contrabands o.
y war, so that the word contraband came AT
o. teryyard into universal use in describing
this class.
g If he tells how he declined an offer o
~ the vice presidency, rendered to him at Mr.
+ Lincoln's request in the summer of '64, AM
e declined it with joke, as he narrated tn
story to a group of friends at little din
Il ner In Boston some years ago, he will tell
o. story both interesting and a most valuabl
e contribution to history. He has alread
Il written a very brief account of this scene
but in his memoirs he will probably tell
in all its details. Had he accepted tina
O proposition he would have been nominf
Il ted, and of course he, instead of AndreN
johnson, would have become president
Il an event which would have been Of vas
n consequence to the country.
Gen Butler has been in some doubt as
4 whether he should tell some of the insid
n history of the great impeachment trial &
T., 81 xK-li bp q
If the managers. If he decides in the affirmi
=. tive, as he probably will, very importan
Ie chapter will be added to the history of tina
! sensational event.
u Gen. Buffers experience in politics /
congress, his almost whimsical canvass fo
governor of Massachusetts,, when he wa
d defeated, and the other highly interestin
s. canvass which he personally conducted
he and which resulted in his election, pr
duced many remarkable adventures, an
ii Intermediates which he is able to tell Their
la of will not only be interesting in then
J. selves but will reveal side lights upon tn
character of public men which will be il
of teresting and Of value to history Thel
I'd are some of his experiences which will
of sure to give rise to contention, and that
something which no man who has ev'
no lived more greatly enjoys than Gen. Blu
a Ter. He is fair fighter, but he is a han
one. Some idea can be obtained of Il
controversies likely to arise from the fla
- that in a speech a year or two ago he int
mated that Admiral Porter on one occ
sion had shown cowardice during nav
0r fight, and most heated controversy fC
ci' lowed. Probably nobody will take great
delight in the publication Of these volum
)m than Gen. Butler himself, and it h
JUS pleased him to learn from publishers tn
oe public interest in his memoirs is sure to
so great that they feel authorized in off
ing him very large pecuniary temptatio
for the privilege Of publishing the book.
he L ] EDwARns