Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-01-12

of New Orleans. fOr the next twenty
months General Butler was the most
talked about and most thoroughly hated
man in America. He has undoubtedly
been threatened with sudden death oftener
than any other man in the world, except
the czar of Russia but verified the proverb
| by living long
| His first important act was to seize $780,
600, which had been deposited in the office
of the Dutch CONSUL on the ground that it
was for Confederate uses. With this and
money subsequently obtained by "asking
banks and merchants" for an amount equal
to what they had subscribed for the Con-
federacy, he fed and provided for the poor of
the city and paid for administering the local
government. On the 18th of May he issued
the famous "Order 49," known as the
"Woman Order,"t to the effect that "any
female who shall by word, gesture or move
ment insult or show contempt for any of
ficer or soldier of the United States, shall
be- regarded and held liable to be treated
as woman of the town plying her voca-
ton"
No Prayer for JEFF Davis.
Another order (No. 81 commanded the
pastors to keep their churches open, and
forbade "a day of fasting and prayer for
one Jefferson Davis" On the 7th of June
William Munford was hanged for having
torn down the Amer q flag from its place
on the mint. For the : and other acts JEFF
ferson Davis offered reward for Buffers
capture.
He began his political life as an ardent
opponent of the somewhat aristocratic fed
aralism then prevalent in New England,
and soon earned the reputation of being Il
"leveling Democrat of the most vulgar
type"
In that era Butler was stigmatized as an
"Old Hunker Democrat of the worst sort ~
AS such he ran twice for governor of Mas
sachusetts and was overwhelmingly de-
feated-it gave him control of the federal
patronage of the state, though-and in 1860,
us delegate to the Charleston convention,
he voted fifty.two times for jefferson Da-
Wis.
In 1865 he was elected to congress by the
Republicans, but though he struggled long
and earnestly for it they would never give
him the governorship. In congress he was
hard and successful fighter till the Hayes
administration came in; then the issue on
which he had fought seemed to become OBJ
solete all at once, and on the new issues he
was sngularly unfortunate.
In 1882 there was "A CLEAN of success; by
combination of Democrats and Green.
/ hackers he became governor of Massa
chusetts, His term as governor was pic
turesque throughout Thereafter he
ranked as what one might call an Inde
pendent Democratic Labor Greenbacker.
Butler as n Lawyer.
! Whenever Benjamin F. Butler was not
lighting as soldier or in the political arena
lie practiced law, and his reputation in this
profession was that of an extremely shrewd
and able man. Very early in his career he
gained reputation as a skillful cross eX-
aminer. Volumes might be filled with
amusing. stories of the encounters between
severe lawyers and the 'smart witness" "
and Buffers career would furnish many.
His early practice was largely for the
poor, but since the war he has earned in
some years as much as $3.50, ,0O0 in fees, his
fee in one case being 100000 The more
intricate and difficult the case, the better
he seemed to relish it. His mind, fully
equipped with all legal weapons. raced
over every commonplace road leading to
probable victory and then found enjoy
ment in seeking out the most extraordinary
path, and if the same result could be
reached by that course, General Butler
took it with the greatest delight,
Later Controversies.
General Butler came out of the war with
the largest and most varied assortment of
animosties of any federal general, and
many a time he had to fight in the courts.
in congress or the newspapers to vindicate
his action. One Lester, of Richmond
brought suit against him for 100000 dam
ages for false imprisonment, but the gen
eral came out victor His rule at New Or
leans was the source of surprisingly few
suits; but in the cases of the foreign con
suls the Washington government generally
yielded the point without controversy
His acrimonious contest with Admiral
ID. ID. Porter was at its worst when the ad
mral died. and it is not well to reopen it
The public has not rendered its verdict
but most of the veterans of the army anG
navy showed their good sense by refusing
to take part in it, and General Sherman
expressed the feelings of all when he sale
that the affair brought him nothing bu
sorrow The one remarkable fact in al
the controversies is the marvellous amount
OF evidence General Butler always hat
ready
Buffers Children.
1t is not the least of the Butler paradoxe,
that the stern old lawyer, general and poll
ticia J, VINO had more fights of one sort OF
announcer probabiy than any man of his age
snoulu De the father OF two persons lovet
or admired by all who knew them Their
was time when Miss Blanche Butler wa
certainly the most popular young lady in
Washington. Poets and correspondent
celebrated her beauty and winning wavs
and she might easily have become the eade
of brilliant social circle
She married General Adelbert Ames ,vb,
was for a very brief space rather the mos
noted-at any rate most criticised-man i,
the United States, for he was governor n
Mississippi during he troubled year of 1875
He was graduated from West Point il
, 1861 and won high honors in the war, be
} ing twice promoted for conspicuous gal
lantry; but, like many other soldiers. HI
was not success in governing a region
that was in state of practical anarchy
He resigned the governorship and returned
to the north and the quiet walks of an ex
, tremely private life. Mrs. Ames has de
, voted much of her time of late years to he
father. Those who meet Paul Butler TO
, lr saI