Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-05-20
The Douah-Face Still Abroad.
(From Wing and Courier, May IS

(From Wing and Courier, May 49,
In its eagerness to grovei at the feet of
this I'm American and Union soldier hat
ing administration, the Boston Herald
attempts to discredit New England rep
resentative who was an officer in the Tn
ion navy, by giving editorial prominence
in its Thursdays issue, to the following
contemplate and lying statement con-
corning an entirely private and social visit
Of Mr. Boutelle to Fort Myer last winter
as the guest of Washington friends
"Apropos to Admiral Meades reflection
on Secretary Herbert, the Washington
correspondents are telling of a similar
performance by Captain Boutelle, whose
hatred of Confederate brisadiers is said
to be as intense as Admiral Meade's. Cap
tain Boutelle was invited, with some ladies'
and gentlemen, to go to Fort Myer across
the Potomac, to see the cavalry drill Sec.
rotary Herbert was one of the guests. In
fact, the party was arranged in his honor.
Herbert and Boutelle had served together
on the naval affairs committee and had
been good friends, therefore the army
officer who rode in the carriage with the
congressman was very much surprised at
what occurred when they reached the
bridge leading to the fort Mr. Herbert s
carriage was in the rear, and the officer
suggested that they would have to wait
for the secretary to come up and take pre-
cedence in the entry. Boutelle refused to
do So He would not stand about wait
ing for a Confederate Drigadier to lead the
way into q Federal fort. The secretary
came up, drove into the fort and was
greeted with salute of seventeen guns
If any one had told me thirty years ago
that it would come to this Captain
Boutelle exclaimed bitterly, and kept it up
until the ladies made so much fun of him
that he was laughed to standstill
1t seems about time for some one to
seize by the collar and drag into the light
some of the creatures who ambuscade be-
hind what they call 'impersonal journal
ISM" while they violate with IMMUNITY
every sanctity of private life, and outrage
every personal right of any individual
selected for their assault 1t is difficult
to fix personal responsibility for this sort
of nastiness in a Mugwump newspaper
and as the managing editor, Mr.. John
II. Holmes, Is the only person whom
know to be connected with the publication
of the Herald, 1 take occasion to say
directly to him that his paper has editori-
ally published statement that no one
but blackguard could have written, and
that no decent editor would know ngly
have published.
Either there is some person enjoying
access to the editorial columns of the
Herald whom he should promptly dismiss
in disgrace or he must assume RESPONSE
bility for an offence against truth and de-
cency that should close the doors of re-
spectacle society against the person guilty
of it. l have no interest in the location
of the personality of the culprit, but so
far as the public is concerned 1 propose
that one man shall be held sponsor for
the slander, until he repudiates it and its
author as conspicuously as my own name
has been paraded in false statement in
his columns.
The only truth In the whole story is in
the fact of private party, of whom Mr..
Boutelle was one, having driven across
the Potomac in the private carriages of
Washington friends to witness the cavalry
drill. No suggestion was made to any
body about waiting for the secretary"
who was in another carriage some dis
lance behind MIR. Boutello had nothing to
do with the movements of the carriage, in
which he was guest; he made no remark
about refusing to &C. let Confederate briga-
der lead the way into a Federal fort, !"
and the only thing upon which this mis-
cradle Islander could have been builded
was quiet, personal remark of Mr.. Bou-
telle to brother officer OF the Union SER
vice, that the salute to Secretary Herbert
suggested some remarkable changes since
the time when Confederate soldiers were
manning the batteries on this side of the
Potomac. This very natural remark
was made in n private party Of four per-
sons in carriage on the road leading to
the grounds Of Fort Myer and Arlington
cemetery, where the countless graves of
the Union dead furnish a constant re-
minder of the most terrible rebellion of
modern times.
If such a remark as that, so wildly sug-
gested by the surroundings, has been
caught up by some eaves-dropper, Mr..
Holmes will find that the decent people
of New England and elsewhere will hold
in merited contempt the sort of journal
ISM that makes it the pretext for
sneaking SANDER upon a member of the
United States Congress who has never
yet hesitated to express in the most open
and unequivocal manner his sentiments
and convictions as to what constitute pat
riotism and Americanism.
The Boston Herald will also discover
that the dough face business has been
very much overdone.
c. A. Boutelle.