General Butler Explains His Famous "woman" Order

The foJlowing is a private letter froiu ■ en. Butler to a fríeud in Boston, cx)laining the motives Whicb mjuccd tilla i his fanious " Wflimatl" order : EADQUAETKRÜ Dl 1' AIIT.M!N"T IK ÏIIi: G ILF, ) A'i:v Oui.eans, July 2. ) My DeaR Siii - I am 13 jculous of tho ooil opinión of my friènds na I ain ; crs of the slauders of my eoèmles, aud our kind esjircssioiü; i:i regard' to Orer No. 8 lead me to say a word to you n the subject. That it ever could have been so mis oneeived as it has been by somo porlons oí' the ïi ■ji-thcrn press is wonderiul, nd would lcad ono to cxchiim with the ew, " O, Fátlier Abraham, what Chrisiana thcác are, whosc own hard dealings oach ihem to suspect the very thoughts of others " What was the stato of things to which tho Wiiman order applied ? We wero two thousaud five hundred men in a city several railes long by two to four wide, of a hundred and fitïy th(ius:uid inliabitauts, all hostile, bittar, defiant, explosivo, standing luerally on a inaguziije; a spark only uecded tor destmetion. Tlio dtvil had entered the hearts of the ivomcii of this town (you kuow buven of thern chose Mary Magdaleu for i residence), to stir up strife in every way possible. Every opprobrious epithet, every insulting gesturj was made, by these bfjeweled, becriuolined and belaeed creatures, calliug themselves ladies, towards my soldiers and oiiieers, froni tiie windows of housen and in the streets. How long do you suppose our ilesh and blood could have stood this without retort. That would lead to dis turbanee and riot, from which we must citar the streets with artillery - and then a howl that ivc murdered these fine women. I had arrested the men who hurrabed for Beaui'egavd. Oould I arrest tho wouieu ? No. What wa? to be dono '! No order could be made save oue that would exeeute itsjlf. " Womeu who insult my soliurs are to beregarded and treated as coimnon women plying their vocation." l'riiy iiow do you treat a coiimon woman plying her vocaiion in the ttreets ? You pass her by unhecded.' She cannot insult you. As a gentleman you can aDd will take no notico of hor. It is only wlien she beeomes a contiuuous and positivo nuisanee that you cali a watch uan and give hor in charge to hiin. Uut Bouaè of the tiörthern editora seem o think tliat whencver onc meets such a woman, ono must stop ber, talk with ler, insult her, ur hold dallhmco with icr, and so from thoir oflii eonduot tkey construed iny order. Tbe editor of tho Boston Courier may bö deaï with coimuon woinen, and out of the abundanco of the heart hismouthmay speak - but so do uot I. Why, these sho adders of New OrleaDS ,liemselvcs wero at o;ieo shamcd intQ iropriety of r-onduet by the order, and .'rom tlmt d;iy no wónriari has oither insultcd or iinnoyed any live soldier or ofiicer, and of a certaiiity no soldier has iasulteil any woroan. Whén I pafsed tbrougb Bultimore on Pebruary lust, mc'nibi iny stail' were insultad by ihe u -tares of thü lau. ■..(;) tiio.p, Nat so iu JS'ew OrOno of the worst possiblo of all theso womon Bhowed disrospeet to the reniáms of gallaut young DeKny, and you will soe iicr punishiiK'nt, a eopy of the ovder whieh I inckrae, is at ouee a vindieation and a construetion of rr.y order I (fan only gay that I would issuo it agaiu uuder like cireurnstances Agaia, thanking you for your kind interest, I im trui y your iriend. J5. F. BUTLER. Major General Commaiiding. Whftt do they mean by a oat nnd drg We said ;i hasbftnd to his wife. Look atjOarltt, and firimalkin onleepon tbc rug togetb'er. I wisb men liveil halt' gn peaceably with thoir wives. Stop, said the Iftdy; t ie thora tojjether und co how tin;}' v:]l agrce. ." ïiicro is urit a i-treain of troublo so (loep and svvilt riülQlflg thot we mav not cni?H safcly over t, if sve have courage to Pteur and strcngth to pull. SiL" '-i'he public. Dteitïst suffers . uioie trom neglect nnd the refusal to I pay just debte, tlian frorn all the 'and robbery oonirnitod in the land.