It will be remembered that the little Count Mejan once frantically appealed to the Emperor Napoleon to send an armed force to protect the grog-shop-keepers of New Orlens from an “unconstitutional” tax Gen. Butler had levied upon them. The Emperor was so puzzled to know what his consul had to do with the American Constitution, and on what principles he made himself the champion of whiskey-venders in an American city, that he called the Count home to explain.

It will be seen, from what follows, that Gen. Butler’s tyranny did not stop at taxing grog-shops. It seems that after the expulsion of the rebels and their allies, the Thugs, from New Orleans, the dead walls of that city were suddenly covered with conspicuous bills containing the following sentence:

“Get your shirts at Moody’s 207 Canal Street.”

A planter, a secessionist, came to town some months after Butler had taken the reins in his hands, and marvelled much at the cleanliness and good order he found prevailing; also he was surprised at this notice, which everywhere stared him in the face.

“Get your shirts at Moody’s?” said he to an acquaintance he met in the street; “what does this mean? I see it everywhere posted up. What does it mean?”

“O,” was the reply, “that is another of the outrageous acts of this fellow Butler. This is one of the orders of which you hear so much. Don’t you see? he has ordered us to get our shirts at Moody’s, and we have to do so. It is, of course, suspected that he is a silent partner in the concern, and pockets the profits.”

The poor planter listened with eyes and mouth open and replied:

“I don’t need any shirts just now, and it’s a great piece of tyranny; but this Butler enforces his orders so savagely that it is better to give in at once,” and accordingly he went to “Moody’s” and purchased half a dozen shirts,–on compulsion.

[1]