Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-05-23
serenade to Major Gen. Butler--His
Speech.
From the New York Tiinesl
w .nI1In1,roA Mn.r IG 1871

WASHINGTON, May l6, 1861.
Major-Gen. Butler, who is stopping at the
National, received complimentary serenade
tonight, from his Massachusetts, friends
now in Washington. The music was by the
Marine Band, who never performed in bet
ter taste and spirit.
| 1t having become known about town that
Gen. Butler was at the National, crowds
thronged there to see him. and his room was
besieged by visitors until late in the night. =
Although much exhausted, he received them
kindly and heartily. Some 1000 people
collected in and about the hotel. In re-
sponse to the serenade and the cheers of the
crowd, Gen. Butler spoke as follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS: Your cheers for the
old Commonwealth of Massachusetts are
rightly bestowed. Foremost in the rank of
those who fought FOR the liberty of the coun-
try IN the Revolution were the men of Mas
sachusetts. 1t is historical fact, to which
| take pride in now referring, that in the
Revolution Massachu. u.etts sent more men
south of Mason and Dixons Line to fight
for the cause of the country than all the
Southern Colonies put together and in this
second war; if war must come, to proclaim
the Declaration Of Independence anew, and,
j as necessary consequence, establish the
Union and the Constitution, Massachusetts,
will give, if necessary, every man in her
borders-aye, and woman Cheers. /
trust may be excused for speaking thus of
Massachusetts, butt am confident there are
many within the sound of my voice whose
hearts beat with proud memories of the old
Commonwealth. There is this difference, |
will say, between our Southern brothers and
ourselves, that while we love our State with
the true love Of u son, we love the Union
and the Country with an equal DEVOTION
Loud and prolonged applause. We place
I the Union. Cheers. To us our country
is first, because it is our country three
; cheers l. and our State is next and second be-
f cause she is part of our country and our
, State. Renewed applause. Our oath OF
allegiance to our country, aud our oath Ot
allegiance to our State are interwreathed
harmoniously. and never come in conflict nor
: clash He who does his duty to the Union
does his duty to the State; and he who does
his duty to the State, does his duty to the
Unon-''One and nseparable, now and for
, cver." Renewed applause As | look
s upon this demonstration of yours, L believe
it to be prompted bya love of the common
cause, and our common cOuntry-a country
so great and good, Government so kind,
n so benefccnt, that the hand from which we
@ have only felt kindness is now for the first
time raised in chastisemcnt. Applause.
Many things in Il mans life may be worse
II than death. So, toa Government there may
r be many things, such as dishonor and dis
. integration, worse than the shedding o.
y blood. Cheers Our fathers purchased
>, our liberty and country for us at an immense
Il heavens above us, we will not part with then
d without first paying the original debt and
4 the interest to this date! Loud cheers.
J., We have in our veins the same blood as they
shed we have the same power of endurance
:. the same love of liberty and law. We will
y hold as a brother him who stands by the
C Union; we will hold as an enemy him wht
= would strike from its constellation a single
y star. Applause But, | hear some ont
say, "Shall we carry on this frutricidal war
Shall we she'd our brother blood and meet
in arms our brothers in the South?"
d would say, "As our fathers did not hesitate
y to strike the mother country in the defense
, of our rights, so we should not hesitate tt
II meet the brother as they did the mother.
n Sensation. If this unholy, this fiatricdal
e war is forced upon u.s. say, "Woe, woe tC
\ them who have made the necessity. Ou
hands are clean, our hearts are pure bu
o the Union must be preserved Gen. Butle
h was interrupted here by an intense cheering
!. When silence was restored, he continued
at all hazard of money, and if need be, o
every life this side the Arctic Regions. -
J. Cheers. lfthe 5000 Northern soldier
:, who are here are cut off, in six weeks 80, O0t
will take your place; and if they die by ie
yer, pcstilence or the sword, n quarter of
> million will take their place, till our army o
M the reserve will be women with their broom
N sticks, to drive every enemy into the Gulf
. Cheers and laughter. have neither feal
20 nor doubt of the issue. feel only horror
v and disInay for those who have made the
y war. God help them we are here for ou
% rights, for our country, for our flag. Ou
% faces are set South, and there shall be nc
y lootstep backward. Immense applause.
70 lie is mistaken who supposes We can be in
Inundated by threats or cajoled by compro
70 mise. The day ofcompromises of is past
oi The Government must be sustained
" cheers, and when it is sustained, we shal
% give everybody in the Union their rights
~ under the Constitution, as we always have,
% and everybody outside ofthe Union the stee
. of the Union, till they shall come under the
y Union. Cheers, and cries of Good, e.
y on. 1t impossible forme to 20 onspeecl
making; but if you will go homo to YOU
beds, and the Government will lot me, will
= go South fighting for the Union, and yor
j.. will follow me.
Gen. Butler closed amid loud cheers tn,
l. band played some national airs and Home
J. Sweet Home" and after more cheers the
crowd dispersed Gen, Butler on retiring tt
!, his room was warmly congratulated by nu
$ merous friends.