Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-05-18
SPEECH OF GEN. nUTLER.

Maj. Gen. Butler who was stopping at the
National, received complimentary serenade,
Thursday night, from his Massachusetts
friends in Washington. 1t having become
known about town that Butler was at the Ma
tional, crowds thronged there 10 see him, and
his room was hesieged by visitors until late in
the night. Some two thousand people col
lected IN and about the hotel In response TO
the screnade 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 If those who
fought for the liberty of the country in the
Revolution, were the men of Massachusetts.
1t is an historical fact TO which take pride in
now referring, that in the Revolution, Massa.
chusettS sent more men south of Mason and
DiXon's line to fight for the cause of the
country, than all the southern colonies put to-
gether; and in this second war, if war must
come, TO proclaim the Declaration of Indepen.
dence anew, and as necessary consequence
establish the Union and the Constitution, Mas
sachusetts will give, il necessary, every man
in her borders--aye, and woman Cheers
trust may be excused for speaking thus of
Massachusetts but l am confident there are
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 son, we love the Union and
the country with an equal devotion loud
and prolonged applause.) We place no States
rights" before, above or beyond the Union
CHEERS To us our country is first, because
it is our country three cheers), and our state
is next and second, because she is part of our
country and our state. (Renewed applause. J
Our oath Ot allegiance to our country and our
oath Of allegiance to our state, are inter
wreathed tremendously, and never come in
contact 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 Union-"one and inseparable, now and
forever" (Renewed applause.) AS l look
upon this demonstration of yours, l believe it
to be prompted by Il love of the common cause,
and our common country-a country SO great
and good a government so kind, so beneti
cent, that the hand from which we have only
felt kindness is now for the first time raised in
chastisement. Applause Many things in
mans life may be worse than death. So, to
government there may be many things such
as dishOnOr and disintegration, worse than the
shedding Of blood Cheers. Our fathers
purchased our liberty and country for us at an
immense cost of treasure and blood, and by
the bright heavens above us, we will not part
with them without first paying the original
debt and the interest to this date Loud
cheers, 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 hold as brother him who
stands by the Union; we will! hold as an enc
my him who would strike from its constela-
ton single star. Applause. But l hear
some one say, Shall we carry on this frairi-
| cidal war? Shall we shed our brothers blood,
and meet in arms our brothers Of the south 2"
| | would say, GAS our tat:.ers did not hesitate
to strike the mother country in the defense of
| our rights, so we should not hesitate to meet
the brother as they did the mother" Sensa-
ton. Ii this unholy, this tratricdal war is
forced upon us, l say, "Woe, woe to them
who haze made the necessity. Our hands are
clean, our hearts are pure; but the Union must
be preserved"
Gen. Butler was interrupted here by an in
tense cheering When silence was restored
he continued -
CAT all hazard of money, and if need be, of
every life this side the arctic regions
! (Ch2ers.) Ii the $4,000 northern soldiers who
arn hn-'-''-~ d 4. in six weeks $4,000 will
t,ay Jia nv fausog