The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-05-29
Speech of Gen. Butler.
WASHINGTON, May

iers, the National Hotel, with the Marine ,
Band and omplimented him with sere- |
made a large crowd in attendance |
and, after several patriotic airs had been (
played by the band, the General appeared |
on the balcony of the Hotel, and was re-
ceived with perfect storm of applause,
| cheer after cheer being given for him and
Tor The Stale OF Massachusetts. When the
enthusiasm had subsided,
GEN. BUTLER said:
FeHow Citizens Your cheers for the old
Commonwealth of Massachusetts are right |
ly bestowed. Foremost in the ranks of
those who fought for the liberties of the
country III the revolution was Massachu-
sets, and it is historical fact which take
great pride in referring to in this honr, that,
| in the Revolution, ,lhe old Bay State furnished
more men 10 90 south of Mason aud Dixon'5
/ line, 10 fight The enemies of the country,
I than did all the Southern colonies put to-
ge:her. [Cheers. And in this second war,
! if war must come, 10 establish the Declara-
lion OF independence anew, and 10 Sc
cure the blessings of that Declaration
the Constitution and the Union Mas sachu-
setts is ready again to furnish every man
aye, every woman upon her soil iii this
good cause CApplause Perhaps | may
for the moment, be excused in referring 10
my own State. believe | speak 20 many
who have the love OF the old Common
wealth in their hearts. But we have this
difference from our Southern brethren:
while we love Massachusetts with the true
love of son, we love the Union and the
country with an equal devotion. (Good
and cheers.
We put no State rights, no State pride, no
love OF the old Commonwealth of Mas5a-
chuseEs before, above and beyond our love
TO The Union. To US our country ia first be-
cause II is our country. Our Stale next,
because she is our Stale and part of that
country. Our oath of allegiance 10 the Uni-
on is our fret binding obligation; our oath
of allegiance 10 the State is the second OBJ
legation, never clashing, always nterwin-
ing. He who does his duty 10 The Union,
does his duly TO he Stale, and he who does
his duty to the State does his duty to the
Uuion-one and inseparable. now and lor
ever Allow me, further, 10 say that | look
upon this demonstration of yours as prompt
ed BY that devotion which we all feel for a
common country This is a great and a
good Government OF ours, so kind 80 be-
nign and so benifcent that It's hand has
only been felt in acts OF afiectonate gener-
osity and is now tor the first time, raised
in the act OF chastising lis children
Ii has been attacked by those who should
have been the first TO defend ii, aad as, ia
the history OF mans life, many things
may be worse TO him than death, so i'll The
history of nation, dishonor, wrong or dis
intregalion may be much worse than the
shedding of blood. My friends, :his Union
; established by our fathers, cost them a
great cal of treasure, great deal OF suffer.
ing, and great deal of blood, ant by the
bright heavens above we will not part with
il short of The first cost aud interest from
the day of date. Good and cheers j
The same blood which flowed in our !ath
ers' veins still flows in ours; the same
courage which they showed still trust all
imates us; ; we have the same powers o
endurance; the same love of liberty ano
law is ours, and we hold him brother whC
stands by the flag of the Union, and We
hold him enemy 10 the last degree who at
tempis 10 strike one star out OF that billian
cons ellation which floats over Us. Three
cheers a voice-'A little more grape
General Three cheers for the stars an,
: stripes
But hear some one say, shall we carr,
on iratricidal warl Shall we shed ou
brothers. blood! Shall we go 10 the extent o
meeting in arms those we have been taugh
10 cali our brothers TO that | answer: a
? our fathers IN defence of their rights di,
. not hesitate 10 strike the mother country
. and fight against their mother, so we, tbei
y sons, in defense OF our rights must NEE
> our brothers as they met their mother.
This wicked unholy and fratricidaI war
forced upon us, we can only say, lei tn
responsibility rest upon those who made Ia
Q necessity Our hands are clean, our heart
% are firm, and the Union must be preserved
= Al every hazard, at every risk, at ever
. expense, al the sacrifice of every lile thl
. SIDE of the Arctic region, must this UnIo
u be preserved. And what kind of strug
II gle will it be Suppose the twenty-fiv
thousand soldiers of the North now her
u should be :his day and hour cut off, woul
e the battle rest! No. Fifty thousand NOR
} would take their places, and if they shoul
fall, one hundred thousand more woul
rush down from the North, 10 be followed
if they should fall, by the fever pestilenc
v or sword, by a quarter OF million more
until the very women would take the iel
~ and drive the enemies of the Union into tn
:, Cult [Cheers.] have neither fear NJ
al doubt upon this subject | have neitht
n