Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-02-07
GENERAL BUTLER.

de IS the only General, in nv mind.
who has comprehended his Office. From
the first moment that he put on the sboul-
der-strap, he has been convinced of this
one thing: am the GovgrnunaAt, auu
those arc troitOrs. Uheering. an all
right, and they are all wrong. Applause. 7
Now our cher -Genaralu have acted on
this principle: We are half wrong, they
are half right. Cheers. But Butler
went down to New Orleans, and alone,
alone Of all our Major Generals, if he
should die tonight, he can have it carved
upon his tombstone: l am the only Amer
lean who has yet dared to hang a traitor.
Loud cheering You see that act has
great Significance. "I do not marshal nv
troops in the field to met a belligerent.
That is not Government; that is battle.
But l, standing in New Orleans as the
Government of the United States, say to
this adverse party England may recog-
nize you, France may recognize you. the
whole world may recognize you, but to me
you are a felon and a traitor, and the gal
lows is your proper DOOM" TCheering. I
In the same spirit he said to the natives Of
New Orleans, every one Of you deserve the
gallows; anything short Of it is the pre-
eminent grace Of the Government. fAp-
plsuse. Now, this is not severity, this is
not barbarism, this is not cruelty, this is
law. -
When he said to party of shareholders
in the st. Charles Hotel; "Gentlemen, YOU
think there isa party in the North build
ing you bridge to 60 back to Washing
ton upon. They cannot do it. am
Democrat, came out of the most bunker
wing Of the Democracy; am still Dem
ocraty but Itell you here privately, in the
honesty Of my heart, tell you that I will
burn every house in Louisiana, will put
every black mans hand on every white
mans throat, before pull down that ban
ner and carry it back to Boston," That
man understands the problem.
WHAT MUST BE DONE.
Demand, therefore, of your press, that
they take more responsibility. Every
where in theleading journals of the North,
of this city, of Cincinnati, of Chicago,
everybody loads responsibility upon the
President, and nobody take it himself.
There are facts known to a hundred men
in this nation that would make the very
ears of the people tingle; but their lead
ers at Washington, the men that know
thom, koop than saoret because they dare
not distrust the chances as they think Of
success. Fimidity in every quarterl
Boldness in the people is our only secur-
ity. come TO you not to make speech,
but as ! mean to go up and down your
great river, along your great highway, and
look into New England, to ask of the peo-
pie to speak in voice that must inevita-
bly, penetrate the White House, and de-
mand Of Lincoln, before the first of May
dawns, 100000 black men with muskets in
their arms, and the Stars and Stripes
above them, in new State, swearing by
the Union. Applause. Then will
agree to stop, and never speak of the
everlasting Niger" again. I will take
myself outside Of all political agitation,
and leave it to parties, certain that there
is an element at last entered upon the
chess-board whose presence ensures the
speedy termination of the struggle upon a
basis which can only be Union and Free
dom. EApplause