Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-04-07
MORNING HEADER.
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TUESDAY MORNING, APRIL ,, '63.


MANEAN4h aHHceu OF UA0 men, AtuLlefs Z
Js@ight be Objectionable 10 some Of our
Extremely conservative friends, as
well as 70 our Democratic friends, if we
were to publish or quote from the speeches
Of such aradieaIs as Charles Sumner,
Owen LOyejoy, or C. NJ. Clay; but surely
they cannot object to seeing before them
something Of the ulteraDces Of the old
leader Of the ultra-Dsmooratic party Of
Massachusetts,. Hence, they will be glsd
to hear q little from old Ben Butler, who,
three years ago, was the vsriest Hunker
LOeOfOoo in all the Bay State. General
Butler hada magnificent reception at the
Academy Of Music, at New YOrk, on
ThuTsdsy night last, and made the speech
of the year. We have o6ly space here for
one extrsct in which he spoke Of the
" Constitutional rights of the South" and
his duty toward them, as a Democrat We
especially commend these words to the
Democrats OfCleveland, trusting that they
will read and profit by them
II am an old-fashioned Andrew Jack
son Democrat Of twenty years standing.
Applause, and three cheers for the second
hero Of New Orleans. And so far as 1
know, have never swerTed-so help me
God-fom one Of his teachings ZAP
plause] Up to the time when this rebellion
took place, went as far, Sir, as the fur
therest in sustaining the Constitutional
rights Of the States, however bitter, how
ever distasteful 10 me were the obligations
that my fathers assumed for me in the
compromises Of the Constitution. Ap-
plause. But, among them all, it was not
fer me 20 pick out or reject took them
all Fellow Democrats, took them every
one because they were all constitutional
obligations; and taking each aud all,
stood by the South, and BY Southern rights
under the Constitution, until I advanced |
SO far as to look into the very pit of dis |
union, laughter and applaUse1 and see
ing what was the prospect 1 quietly with. /
drew, [spplausel and we went from that
hour far apart. How far apart you shall
judge, when l tell you that on the |
18th Of December, 1860, shook hands in |
terms of personal friendship with Jeffer- |
son Davis, and on the 26th of December, /
1862, l had the pleasure of reading his |
proclamation that l was to be hung at
sight. Laughter And now, my friends, |
If you will allow me to pass on a few mo- |
ments in this line Of thought, as VIC come /
up TO the point Of time when these men /
laid down their constitutional obligations I
What were my rights and theirs, at that |
hour they repuaiated the Consultation Of |
the United States by solemn vote, under |
forms Of lawn solemn convenGon.-I
They took arms in their hands, and IN
dertook by force Of arms to rend the Con-
stitution, and what seemed to be forced
separation Of the heritage which my faith
en- had given me as a rich legacy TO my 1
children, and, when they did that, call
every mans attention to the fact that
they abrogated, Gbnegated and forfeited
al Unconstitutional rights, and released
me from every constitutional obligation,
lappleuse. And, when I then was called
upon to sayrwhat shall be my action in re-
gard to Slavery? Why, was left TO the
naturhl Instincts Of my hesrt, as prompted
by Christian education in New England,
and dealt with it accordingly, as if l
was no longer bound by constitutional OBJ
ligatioas. Applause. The same sense of
duty TO my constitutional obligations and
to the rights Of the States-so long as they
remained under the Constitution, that re.
-quired me to support the system Of Slavery
that same sense Of duty and right, afIer
they had gone out from under the COasti-
tuition, causes me to follew the dictates. Of
my own conscience. So, you sTsee, my
friends, however misjudged 1 may have
been-and I speak to you, my Democratic
friends-I claim that we went along, step !
by step together up to that point and that
we should still go along step by step We
accept that the right to hold slaves was
made part Of the compromises Of the Com
Stitution by our fathers, and, like every
other State right, was TO be respected be-
cause Of our allegiance to the Constitution
and our respect to State rights. But when,
thst sacred obligation which bound US was
taken away, and we, as well as the
negro, we're disenthralled, why should we
not follow the dictates of God S law, and Of
humanity. [ApPlause, long prolonged