Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-04-07

the Cooper Institute on Thursday even
ing by one of the largest and most enthu-
siastic assemblages ever convened within
walls in New York City. The Tribune
says & it was a grand OutpOurlng of the
determined loyalty of this emporium
tribute from the heart Of New York to one
Of the cOuntry's abIest and most effective
defenders"
Maj. Gen. Wool, upon advancing to take
his seat on the platform, was greeted
with warm applause, which the veteran
Acknowledged in few firm and patriotic
words Upon the appearance Of the Hero
Of the Gulf the enthusiasm knew no
bounds, and it was sometime before the
Introductory address Of Mayor Opdyke
could be made. When the Mayor had
concluded, Gen. Butler, who was i, citi-
zen's dress, advanced, and after the tu-
multuous applause with which he was
again greeted had subsided, he said:
Mr.. MAYOR With the profoundest
| gratitude for the too fattering commen-
| dation Of my administration Of the various
trusts committed to me by the Govern
ment, which, in behalf Of your associates,
you have been pleased to tender me, ask
Won to receive my most heartfelt thanks
/ To the citizens of NeW-York here assem-
bIed in kind appreciation OF my services
| supposed to have been rendered to the
| country, I tender the deepest acknOwledg-
/ ments. TApplaUse. I accept it all; not
| for n1Yself, but for my brave comrades of
the Army Of the Gulf Renewed ap-
/ plause.1 I receive it as an earnest OfyOur
| devotion to the country, an evidence Of
! LOYALTY to the Constitution under which
| vow live and under which you hope to die.
| In order that the acts Of the Army Of the
| Gulf may be understood, perhaps it would
| be well, at a little length, with your per-
| mission, that some detail should be given
/ to the thesis upon which we administered
our duties. The first question then to be
| ascertained is, what is this contest in
which the country is engaged. At the risk
even of calling your attention to what
might seem otherwise too elementary, 1
nr0pose to run down through the history
! of the contest to see what it is that the
whole country is about at this day and
this hour. That we are in the midst Of
civil commOtOn, all know. And what is
that commotion? Is it a riot2 Is it an
| insurrection9 Is it a rebellion2 Or is it
a revolution2 And pray, Sir, although 1t
NAV seem still more elementary, What is
| a riotP A riot, if 1 underestimate, is simply
an outburst of tn, passion Of men for the
moment in breach Of the law, to be put
| down and subdued by the civil authorities;
| fit goes further, to be dealt with by the
| military authorities. But you say, Sir,
| lsyVbv treat us to definition Of riot up
on this occasion? Why, Of all things,
| should YOU undertake to instruct New
| York audience in what riot is? Laugh
| teri To that answer, because the Ad-
ministration Of Mr.. Buchsnan dealt with
| this great change OF affairs as lift were a
rot: because his Government officer gave
the opinion that in Charleston it was but
! a riot: and as there was no civil authority
there to call out the military, therefore
| sumter must be given over to the rioters;
and that was the beginning of this strug-
ole, Let US see how it grew up
! I deal not now in causes but in effects
| in facts. Directly after the guns Of the
| Rebels had turned upon Sumter, the vari-
q s States of the South in Convention as
| sembled, inaugurated q series Of move
ments which took out from the Union di-
yers States: and as each was attempted
to be taken out, the riot was no longer
| found In them, but they became insurrec-
tionarv: and the Administration upon the
18th Of April, 1861, dealt with it as an in
| surrection, and called out the militia OF
the United States to subdue an insurrec-
ton. 1 was called at that time into the
service, to administer the laws in putting
| down an insurrectiOn. l found riot al
Baltimore. They burned bridges; but
| they had hardly aTisento the dignity OF an
insurrection, because the State had not
moved as an organized community. A
few men were roting at Baltimore; and
as marched there at the head Of United
States troops, the question came up be-
fore me, what have before me. You will
remember that offered then to put down
ali kinds of instructions so long as the
State of Maryland remained loyal to the
/ United States. Transferred from thence
| to a wider sphere at Fortress Monroe, l
found that the State of Virginia through
its organization had taken itself out Of the
| Union, and was endeavOring TO erect for
/ itself an independent Government; and
dealt with that State as being in rebellion,
and thought the property OF the rebels, OF
| whatever name or nature, should be dealt
with as rebelliOus property and contra
hand. TGreat applause. l have been
thus careful in stating the various steps,
because although through your kindness
replying to eUlogy, I am here answering
| every charge ofinconsistency and wrong
of intention for my acts done before the
country. Wrong in Judgment may have
been; but, insist, wrong in intention or
inconsistent, never Upon the same the
ory upon which I felt myself bound to
mt down insurrectiOn in Maryland, While
it remained loyal, whether that insurrec-
ton consisted of blacks or whites, by the
same LOYALTY to the Constitution and
laws. felt bound to cOnhscate slave pro-
Derty in the rebelliOus State Of Virginia.
fApDlause.1 Pardon me, Sir, if right here
saw that I am a little sensitive upon
this subject. l am an Old-fashioned An
drew Jackson Democrat of twenty years
standing. rApplause. A voice "The
second hero Of New Orleans" Renewed
applause euIq mating in three cheers.
And so far as I know, l have never
swerved, so help me God, from one Of his
teachings. TGreat applause.l Up to the
time that disunion took place, l went as
far as the furtherest in sustaining the
| constitutional rights Of the States, how
ever bitter or however distasteful were
the obligation our fathers had made for
me in the compromises OF the COnsutu-
ton, and among them it was not for me
to pick out the sweet from the bitter; and
fellow Democrats 1 took them all loud
cheerl because they were constitutional
obligations; Tapplausel and taking them
all, 1 stood By the South and Southern
rights under the Constitution until ad-
vanced and looked into the very pit OF dis
union, and not liking the prospect 1 qui-
etly withdrew. Immense applause and
laughter.1 And we were from that hour
apart, and how far apart you can judge