The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-11-24
SPEECH OF GENERAL BUTLER.


Mr.. Wadsworth, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The citizens of New York have done me
honor, over much. Their kindness, extend
ed in every form known to Christian court
esy, overwhelms me. That | should be able
to add anything to the sum Of intelligence,
is a still greater honor That | entertain
very distinct views upon the subject to
which you have adverted, is most true
Peace hath her victories no less renowned
than war; and of the peaceful victories ev-
er yet achieved in the interests of human
freedom, that achieved in the peaceful quiet
which almost hrooded over this land on the
9Th of November, was the greatest. Before
we proceed for moment to look at the ma
terial results. let us look at the moral 1t
has taught the world who shall look on, and
it can now be said that it is no vain boast in
America that the eyes of the world are upon
her it has told all the world that we are
able, in the stress and strain of civil war like
that never seen before, to carry our institu-
| tions in peaceful quiet, change or re-elect
our rulers as we weigh them in the balance
to find them either meritorious or wanting,
without so much of trouble or disorder or
riot, OR conlmotlon, as attends constabIe's
election In parish in England. The moral
then is, that the Government, embalmed in
the hearts OF the people, dependent on the
Intelligence OF the people. is the strongest
Government on earth-strong Ill the affec-
TONS stronger still in the right arm of the
people. And when we have been told here
totore that 1t was necessary that there sho'd
be either monarchy or despotisrn to WELD
bayonets, we See bayonets by hundreds of
thousands where other countries have been
| able to WELD them by tens, and they entire
| ly subservient to the peoples will. TAp-
plause. The material results are not less
striking; first in the fact that all disputed
questions which have divided the country
are now settled by the almost unanimou.s
verdict OF the country. Does any one com
plain that III the conduct of military opera
| tons there should be an arrest of traitor /?
That question has been argued and the YER
dict is guilty-arrest him when he is guilty.
bravo. Does any one complain that the
true theory of our Constitution has not been
| carried out, which enrolls all able bodied
men and holds them to military duty in de-
tense OF their country's life and liberty p
That question has been settled, and hereaf-
ter 1t Will be more honorable to be drafted
than to volunteer Laughter Does any
one complain that the Government in its
wisdom has organized troops irrespective of
color, and believes that black man can fill
as large grave as !. though his color was
whittier, when he falls in battle in defense of
his country's liberty? That question has
been settled, and has passed away forever to
be amongst the things of the past. Does
any one now claim, as was claimed in 1860,
that Abraham Lincoln is the President of a
minority? That question is settled by an
overwhelming majority. Applause. Let
us look for moment at the fact that if we
count every rebel against him as he was
II we found every sympathizer with rebels
against him as he was, if we count every
untrue and disloyal man against him, as he
was; they all were, yet he is reelected by
majority only second to that with which
jackson swept the country in the hour of f.
nancial peril. Those material results have
been achieved. Now, then, what is the du-
| ty OF the Government in the future? War