The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-19
spREuH RYRuLLER.

DOSTONt q III ~.
At the collation. which followed the
monument dedication ceremonies, In Low
ell, Yesterday, General Butler responded to
a toast complimenting the army and navy.
He urged that the confscsted lsnds, for
feited by treason, should be given to sol
diers who had put down the rebellion In
further connection with the subject the
General said that when we give every
guerdon TO the citizen soldier, who went
forth from the free North, from Msssschu-
selts; from New England, and from States
east and west, guided by intelligence and
instructed in their political rights and
burning for the national honor, shall we
saw cf another class of soldiers, g class
that hsd no instruction, no political rights,
had no Joy in the past and little hope In
the future, shall we say, repeat, that
thev are not equally as deservingP What
shall we say Of these colored men, who
with loyalty and patriotism volunteered
with rs IN our detenser
Shall there be no word OF encourage
ment for the negro who stood side by side
fighting for country which heretofore has
been III lust to him, but who, relying in the
future upon the faith and the justice OF an
omnipotent Ged, still stood up and fought
bravely2 Is there no reward to be given
to him Shall we forget him2 Shall he
be denied even the poor honor of psrtici-
pating in the review of the troops who
won these great victories, at the National
Capitol? l trust that this country will
never be guilty of such ingratitude. If L
may make such q promise, will never
cease to urge the government to do justice
to the negro, at least 10 allow him TO sps
pear in arms in the capital that he helped
to save by his vslor, and 1 again appeal to
men of Massachusetts to say whether the
man who is fit to fight is not fit to vote.
TCheers Whether q man who can carry
n cartridge box is not fit to walk up to the
ballot box. Whether a man who can ham
die bayonet don't know how to handle
little bit of paper. am ready to admit
want of intelligence and cultivation IN the
negro. 1 know he is ignorant, but he
knew enough to be right in this contest
TO be loysl-and that is great deal more
than bis master did. [Uhsers and laugh
teri This l know from having seen the
rolls Of 10 600 of the rank and file of the
! Confederate army, as prisoners, where only
one IN eight was able to sign his name
| In this reconstruction re we have got to trust
to instinc. and not to the intellectual civ
| iIizstion of voters. I had much rather
| trust 70 loyal blscd instinct in this matter
than TO disloysl white instinct. These
we're nv friends. think we can ask the
| Government TO held on and first punlsl
disloysl citizens either by the less OF hi
life his liberty or his land, according 70 tn
decree ofthe government, but do not pun
! isb loysl citizens who has done everything
that the ability God has given him woult
,,orrnit. to further the cause of the UnloI
md tbe Government We further ssk o
the Government TO wait and see who II
friends are to deal with those only tina
are friends today, not of the lip but OF tn
heart not men VINO have fought for it Ant
those who we have fought against, snd CIV
politicsl rights TO those who have defended
and not to those who have undertaken !
overthrow them. Let US give the Who'll
srmv- tegul srs and volunteers, citizens, sol
diers. back and white and grey, who hsv
fouglt for us sll thesr due proportion c
A pleasing incident attending th
exercises was the presentation Of an elegsr
siIk flag, with silver plate on the 1s
st, if bearing the following inscription :
sIMarylsnd to MsssschuseIts-Aprl i
1868. Nav the union ana friendship
the future oblilerste the anguish OF tt
past" -, u,... ,,,,on.o5 .ba a.
with an eloquent address, which was 81
propriste responded to by Governor Al
| drew.