The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-09-23

Gen. Butler ON the Situalisn.
We make some brief extracts from the re.
cent speech of Gen. BUrLrR before the State
Convention of Massachusetts. The points
made indicate that the General has lost none
Of the shrewdness, patriotism or boldness
which rendered him so odious to rebels and
Copperheads during the war.
He said:
The world moves. Governor Henry A.
Wise, the executioner Of John Brown, in
. negro school, laughter and applause. in
his recent letter, claiming that same house,
declares himself TO have been an original Alb
olitionist. lRenewed merriment II
Speaking of the Democratic Endorsements
of President JoHssoS's policy, Gen. BurLER
said:
We, the Union men of Massachusetts, all
endorse President Johnson's policy, as we
understand it. We aided to elect President
johnson We know his antecedents. He &C.
cepted the platform upon which we helped TO
place him at Baltimore. He declared over
and .oyer again, upon his accession to the
chief power, his political convictions, and
they were, never ceasing hostility to rebels
and rebellion, and punishment to chief tr.i.
tors with hanging by the neck, rapplause,
and we have seen that he has hanged all that
have as yet been convicted. Renewed Ap-
plause.
While we may differ from President
johnson as to whether the time has arrived
IN which 1t IS safe to reinvest rebels with DO
lltical power, and allow them to reorpanize
i 10 ~ ~Qt~ r II
former Constitutions upon their present DO.
iitical rights, yet there is by no means a ne
cessity that this difference should be dis
agreement; certainly not until it is seen by
results that some vital principle is involved,
or some detriment TO the Republic is produc.
ed. We look at the attempt to reconstruct
the rebel States, as We believe the President
looks upon it, as experimental merely, but an
experiment well enough to be tried
General BUTLER said the spirit Of slavery
was not dead. and as to the actual public
opinion of the South, he observed:
/" We see the women and clergy of the
Sonth, those true exponents Of social feeling
and ideal thought, unrelen,less. defiant and
regretful only OF the want of success of the
unholy attempt to divide the Union and set
up the confederacy.'
AhG octACAni fcfcrTcu Ios
+" The well considered and admirable order
OF General Slocum, the candidate of the New
York Democracy. for Secretary of State.
which he believed had been countermanded
by the Government, because it was not sub.
mitted for approval before it was issued''
After giving at length evidence and arru-
ment to show that the South was still in an
unsafe condition, General BUTLER said:
" With all these evidences Of disloyalty to
the Government. of injustice to loyal black
men, hate TO the loyal white, of clInging to
the dead carcass of the eonfSderacy, of in
compatibility of habit, Of thought and ideas
OF Government with the loyal States cluster
ing around US. are not our judgments convin-
ced that reconstruction at the present time.
and on the present basis, Of necessity must be
and is a failure.
As to negro equality, negro suffrage in the
South, &c, General BUTLER said
AT the South there are nearly six millions
Of people. more than one third of the inhAb.
itants, always true, always faithful to the
Government, fighting its battles and almost
worshiping its flag, as loyal as they are black;
but am sorry to say the admixture of the
white blood of their former masters prevents
me from saying, in every instance" as
black as they are loyal. Loud laughter and
applause. am ready to have these vote,
and then have no fears of disloyal South
Applause In this am answered that the
negroes are too ignorant to vote. They knew
more about government than their masters
they knew enough to be loyal. They knew
enough to celebrete the Fourth of July this
year down South, and they were the only
Sontherners who did know enough to do that.
Besides, If one must choose now, had rath-
er trust loyal ignorance than disloyal intelli-
gence. loud applause.
Again, am answered, that If the blacks
vote, they will vote rs their masters tell them
Why then il not the master in favor of their
voting? Besides, the white man will have
all the votes If the negro does not vote will
he have any more than oil if the negro votes
with him? [Applause. Again, it IS object
ed, if the negro votes, he viii be the equal of
the white man, and / am triumphantly asked,
Are you in favor of negro equality p /
answer, yes, equality of political rights.
Loud applause As to any other equality.
my pride of race teaches me that my race
is superior to his. am not afraid of q con-
test test will, with him for that superiority, giving him
Now, as understand it, the true loyal Union
men do not insist that every negro shall vote,
more than that every white man shall vote.
But what we do ask, in the name of justice
and right, is that the qualification of voters
shall be equal. Fix the standard where you
please. If the black man comes up to it, let
him vote. If neither, neither" Loud ap.
plause.] h -
The Possuxs IN VAN BuRES.-The 'What
is-it?" machine, started by the Cops at Keo-