Weekly Trinity journal. [volume] (Weaverville, Calif.) 1857-1972, 1865-06-03
Buffers Speech.


On reception of the news of the Presidents
assassination in New York a mass meeting gath
cred in Wall street, and and among other speak
ers General Butler appeared on the stand He
said:
Fellow Citizens But day or two since we
assembled throughout the nation in joy gladness
and triumph at the success of the armies of the
Republic which opened to us the promise of a
glorious peace and happy country in the future
These flags now the token of mourning, were
raised in gladness. To-day, in short hour we
assemble to mingle our grief with that of the
loved ones at home, who mourn the honest man.
the incorruptible patriot, the great statesman,
the savior of his country in its crisis Abraham
Lincoln. struck down by the hand of an assassin
And while with reverence we look to God to
overrule this dispensation for our good, we min
Gle our tears together nation for the loss as
we find the hearts of those around him melted
in sadness, vet to us there is higher. sterner
duty and that is to see that his death is not lost
to the country Other rebellions in other coun-
tries have heretofore ever been inaugurated by
the assassin's knife. 1t is left for US to exhibit
the spectacle of rebellion crushed in its BODY
crushed in its strength, crushed in its blood,
cushed in its bones revivifying its soul by assas-
nation and death. [Sensation. And with a
puma nate WHICH mas ever cldTacIerZeul lis pur
pose, it has struck down in cold silence the most
forgiving, the most lenient, the most gracious
friend that the misguided of the rebellion
ever had in this country. Cheers. If rebel
lion do this to the good, the wise, the kind,
the benevolent. what does it teach US we ought
ty do to those who, from high places. incite the
assassins hand and guide the assassin's knife
/ TCheers and cries of - Go ahead on that !'1
Shall we content ourselves with merely crushing
+lo A.
sources of the rebellion ~ TShouts of 'No !"
. No ~ Shall we leave its spirit and soul I'M
subdued to light the torch in this city and fire
the pistols in the capital at all the good and
great? TCries of No Are we to have peace
in fact or only in name? Cries of q In fact"
q In fact. Is this nation hereafter to be peace
able? Are the avocatons of life to go on, each
man going about without fear and without dread,
or are we in orr condition. to rival hereafter the
tales we have heard of the old world, where
every man feared his neighbor, and no man went
about except armed to the teeth or clad in piano.
ply of steel? This is the question to be decided
this day, aye this hour, by the American people.
And perhaps may say. reverently, that this dis
pensation of Gods good providence is sent to
teach US that the spirit of the rebellion has not
been broken by the surrender of its armies
And, my friends, echoing the words of the last
speaker, would say be of good heart. There is
no occasion of dependency. A great, a good
man has fallen in the fullness of his fame, in the
hight of his glory to join the sages and patriots
of the Revolutionary days. His life saved
! four years ago when it was needed, when he
went through Baltimore, and the waves of re-
bellion were beating around him. Then he was
spared to the country. But now his work is done
and it remains for us to do that which was left
for US to do in the same direction. He has driven
out the life and the spirit, and it is for us to take
car of ha of ha oil |
And am glad to speak here, to assure You what
know to be the sentiment of the present Presi
dent of the United States. who has succeeded by
this great dispensation of Providence to the high
est place on earth that he feels as you and do
i know it on the subject that the rebellion
is to be put down. He has had nearer view of
it than we have had. 1t has been at his hearth
stone, and he has had almost his roof-tree blaz-
ing over him. And every ought to know
that he is not only able, but willing and DESTROYS
that it should he dealt with as we would have it
dealt with. And therefore let every man he of
good cheer. Cheers. 1t may be said hear
it has been said-that those who recommend con-
dign punishment for treason and other wrongs
are ood-thirsty-that we desire to shed blood
for the shedding of blood But, fellow citizens,
could he who has gone before us have foreseen
what would have been the end of his policy of
clemency and forgiveness, it might have soured
his heart, but it might have informed his iudg-
mcnt, and we had him spared unto US this hour.
: If he could have seen that forgiveness meant
/ sassination-that clemency meant death-that
even the sick whom the Providence of God
had spared for a season was to be murdered on
his sick-bed a result of the ebellion-pcrhaps
he would have nerved his heart against these
men, and forgot the goodness of his nature
But he has gone before US the first victim of this
clemency with words of forgiv upon his
tongue even as he died, and it is left for us to
review the course and see whether or not we are
to be instructed by his DEATH And therefore
say to you. my friends-not in the spirit of ven
geance, nor, | trust, in any spirit of blood
thirstiness, God forbid but in the spirit of
mercy for thousaEds--I ask that punishment
should be visited upon those who have caused
this great wrong. The nation demands it. This
sentiment was Endorsed by the most emphatic
applause, swinging of hats etc The widowed
wives of those Of our fallen soldiers sleeping in
Southern soil cry out for it. The insulted maies-
y of the nation has determined upon it, and
woe be to him that gets in the path of justice
and the execution of the law. Cheer upon cheer
went up from the vast multitude as General But
Ter concluded his address.