The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-05-11
GENERAL BUTLER ON THE CRISIS

Eeopte'S Pohcy-A Glorious Finale.
There was a very large attendance G
+ the members of the New York Unio
League Club on Monday evening, it be
ing understood that Gen. Benjamin
Butler would deliver an address at tn
invitation of the Club.
Soon after the large room of the clul
was opened for admission there was
constant inward tide until there was n,
more room left either for sitting or stan
ding.
General Butler was introduced by tn,
Chairman of the Loyal League Club in
few. words. He was greeted with lout
applause.
GENERAL BUFFERS SPEECH.
We may congratulate ourselves that af
ter four years of effort, toll, expenditure
as well of treasure as blood, all armed re-
sistahce to the Government has been
] brought to an end.
Among the returning blessings which
will flow from this consummation, not the
least will be the arrival of the period
when all abnormal administration of law
and exercise of authority and power can
and will cease, the reason for, cause and
object of extraordinary use of executive
functions which we have all upheld be-
cause necessary war powers, justified in
the struggle for the life of the nation,
ceasing, they also cease, and we of the
loyal States come back once more to that
regularity and safety of exercise of gov
ernmental powers which our fathers, with
so much care, provided as safeguards to
the rights Of all. There is, however, a
portion of our country in which all these
safeguards are broken down, where all
law which we can recognize has been dis
regarded, and where the withdrawal of
our armed forces would leave only anar-
chy, aggravated by hostility to the Gov
ernmcnt.
| propose, with your permission, in a
conversational form, to evolve for consid-
Grafton few propositions relative to the
questions which now press home upon us
as to the manner in which we shall re-
ceive back the Rebellious States, or, a
voiding all controversy upon terms, mere
ly as to whether they are in or out of the
Union. In regard TO the language of our
late lamented President, Chow these
States can be brought into their practical
relations with the Government" I need
not say that the thoughts which have
been subjects of my reflections upon this
topic are only the speculations of eilii-
zens whose mind has been turned for
some time in this direction, attracted
thereto and enlightened by the success of
the bold, original action of President
johnson in bringing Tennessee, as 10y
al State, into the Union by the votes of
those only who had ever remained loyal
in heart. and rejecting all those who had
participated in the Rebellion. This, per-
haps, is the key to the whole difficulty
In April, 1868, l had the honor to ex-
press to the citizens Of New York, at the
Academy of Music, the opinion that the
people of the rebellious states were in the
legal relation to the Government of alien
enemies this proposition has been since
confirmed by the repeated solemn decis-
ions of the Supreme Court. BY what
process, then, are these public enemies
of the United States, living under politi-
cal organizations or State Governments
hostile to the Union, their forces just now
shattered and broken by our victories, to
be brought into political relations with
US, and become endowed as well with the
privilege of legislating for themselves as
part of the government, as also to make
laws for us, who have just subdued the
Rebellion by the sword. 1t is quite clear
that until some means are devised to en-
able the Southern people to govern them
selves in the Union, disorder must be re-
pressed, peace preserved, crimes punish
ed and the industrious and we'll doing
protected by the military powers of the
United States.
1t would seem to be the part of wisdom
to ascertain first, whether any of the in
habitauts of these States, and how many,
are really desirous of coming back and
becoming part of the Government, with
the political ideas of afinities, unity of
thought with the loyal States, which can
alone insure their usefulness and homo
genelity as parts of the body polite
Would it not be well then that Military
Governors appointed for each State, who,
it would seem, should be selected as much
for their knowledge of civil affairs as of
"army regulations, if satisfied that any
considerate number of the inhabitants of
the district were truly loyal and desirous
of bringing their State into the Union,
should call upon the loyal citizens Of the
United States residing therein who had
never held Office during the Rebellion, to
vote upon the question whether the peo-
pie desire to resume their relations with
the United States as a loyal State, aud for
that end would provide and declare in
their State Constitution =
First. That hereafter forever there
should be neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude, except for crime judicially
declared.
Second. That there cannot exist In
the political system of the United States
any such thing as right of secession by
a State.