New-York daily tribune., 1865-05-02
GEN. BUTLER AT TKE UNION
LEAGUE CLUB.
EAis Address.

evening under the auspices Of this Club at their rooms
UDlOn-square.
JOHN JAY, ESQ.,, was nominated Chairman. who spoke
as follows: We have the honor to meet here tonight
gentlemen distinguished officer Of the United States
Armythc first 10 point out at the opening OF the waT
how the negro should be treated. lie showed The
country to its immense satisfaction, how Rebels should
be treated during the war; and certainly no one mas
better right to express his views as TO how that class OIL
our ellow.ctizens should be treated, now that hos
ties have ceased This Club private social body
lis members bound together by the single principle &C.
voted LOYALTY TO the Goyernmentthc only grand piln
ciple that we have yet adopted. We have not YET
agreed upon any general view Of the policy to be pur
sucd in dealing with the Rebels OF the great question
Of rcconstrucion, Of any of the various question"
growing out of the conclusion Of the war; and perhaps
we are not yet ready 10 adopt unanimously an! polc!
upon these qucstons but are ready. always ready
10 listen with becoming Difference to the views OF gen
tleman so eminent and distinguished he who is our
guest tonight.
Gen. BUTLER was then introduced, and welcomed
with great applause. He said:
THE ADDRrss
We may congratulate ourselves that after four years
Of effort toll expenditure rs wc OF treasure as poou
all armed resistance tO tho Government has DeeH
broneht to an end Among The returning blessings
which will Aoy from this Consummaton, not the Tea
will be the arrival Of the period when all abnoImh au
mnisration of law exercise of authority and power
can and will cease; the for cause and OBJ OF Oh
extraordinary uses Of executive functions when We
have all upheld. beeau,e necessary war powers IN 'nT
lls0 cease; aud we Of the loyal States come
back once more 10 that regularity ana
safety Of exercise Of Governmental powers when our
fathers with much provided as saiegu fds 10 the
rights os all. But there is portion OF our country
where al those saieP GUARDS ore broken down where a
law which recognize has been disregaTded ana
where the withdrawal of our armed forces wonu ieh'e
only anarchy aggravated by hostility to the GoVer
ment propose with your Permission, IN a converse
tOnal form, To- evolve for consid ration Few pFop"s
Ions relating TO the questo. which now press
home upon US. to the malner IN which we
shall receive back the rebeliOus states. OF ayold
ling all controversy upon terms, merely rs To Whethci
they in out of The Union; To use ihe anRuHe'
,of our tate lamented President How these Stnes can
be brought into their practical relations with ihs GOV
Icrnment" need not say that the thoughts Whch nav
been The subjects Of my reflections upon this topic are
lony the speculaons of ctzn. whose mind has oeeh
turned f0r time in this direction attracted thereto
and enlightened Dy tie snccess "i the bold oTleihi ac
ton of President johnson in bringing Tennessee as
la 1ya State into the Union by the votes OF those only
hO had ever remained loyal 10 heart and rejecting oil
those who had pirlicpated IN the Trbe'i N
This perhaps. is the key 10 the whole difficulty
In April -6 had The honor to express to tie citizens
OF New York. at the Academy ci Music. the opinion
that The people of the Efbeious States were IN TIE
legal relation TO the Government of GleH eEeis tins
proposition has been since confirmed by the repeated
solemn decisions OF the Supreme Cont by what pro
cess then these public enemies Of the United States
living under political organizations or State Govern
ments hostile a. the Union their forces just now shai
tered md broken ly our victories to be brought nio
political relations Will us, ana become eno""e hs wen
with the privilege oil legslatng for themselves as
part OF the Government also to make Low
Tor US who have just subdued the Rebellion by the
sword Ii Is quite clear that until some means are de-
ised 20 enable t5o southern people TO govern Them
lsehcs n the Union. disorder must be T,pessed peace
preserved. crimes punished, and the industrious and
well.doing protected oy the military powers of the
United states II would seem 10 he the pat o. wisdom
10 assertion Drst WbeleI any of the Inhabitants of
these Staics nhd how many really GesiIous Of com
lug back and becoming pant Of the Government WIN
le political ideas. Dlnits. unity u thought with tle
ioyal States which Gun alone insure their usefulness
and homogeHicty a. parts of tie body polite.
Woud t not be well then tIat military GcfcrnOts be
a pointed for each Slate who tuO I'd en- should bo r.
army regulations" if satisfied that any considerable
number of ne uhnbtatt. OF lis district were Tuy
81 and dualrOus % bringing their state back nto the
nion shOud al, upon the loyal ciuzcus OF the United
states resi- ing therein, who bad never held oiice
duing the Rebellion to vote upon tie question. whether
tie people desired Ia their relations with ihc
United states a. loyal stie. end for that end would
pro, .de and declare IN their state Constitution. J.
That hereafter forever there should be-
neither Slavery nlr voluntary seyitude
exccp, for CRIME ndicully declared That there can
not exist In the political system OF the United states
any such thing As "a right OF secession by state. T.
That no person, corporation, municipal or Other or
state could might assume or pay any part OF
the debt claim BY any person corporation. Siae on
confederation Of STATES incurred or IN ary way arising
from or in aud of the late Rebellion T. That ans pea
son who had held military, evil or diplomatic oice un-
der the socacd Confederate States either hem or
been any agent thereof during the Rebellion should
no ioltical rights in the State, but should be and
remain ALIEN hereuHf0 J0rcrG. II the people OF The
State should by good degree oi nagnnnimiy vote 10
call "A convention 10 make these or like propositions a.
part OF their constitutional law. then meeting for the
election Of delegates 10 constitutional convention
could be called constitution frnmed ana submitted 10
the people for rniihcatiOn. Such vote upon such
propositions would be conclusive evidence that the
people of such State truly loyal and IN concord
ance with those ideas which control the loyal mind OF
The other States and by which the future OF the country
is TO be governed. II considerable number
voted upon these questions. or they failed to|
command the assent OF larger portion Of the people.
this would also 10 b, conclusive evidence u at
within tha, military district either The spirit oi The Ee-
beon lad been subdued, although physical force
mieht be broken; that the c0nmutly was not IN con
dion TO resume It's practical relations rs State OF
The non aud would hold II under military rule as
begeren until ihe n1u1 Of Northern enterprise CAPT
tei and sentiment brought IN by our brave Soldi1s
coming there 10 settle and By our school teachers edn
canr hc coored citizens of the United States therein
dwelling had 80 Tar changed the feelings OF majority
of the people of such State that IL WAS IN IN condition TO
become STATE of this Union, whether the time needed
for this pui pose year or century II. however
coustIintiOn should 10 adopted containing tie pro
visions above suggestcd then the state being organ
lied. all military rule should be withdrawn 40 soon
the State Government should show II was able u pre-
servo the peace and pro cct all citizens OF the United
States in its borders in life liberty and pursuits OF
happiness" The State could then elect ITS members u
eir House of Congress to be admitted rejected az
either in it, vision might determine. But no such
election Of Members of Congress ought to take place
until all military rule lad been Withdrawn. because
there cnn be no greater wrong 10 Inc luhdhmchlhl
prncipes of our Government than the election OF mem
bers Of either house Of Congress under the over
shndowing power Of the President, specially when ea
cried m tins military Such elections abolish all DIS
inctious between and independence Of the Legislative
and Executive Departments Of the Government. and
tend ~ u consolidation Of power quite az much to ..
guarded against Secession. am one oi those olu
,asbioned Democrats who do not believe that the Er