New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-07-24
GEN. BUTLER ON THE sTABvA.
TIoN OF PRISONERS.

At The celebration Of the 4th at Lowell, Gen.
r. &. BUTLER being called to respond to the toast
" Our Volunteer" said:
| The Volunteers Of the United States Army-bnt an
other form Of words for the Army OF the Cnted STATES
as with the exception OF handful all the army "ero
volunteers. -, ~, A.
| How they have fought What battle fields have
been rendered ustrious by their yalor nat rlsn.s
have been preserved by their consancy' " nat pehS
Cts 10 msnknd by their SUGGEST How freedom to all
n en- has been secured result Of their Ianors Ine
pen Of history has preserved record enduring
IL e iii on this birthday Of the nation whose very eA
steuce preserved by then heroic PATRIOTISM III ou
,oyous common oraton that We should honor them or
their services aud minGie our CONGRATULATIONS VII"
! theirs in praise upon the return Of peace
Wood That they were all here 10 meet and receive
onr greeting But alas In every home by the mountain
SIDE in the fertile valley or on the smiling pain Us ~
tho crowded city there 10 vacant cbsr which mucn
Ioyed brother, d fondly eDdeared husbnhd reseica
! f,,her .or whose coming orphans have hopeu anu
YEARLY watching Hept, or son vaniy Waltz ,o' 49,.
the yesrnings oil psrcn'a' ahec''oH' 'hA" "'''' -'
fill.
In the far South BY the turbd river In the sands ~
tire Carolinas or on plains and amid the wilderness
of Virginia, there are ltte INQUIRE ' 40, 10 lei
saye our memories, TO weeping sister, wie chI'sn'
bereayed mother or county OF oar gahii oyn w.,
| voted soldiers who have died that the nation might
live even 40 long as to celebrate ~ peopie me return
OF this day with it, memories OF patriotism ald glory
| Wonld to (iod that the graves OF these ioved ones
were oil we have mourn. Death on Tho tn,ltc neiu
or IN those who fall by disease even in the path II duty
Las lis soIaco where the cause sanotihes anf nao"s
A. the inevitable result Of struggle ior Lioerty anu
Law But LOOK once again, On n sandy PLAN IN inc
midst of the pine forest. bounded by nrrky swamp
there I, Dit hled with dad pens bones, unnum nored
urnoted nncoun.ed urrecorded, unno'iesn Wiae""
ssnl,ure or the ssered righs II buria by thousands
not aesi BY the bullet not stricken by dlsease roh Tue
hard OF God-stsrved TO death with tae cruel triufs
# hunger. amid such plenty that an a'ny OF ni
n,,isds with its cattle AID horses coud suh'i-t or
Tho snrpns provision ~ the country IN arapd nhfch
past Af'dersonve-or murdered with frosl under the
shadow, Of the fat plies Which sang SAL reipsni ~
their memories a the Winter winds moaaed through
the branches whose very sghing called up ia 'rensl
the harry homes and warm teHrtbs 81 the ofth 10 tue
| wandering minds OF the dying MARTYRS.
Shell do roihing bat mourn oni ininele our tears
with Tie sorrow bow ed II their homes Tor these
our heroes loved aud losti Is there NJ respons
sorrow al the .o,ce that grateful country ard pow
erfu people can give to tie borrowing srter widowea
" f. aud mourning mot or for the brotter, husD"n"
sou thus fouly. cruelty basey murdered WIN INC gel
purpose deprive that country OF the service oi m SOL
dersi .,,
sna we take to our hearts end to our social and POI
ltical fellow the cine iiiors who dii these whoe
sale murders by famine and cold on our bfolncts anu
sons helpless prisoners Of war, entitled 70 'ou anu
warmth ty every law municipal or national hlmhn or
dyinet Not ia vengeance, but IN mercy no' ID rcla
alton but In precauton; Eot IN revenge but IN proven
tion that this thing ma never be done eg'in among
civilized men, ~ IL never has been done before by
savage people shan these pntcneis DC pious'' W oo
Mo In aiI the world. phnsn:hropist or politician,
editor OF historian soldier ciyan has sent up or
viii send up tion tfHt ne keep,r' q ,ae
shall be parionedi The uDdried Tears OF IN. sister OF
ever ma .sacred soldier demands their execution Inc
fororn OF each lonely widow cries Tor IL henNs
jus,.ce the silent agony OF every bersaneu iho.n'.
muioly pleads that her SONS murderer shsh 10, pst
her sight IN life. All nstgrc and natuIcs goa .! III
Uol, In. has dccreed thai tie brothers murderer shl
not live Who then shall stay the hand OF justice !
WHO shall stand between these mon ard the pensy {"
the liwi There !. none-not Que. .,.,.,,
n. I'll l. fhara M sWeY NJ
criminals Hive they no pls TO pat Ia when 80 sam
mari arraigncd at your bar' Hear them N mercy
&C., Win IN, a,s IN sse niar 9' And sS
VIE Libby aud Belle Isle were hut inferior military
oni-rs. We lid but carry oct tho orders OF onr si
p.riprr NV had refnsod 10 do their bidding We
.,oud have been court u,artisiod and hanged. We
we're but the hands ~ DO what the heads WHO We
lu oostd 90, The lsy 81 Se y, nas ~ . .1e
cued the orders VI Robert Lee, tommsnder.n Chief
Of auies.o prevent IoJnfc cenens coming 70 you
our .nenies y steaa1se o. WY hans Us
HINT What kind Of Justice IN yonr Government sh 10
shut Us prison for obey.ls bis orders snd permit
him 20 retire To bis home IN Virginia Ike snoher Cin
cinna.us returning not nom serving bat running MS
"Wly visit all your pnalshment upon usf We are
poor iI.teta,s meI-mere isiors We were not ednes
led a, the peoples expense al West Point. as were
,silent Dayis and Cen Lee. We have never sworn
featy 20 your flag IA solemn service We dil not hoid
al tho beginning u the high Offices. civil or MIL
tarv In tie s.naie and my of tho United States.
III viewer, guilty " tie death Of your soldiers ut
Andersonvillo ne snboriinaes were they not equally
eaiiiy supriors Beside. dio they not bring the
Wal bv their action In the Senate and army ard with
out them anu uch they, would the war over have
bee begun or carried on AZ al Are they lot guilty
thon Of the death ~ all your brothers. husbands
aud iaibers on every battlefield in every hospital aud
IN every prsoui II yoa punish not them and such ~
they, Why punish nsf"
md their que.tioLs are hard h answer
These men, Goes not justice say, ought rot to be
Lap1ed-at lcas. alone.
n rhrn. we believe TRAIT our men were murtsred at
AnderronYile ~ We hGve not put forth sole false
hood TO the world 10 tits behalf against the south; II
treason aggravated by murders most foul and runber
loss worthy of death; II and brothers
dear heir blood has not been shed In vain II
country for whose safety many good and brave moi
have been offered up lie worth the sacrifice Ut the lives
Of great criminals then LEI these leadersrspresena
tive men-be executed. as warning and example that
al non mBy sbjerstsud hereafter that be MAO AIMS ID
blow at the life Of his county shall surely die
u give you neTefore-Justice aud Mercy: both equal
attributes " tho Deity.