Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-07-21

LIB. PATTERSON,
W. G. nAUN.
N. d. McHENRY,
State Central Committee.
General Frank Blair On Annes.
AoantOn-1101t.
The followingis ~ extract from General
Blair's recent speech at Louisville:
Now, l am like my friend Mr.. Kasson]
in another respect, although in his general
conclusions We agree, and am very glad
" have the happiness 10 agree with gen.
tAeman have known 70 long, and esteem-
ed SO highly; but upon this point do not
agree with him-that he would rather ten
thousand times, I believe he said, that the
loyal negroes should vote then those who
have been fighting against the government,
Our secession frienda l have not any
great love for those who have been fighting
~; have no cause TO love them, yet | do
not agree with HIM, and believe they are
not quite 30 much to blame for what they
have done Is some other people who have
engaged them to do II, without the man
hood 10 take sides with thsm. II would
give thcm . proclamation Of amnesty, he
cause they have fought bravely and we'll in
. mistaken cause. ] would prefer 10 put il
in this phrase
THAT cordially thank President John
son for what he has done, and President
Lincoln for what he did in his life, In re-
oognixing that principle"
l would like 10 see 4 question tried be
fore the judicial tribunals. ! wish that A.
n. Stephens would not ask fur pardon or
amnesty, but that he would submit hlmself
70 be tried before the courts Of the United
States, and plead In his defence that he was
. Union man; that he had fought for the
Union 10 the Safe Of Georgia, and in the
convention which that State held when
he made one Of the best speeches ever made
for the Union. That would be true That
while he was thus battling for the Union,
the present chief OF the bureau Of military
justice, who was then cabinet counselor,
entered into truce with rebel commission
ers by which the government Of the United
States was prohibited from preparing its
forts for defence, from reinforcing them and
putting food in them, and by which the
rebels were allowed 10 erect batteries around
these forts which afterwards destroyed
them; that while he was making these
speeches in defence Of the Union, Mr.. Blu
chanan, Mr.. Floyd, and other cabinet nm
listers were putting arms in the hands Of
reasonable parties in the South to put the
Union men down and coerce them into re-
bell,cn. i wessd have him make that plea
! would have him set up the plea that the
present Secretary Of War was q member Of
the CABINET of James Buchanan at the time
this truce was made by which the fate Of
Sumptcr was sealed. / would have him say
that, even after Mr.. Lincoln assumed the
reigns Of power, the question Of reinforc-
ing and victualing Fort Sumpter was dis
cussed in the Cabinet, and every member
Of that Cabinet. with the exception Of one.
voted against its reinforcement, and in favor
Of surrcndcring il to the rebels. | would
have him say that citizenship faith to the
government, was upon condition OF the gov
ernments faith to its citizens that the
government was bound to protect its citi-
xens, bound not TO give arms to traitors and
rebels, but bound to send its arms and its
armies TO its true and faithful citizens. 1t
dit not Oft Mr.. Stephens thought that,
having been abandoned by his gov
ernment. he committed no greater fault in
finally yielding to secession than the gov
eminent did in deserving him in the first
place.
do not wish to be understood as saving
that the turpitude o: one individual is any
excuse or defence for the crime of another,
but Mr.. Buchanan, and Floyd. and Holt
and the other Cabinet ministers, male the
actual government at the time, and that
government furnished arms to the
rokNnl, or.A mt. .:.L
the rebels, enabling them to use those arms
while It tied the hands Of the government,
- against the rebels. Thus the government
actually betrayed the Unionists n tn.
Soath. and not only PERMITTED but aided tn,
f.hels to coerce them into secession.
man who 10 constrained to commit Grim,
cannot be punished for it. especially by thos,
VINO aided in constituting him to the com
nission Of the deed, more especially ii those
aided in constraining him were bound t.
protect and defend him. Now, imagine
Aleck Stephens in the criminal dock with
Joe Holt Is the public prosecutor; Aleck
making that magnificent Union speech
which he delivered in the Georgia conven-
ton, and contrasting with it Joe Hollis let
Ter ofNovember or December, 1860, Justify
ing treason and rebellion, and also with the
convention made by Buchanan's Cabinet
with the rebel commissioners, and signed
By Joe Holt and Toucey, in which they
agreed not to defend or reinforce the forts
but allowed the rebels to construct batteries
against them, which afterward DESTROYED
them. Who, ask, would look most like
criminal in the eyes Of the nationl Now,
I have made this superstition because have
heard % much about the total humiliation
q these men who have been in rebellion, es
pecaaily BY those men who have never boen
down here to help to kill any OF thcm-whu
were careful not to 20 South Is long as the
rebels bad any arms TO defend themselves
with That clAss arc for extermipstipp the
people Of the South and brushing out thci1
State lines.
want to bring back to their considera
ton, in the strongest point Of view Of which
am capable, the attitude occupied by oul
government to these States In The bcginins
q the var. When Virginia voted. 6y so,
600 majority, for the Union, sut when
crowd q eullies in Richmond we're read,
% drive the State out Of the Union, tn,
government stood BY with its arms folded
Didn't these loyal men have the right ~ dc
0ood protection ct that time - much =.
the government hat to demand them to re
main loyals When every State in tn,
South was in the same condition-with thu
exception Of South Carolina I don't BE-
Neve it can be asserted Of any State that I
majority were in favor Of secession. l put
y sn's plea in behalf Of great number Of
oen Who remained loyal and true to The
< p.ernment ~ long ~ they could do 30,
:. ~ wou'o nave remained loyal and true to
SAas day u the government had remained
q 49, ana True to them. say that thew
oeaM not now De prescribed by The very
oen VINO deserted and abandoned them IN
~ days Of their trial. '''e'1 ="
AunDn A11snPrED--An old gentleman
r fNtA rPnn q ncCabe living near Hsouo.
M 49, aasppltsd By two desperate ~.
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