The national Republican., 1866-04-13


GENERAL BUTLnR,s yIEws ON nv
oONsTRUoTION-As SPEECH BEFORE
THEPENNsYLvANIA LEGIsLATURE
The following Is q tesgrsphic abstract Of Gen.
Buffers speech, delivered BY Invitation Of the
Psnn'ylvania Legislature to that body on the Ilth
inst: saai \. |-.77T
HAHsnpuss, April II, 1899.
Senerai Butler was escorted into the House By
committees Of the Senate and House, and delivered
speech over two hours long, In substance a. fol.
lows; That We might at least rejoice over the oss-
sation OF armed hostities but had great cans, for
sorrow In reviewing the political events ofthe pres
ent hour, which convinced Us We had not yet
gained all that for which we fought When the
rebel forces surrendered and thoir ereat Isadsr va
captured, the position Of Affairs at the South vas
been retained INV
II the President and Congress had tS,n punished
Davis, who deserted his seat In m. ssn.ts snd
Loe, who deserted his flag sud thon, without sbsd.
ding more blood, had ordered thoss who h,a ,ss,
,ne army and congress, and those who haa ,s,vsd
IN the rebel Congress, to leave ae country In ,irty
' Sna 'oroit their tpropetyj aud that those who
not have political ~ part In the rebellion should
r,od :. p".oa ~ ,wer, for at least as long Do.
oTa an snnab araiiled foreigner, thyn peace,
Southern Stat, atty would have rsigned In every
soa,h,,ap que" ION now was simply whsthsr these
m,ttsd ~ men, who deserted us once, shall be ad-
I'll
sno 4 leave us again. This Is best Illustrated BY
a. fdnary partnership A number ofmen associate
emselves togcthcrj . minority desert, but cannot
take the property Of tho concern, nor binaa nor
| destroy the partnership.
Afer q while this minority desi-, "A ,a,,,n r.n
they or ought they To be s,,,ovsa IN 40 40, II
states can go out when:.,e they please, why can.
not they come back whenever they pieasef But
me me truth Is they never aid 10 out. Only some OF
som,sa % conErer, with the sanction Of their
.ud u - drew their salaries lon their seats
anu we - South. Those same communities cannot
at 10 scnd other members to take place Of those
J ~ne absconded without tho assent Of Congress.
Tho Supreme Court Of the United States had
| decided that the war was public and civil war
and that those on the opposing soil were public
| enemies. Has there been anything to change
these Southerners from this condition Of public
enemiesf We captured them entire--bodes
property, and constitutional and every other right
except that Of being hanged. The terms Of Grant
and Sherman gave no political rights to those who
bad opposed us. Society In the rebellious States
was disorganiIed. How shall 1t be recrganised'
Simply by extending justice to ALL and by acknow-
edging that every man, whether white or black
has the right to be equal with every other man.
On this principle the Union party must stand n
It expects success In this world, or smiles in the
next. But II was seid, why not extend this same
principle Of equality to Pennsyysria and the North.
ern States. The answer wa; that the rights Of
PennSylvania had not beer, captured, and they had
not been in rebellion. The southerners were on.
titled only TO what we choose to give them, and
oeggan proVSrbially should not be choosers.
| IL wop.d be but human nature IL the Southern
memrers were admitted to Congress for them to re.
rddiate the debt incurred in whipping them and
II sufficient number were admitted to combine
with Northern Democrats, the majority thus Gre
ated would be prejudical to the interests Of the
country. Gen. Butler dwet at length upon this
point, and alluded 10 the possibility Of this major
ty Of dsunionists In the future actually forming
Il L. naI IL A.