Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-07-19
Views Of a Virginia UniOliSt.
A Powerful Speech by
John Minor Bolts.
A Scathing Exposure of Southern
Treason--The Government and the
Rebels--The New Party Repudia-
ted.

audience Of Union men at Baltimore, on Il
4th Of July. which is reported at length
the American. He said he should not hay
accepted the invitation of the Mayor an
Common Council to speak, if his hsarel
we're either wholly or in part Copperhead
for the day belonged to Union men excl,
sively. He wished that peace and unit
prevailed, and that there was no more Mort
and no more South, but the feelings of tn
Southern people were now more intensel
hostile to the Government than at an
period during the war. They did not con
template another rebellion, because the
had no arms to take up. But the spirit t
rebel was good, and if they had once th
power, they would not let Union man re
side in the Southern States, particularly i,
Virginia. This was not the case with al
tbs people, but the men in powcr-the edi
tors and politicians, who controlled publ,
opinion, were the persons referred to- Mr.
Bolts thon denounced the heresy that tn,
citizens first duty is to his State, and ad
vocated the doctrine that the Union is ma
tion and net Q mere confederation. He con
tinued as follows:
DUTY OF THE GOVERNMENT AT THE CLosI
OF TIE REBELLION.
Among the first questions that arise is,
what we should have done and what ought
to have been done after this rebellion was
at an end? In my opinion the first duty Of
the President of the United States was to
have had every prominent leadiug rebel in
the South instantaneously arrested In
mense applause. If had been in the ex-
ercise Of that power II can only say what
would have dons) | would have had every
prominent and leading rebel in every State
arrested. (Great applause And | would
have had them tried by courtmartial. LAP
plause And would have had them con.
victed of treason enthusiastic applause ,
and condemned to death under the Consti-
tuition and laws of the country. Tremend-
Gus applause. And if Mr.. johnson had
done this, and had then chosen to pardon
sill, should not have complained. If he
hsd chosen to Danish all, should not have
gone into mourning. Laughter and ap-
plause. 1t he had chosen to pardon all |
should have been content. have no per-
sonsl feeling of animosity toward these peo.
pie. They are my fellow countrymen. -
They are my old political and person | as
sooiates But l would have an example
made that would be lesson for fu-
ture generations applause for the
perpetuity aud safety of this great Repub-
lie in the future. might have mourned
and might have wept over the execution
of many of them as my former friends and
associates, still | could net have helped ex.
claiming: You have brought your fate
upon yourselves, and you deserve it," Ap-
plause. | have not been one of these to
permit my personal relations to be marred
by my political feelings, and have no feel
ing OF personal nimosity against one of
them. But say that the Constitution
Should have been vindcated, and treason
should have been made odious. Great ap.
plsuse. | would have taken such course.
and would have had MIR. johnson take such
a course as would have deferred any future
from attempting the same thing
again.
ERoRs OF PRESIDENT JOHNSON.
But, instead of that. Mr. johnson, as l
honestly believe, whatever may be his posi-
ton and feelings now, from feeling OF be-
nevolence and kindness of heart, and con-
fiding too much in the sincerity and integri-
ty of his old political associates, in whom I
never had any confidence great applausel,
system of iudiscriminate par
1oning. When he first started | went with
him, and perhaps spent more time, more
abor and more money in procuring the par
Ion OF rebels than any other man of the
United States, who never received dime in
return. expected him to have carried out
hat portion of his policy which declares that
reason is a crime that must be made odious,
md that the governments of the States were
70 be placed in the hands of Union men,
But no sooner had these psrdons been at
aimed than these gentlemen, who were sup
plants for favor, crawling to the foot stool
If power, asking pardon for what they had
lone, taking the oath of amnesty and of al.
egiance to the Government Of the United
States, instantly became more bold, more
nsolent and more defiant than they had
,ver been before. And when found that,
md found that no steps were to be taken in
order to make treason odious, and that no
'teps were to be taken to put the States into
he hands of loyal men, and to crush disloy-
,lty out efthe country ceased to give any
further support to the policy ofMr johnson.
Great applause. And yet, gentlemen,
I'm this day as geod johnson man as lives
IN the United States. We are all Johnson
men, to a certain extent. The only differ
ence between US is this--that one party of
he country goes for what he says, and the
,ther party goes for what he does. Ap-
plause aud laughter 1t is simply like the
grog, "alfand'alf" Now,
f there is any portion of that disloyal ele.
nent in this assemblage that processes to be
} better johnson man than / am, would
ask him in what particular? Does he go
Tor Johnson's whole policy, for making trea-
'on odious, for pronouncing it crime, and
putting the States In the hands-of the loyal
men Of the cevntry2 Or does he go solely
md exclusively for that portion Of his policy
which allows the rebels to run the machine
Ill the timer Now, l could tell Mr.. John
ION, ! could whisper in his ear secret, by
which, if he could get all this disloyal ele-
mont, the rebel element and the Copper
head element, to sign pledge to stand by
him, he could get the whole country on bis
tide. He has but to whip about little and
larry out what he says. We would be with
lim aud then let the others stick to him,
Ind We would all 60 for him. But as soon
Is he did that the others would all leave
iina. They won't stick. am BOT speaking
bout the next Presidential election now. =
won't promise anything about that