The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-10-17

GEll9AsEoDA1 Y l!.iI' | 1,,SICIODl ,,,SI''C ~
PATRIOTIC INSTRUCTION
fii}:.,sT: u8'iH ,,:t:---::'i:! e, :,s;..T ',i''
Speech General Benjamin !. Butler
!a;s a- DELIVERED At THE o. III
Pittsburgj Soldiers and Sailors
y$n: .,,., Convention. ra#%@
h GrrrTI1tirxs,Es rI1ix OF rns CONVENTION lsIl =
'May1 ask your Indulgence and Smos
perfect attesaion, that ! may be- abl'
to make myself heard. We are me
here upon tho most ,nomentous issues
ever presented to any body Of men,
We arc called npon to support as cit
izens, those principles and those
rights and that conrse OF Government
for which you fought in the field
We might have we'll hoped, whcr
the last rebel. surrendered, and wher
our armies were victorious every
where, that peace and unity. and con
cord fshonld prevail. -, -
/ But unfortunately for the country
some evil thought entered; into tht
b curt of the Executive Of the. nation
assuming to have strength OF mnc
and purpose to deal with q question
which he should have presented to the
whole Government OF the United
States in Congress assembled. HI
undertook by his own fiat to recon
struct tho country. 1t was IN act tht
power to do which no President hac
ever before claimed. ri -
The question Of admitting States
into tho Union had more than once
been presented to this Government
Kansas, we all remember Missouri
passes beyond tho memory Of many
Of US; but history tells ne that tlt
country divided upon the question
upon what terms Missouri should b.
admitted. Did the then Executive
able and constitutional lawyer tina
he was-did the then Executive CLAIM
that by his fat, by lis policy" hi
could say how n State was 10 come
into tho Union? No; it was referred
10 the Congress Of tho United States!
But passing on, the present Exccu
tive gave what he called al expert
u,cntal government to each Of TIT
States, for which have searched il
vain to find any constitutional author
ity. What won the States that hat
rcyoltcd from the Union? for in tha
question, to which ! propose to cal
your attention for o few moments, j
seems to me tue whole issue is heI'
and now to be determined. You re
member that because Abraham Lin
coin was elected, eleven States, wit!
the sympathy Of two or three more
revolted from the Union, seized al
tho property, and drove out. ever.
vestige of Union authority ant
Union powers, armed themselve
against the constituted authorities o
the country, contederated themselvc
into O Union and Government, raise'
armies and attempted to inaugnrat
and set aAoat a navy, and put them
selves in such IL position that the Su
prc.nc Court ofthe United States dc
cidcd that all the people Of this terri
tory wero national, public enemies
engaged in q civil and territorial war
Atthis point, fellow soldiers, w
should stop to consider what wa
their condition. if they were not
that time out Of the Union. Certain
it is, that the Union was out Of them
[Laughtcr.] Standing just there, IN,
comrade sal ilors, when we passed For
jackson, under tho lead Of the i'm
mortal Farragut. did We believe tha
Louisiana had all her rights in til
Union Mt that timci Tou who land
ed at Port Royal, after that mos
brilliant bvmbardmcnt, fellow soldiers
did You believe that South Carnlin
was then iuthc Union, with all he
rights and privileges as u part Of tn
growing power Of this uniona Hear
| " not. 'Theu let lis follow on for
few moments, becanse ii there IN,
man so stupid here as to telieye tim
at that tune South Carolina had o.
her rights in the Union, as q part Q
their Government, then i'll have Of
Tended be had better take his hat an q J
20 to dinner, for I shall not addres
him any. longer. [Applnuse.l
Now then, with varied success; q
Gettysburg; Antietam, and 9 athousan' q
other battles of'which:. You. arc tn
representatives, the war was Tough
out. You all agree that e tb
time I have spoken, tho begin
ming Of the war, these men hsl
no ! rights in the Union. II, the.n! y!
the war 4 was fought ont, What We g
the next step in the progress ;of to y
.nationa The armed soldiers repre-
sentiBg these mon surrendered them
selves prisoners Of ar-mark that
surrendered themselves snd thei
arms And everything they had, TO on