American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-08-22
GEN. NYEs SPEECH.

meeting, at Patterson, New Jersey ,on the
9th inst. His speech is most able. We
are sorry we cannot find room for it in
full He discusses fully the folly of
again trusting those who have already
perjured themselves in betraying their
country and whc have taken an oath to
the Confederacy The following is an
extract from it:
Now what is Radicalism? =? l confess
l can't tell myself, though they say l
am the most radical of the Radicals
charge to which l plead guilty and ask
no favor interposing the plea-do net, in
legal parlance throw myself upon the
mercy of the court. But this. | can tell
you-Radicalism insists upon doing right
Conservatism insists upon doing right,
too, provided it isjust as easy; but if it
is not, then it is willing to do a little
wrong. (Laughter) l have sometimes
wished that had a little Imagination.
that might paint the Conservative just
as he is. Say to him: "Do you believe
it is right to let those unrepentant Rebels
back to take part in the Government
.'Well, no." He says, "not exactly. But
ii has got to te done some time, soon. If
you don't, they'll grow madder and mad
der; ;they are angry already, and growing
more so; and you know the great chan
nels of commerce have to be opened up ;
so, on the whole, think we had better
try them" "But we have tried them,
you answer. "Well," he says, "let them
take the OATH" The oath ! Great heav-
ems have never seen one Of them that
would baulk at an oath. | saw a man
the other day in the Senate Chamber
take an oath that he had never accepted
nor held an Office under the Rebel Coy
ernment, when it is as patentto all as the
sun at n oon-day that he was Confeder-
ate Judge. And how did the man let
his conscience off Why, he took the
place to try to serve the Union people
Said |: "Does that change the fact that
you took it~ "No," he answered, but
it affects the animus, which determines
the deed" Now if that man could take
that oath, how long will it take jeff. Da-
Wis to swear himself innocent of treason?
| have seen Lim swear three times my
self, to support and defend the Oonstitu.
tion If the United States, when in his
heart he knew that he was perjuring
himself. | heard John G. Breckenridge
swear in the Senate Chamber to support
and defend the Constitution, when he
was as deep,dyed in treason as he well
could be, and when nearly the next thing
heard Of him was that be was leading
his cohorts for its destruction. Nay,
more these same men have all sworn to
support the Confederate Government
also. CT what weight or value, then, are
their oaths ? (Laughter.) Trust them ?
No! Trust man that you know has
committed deliberate perjury Why,
man who.:would take back into his en-
ploy scouudrel who has been guilty of
arson, who had wrapped fshouse bold in
flames and burned up his family, would
be deemed a fit subject for an insane
asylum. But these Rebels have done
more and worse than that, they fred the
| temple of liberty itself, and they famed
the flames so fiercely that naught could
stay or quench them but the blood of
loyal men, lavishly poured out. Gap
plause.( But, say our friends, you would
tax these men without giving them rep
resentation Taxation without represen-
tation. Horrible. But why are they
not represented? Let some Democrat
answer me that. Tazation'; tkas word
makes me angry when it comes from them
Have they not burdened you with taxa
ton on every article you wear, and eat
and produce, until you groan under the
load, and what for To put down their
treason. They talk about being taxed
without representation. Why, Sir, if
they had not been mad, and wicked as
we'll, they would never have been taxed
to such an extent as we now arc. They
nt<lsvoluptariIs from their fathers
house and remained out four years, all
the time fighting against it, and trying
to destroy it; and now, like whining
lamb, they come back so hungry for the
Government pap that they cannot wait
IL months before they attempt to seize
the helm of power. In word, their
new effort is this, to do with the ballot
box what they failed to % with the bull
let. "a voice: "That's it.") What
astonishes me and alarms me is this to
see men who are rational upon all other
subjects men calling themselves Demo
Gratis, who are ready to make this dread
full experiment, and in order to attain