Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-07-06
Mr John NJ Botts's 4th of July Speech in Batl
- moro.


great unconditional Union party Under the
flag now there such speech as be was go1H6
to make could not have been made SIX "
ago-lt would have been lnadmlssabe. I1e7
flag was the property Of loyal men, and in this
celebration none others have the right or the
disposition to join Us. He doubted whether
the flag was floating anywhere south OF the
Potomac, except where there was military
force The matter Of secession is at an end, so
far as mere physical force is concerned, but the
spirit is not at an end He did not believe
that there was any wish for restoration at the
South He would be glad indeed if he could
summon from the South such q wish. Those
who said they were for restoration did not tell
the truth The feeling in the southern country,
among leading men, Is more intensely bitter
against the government than at any time dur
ing the war They have not the power to take
up arms, but the will was there. If they had
the controlling power the would not allow a
Union man to live in q southern State. lie
spoke in reference to the feeling in his own
State, and gave the editors OF newspapers in
Virginia passing Eoticc. The Virglnlans
who followed the fortunes Of the State were
denounced as traitors, and compared to horse
thieves and pirates, who were not worthy of
protection. He was not bound to defend
traitor. After referring to taxation without
representation, he said that the representa-
ti7es of the South abandoned their positions,
when they should have held fast.
10 the question, propounded by himself
what ought to be now done? he answered, the
first duty was To have every prominent rebel
in the South arrested He would have done
it and would have had them tried by military
court and condemned to death. If Mr.. John
son (meaning the President) had done this,
and afterwards interposed his pardon, he would
not complain But he himself would not have
given any mercy, but would have made an ex
ample fer all future time. The speaker
thought Mr.. johnson believes honestly and
acts from feeling of bencvolencc in the cxer-
else Of the pardoning power He CIR. Botts)
had sacrificed more than any man in the United
States, because Of the position he took, belicv-.
ing, as he did, that treason should be regarded
as crime and made odious, but after time
no steps were taken to arrest di2loyalty, and he
then ceased in his action.
Congress has made great mistake. The
Southern States arc not out OF the Union, and
never could be. There was no power to give
the right OF expatriation- could 60 away,
but there was no power anywhere to make or
allow States to 60 out lie contendcd how.
ever, that the people the South had made
themselves aliens by swearing allegiance to.
another dc 1acto government, and were now
entitled to 10 privileges. \ law of naturaliza.
ton was the only way In which they could
again become citizens, with necessary conditi-
tons attached ... e.. f. XIII.
He commended that tie pardons granted by
the President were not worth one "copper"
There is no power to pardon before conviction,
and he read various authorities to justify his
position. . ...
| A brief review of the possession Of the Gov
eminent by the democratic party from the time
of Jefferson to 1861 was made, in which the
speaker was not by any means complimentary
to that party, showing more OF mere partisan
animus than anything else in the spirit Of his
remarks. When the war was inauguratcd Mr..
Lincoln was justified in calling for the first
sevcnty-fvc thousand men to protect The CAPT
tai, and what an arrant knaye, desplcabe
traitor would he have been, had he not done so.
AS to the doctrine OF secession, he unqali-
fedly denied that it was ever taught in the
schools of Virginia. Or anywhere else. In the
various matters indicating sovereignty which
action Of Luther Martin, of Maryland, who
refused to give his name to the constitution,
for reasons involving State sovereignty. State
sovereignty, he SAID, was gross humbug-
there was no such thing-no State had any
sovereignty, except Texas for about thirty days
when she was applying for admission here. 1t
required the whole combined independent
States SO declare war-no single State could
do it could not declare war or make peace
This was intended to be and was consolidated
government for the exercise ofcvery sovereign
power for all national and all foreign purposes;
there was not and could not be 4 divided soy
ereignty And it will so remain until tie peo-
pic of the United States not Virginia or Mary
land or any other State, shall decree otherwise.
lie denied that any State right had been
swept away by the war; The Southern States
were wrong, and whenever they show that they
have any feeling in common with the United
States, then let them come in.
In reference to the freedmen, he asked, "What
is to be done with emancipatcd frcedmen?'
He answered, Il am not one Of those who
would admit them to the right of suffrage. But
if forced upon me, I shall not resist it, | will
20 away when [ cannot do better" He argued
that if the voting privilege was given to the
negroes in the South, they will vote for the
democratic party The whites in the South
cannot resist the influences brought to bear
upon them, and why should the negro? The
privilege of voting would be the entering wedge
| to the determination of the race. He would
not recommend negro suffrage.
He spoke Of the proposed constitutional
amendment and said it could not be carried
He could name twelve States who would not
sanction it. He gave parting kick to the
democrats in connection with his irrepressible
objection to them. He appealed to Senator Nye
to advocate law to be passed by Congress
that no man shall hold Office who ever took
part voluntarily in the rebellion. He did not
believe a man went into the rebellion who did
not know he was doing wrong.
The address, Of which the above is but an
imperfect sketch, occupied about two hours in
its delivery and was received with various
degrees of favor --BaN Sun.
great war now commencing in Europe: Russia,
we are told, remains neutral "as long as France
does not interfere" But France is now sup