Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-09-13
Speech of General Butler.


the great speech of Gen. Butler de-
livered at Gloucester, Mass, few
days since. 1t is throughout a
triumphant vindication of the posi-
ton of Congress and the Union party
of the North, while at the same time,
Gen. Butler. in his ininitsble way,
thoroughly dissects and exposes the
falsehoods and inconsistencies of
''my policy" and its supporters
Gen. Butler shows By facts and
records which cannot be disputed,
that the position now held by the
Union party upon the question of re-
construction is identically the same
position held both by the President
himself and the whole loyal North
at the close of the war, and that
every measure contained in the pro-
posed Constitutional amendment has
again and again been sanctioned and
approved by President johnson in
his public utterances. That the
change OF policy has been upon the
part Of the President and not in the
Union party. He ably refutes the
position now assumed by the Presi
dent and his party, that Congress
have no right to demand guarantees
from the rebel States for future
peace and security, and shows that
the President himself forced the
South to subscribe 10 certain condi-
tons before he would permit them
TO reorganize their State Govern
ments. If the President, the mere
executive Office of the government,
can impose conditions precedent,
much more can Congress, the law
making power of the Government
At the close of the war President
johnson held, as Congress now holds,
that the Government Of the United
States had the right to name the
terms upon which the South should
resume her old position in the Union.
And holding these views, he requir-
ed the Southern States to adopt the
Constitutional amendment abolish
ing slavery and to annul and make
void their ordinances of secession,
before he would deliver up to them
even the administration of their
State affairs. If those States, as he
now claims, had all their rights in
the Union, where did he get his
power to impose upon chem these
conditions? Can he now, without
gross inconsistency, deny to Con
gress the very power he has himself
already exercised? The truth is,
that at that time President johnson
recognized the principles then held
by the whole North, that the States
that had rebelled, did occupy diff
ferent position in the country from
the loyal States. He then believed
treason TO be odious and traitors
worthy of punishment. Wood and
Vallandigham have since given him
now light this eubjcct. He had
abandoned the position he then held,
and'n claims that traitors by their
treason forfeit none of their rights,
but are entitled at once to assume
the administration not only of their
State Governments, but also of the
general Government, and legislate
for the country over the heads of
loyal men. This is indeed a sweep
ing change, and one in which the
loyal North will not follow the lead
or the President.
In the following language, Gen.
Butler marks the great change which
has taken place in the South since
TIE close of the war. then all submis-
sion, now all assumption and arro-
gance. He says:
"These men said we have sur
rendered in good faith; and in 1865,
in May, June and July that was their
feeling--they were like the convict
ed sinner ready to say, "Lord. Lord,
what will you have us do?" But
the difficulty was, they found they
first obtained pardons: and second,
that they were sustained by the
President; and third, that the North
were far to lenient and forgiving;
and then arose this most monstrous
theory that they had all the rights
which they formally had under the
Constitution-thst the terms which
Sherman gave johnson and which
President johnson rejected, were
the true terms on which they sur
rendered-and the answer of Mr.
Stephens before Committee on Re-
construction, is that the South are
not bound by anything done in their
absence; and the bounties of our
soldiers are not binding upon them,
pensions of our widows and or
phans are not binding upon them,
because unfortunately they were alb
sent when they were voted"
Gen. Butler thus happily describes
the men who made up the Philadel-
phis Convention.
'Let me put case to you-at the
time when you had bad news from
the army in Virginia, were not GER
tain of your fellow citizens seen in
lhe streets with smiling and joyous