American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-08-29

we intend to punish as au example for the
rest; that they have forfeited their lives,
and that they must pay that forfeit in or
der to satisfy the law, in order to satisfy
the people. [Applause
What has he done to make treason
odious! Has he put mark upon treas.
on in this land? Has he stretched out
his hand to the poor loyal man of the
South and said, "Come up little high
er," and at the same time turned upon
traitors, and said, "sir, you must 90 back
a little further" Has he done that p
No, instead OF that he has given the trait
or his hand, and he has raised him up
little higher, and he has attempted to sink
loyal men lower in the scale of the esti-
nation ef the country. That is the man
ner in which he has punished treason.
He has punished it by turning out this
man G. q. Clay, for whom he offered
S25 600 or 10000 reward, in order that
he might be punished for completely in
the assassination of Mr.. Lincoln, and he
walks through the land paroled man. at
liberty to go where he peases. So he
has with the others that have been ar
rested and put in prison. Alexander Ii
Stephens, Vice President of the Confed-
crate States, instead oil living in Fort La
iayette, where he ought to be [cheers, I
is to-day, or was few days before the
adjournment of Congress, in Washington
City with q pardon in one pocket and a
certificate of election in another, claiming
"A seat in the United States Senate We
find lie has punished treason in the State
of Mississippi, and hcw has it been done?
by allowing people to elect a rebel Gen.
eral Governor of the State, and as soon
as he was elected he pardoned him so
that he might take the Office. SO it has
been in each and every one of the States
that were in rebellion; as fast as they
elected Il rebel to office as Governor he
sent them their pardons, so that they
might accept the office and perform the
| duties Of the same. That is the manner
in which treason has been made odious
by this man. Can you point your finger
to Il loyal man that has been placed in
the Gubernatorial chair in one Of rhe nine
States, taking Arkansas AID Tennessee
us exceptions; but in the other States can
| you point your finger to a solitary man
who is loyal that has been placed in any
of those positions? Not one And why?
Because Mr.. Johnson's conduct has been
Of such character that loyalty was at a
disc ount, and treason at premium. As.
s,nt.
lie then presented us this issue. The
rebels during this war claimed or at the
time this rebellion ceased.-claimed that
in law they had forfeite no rights; that
they were citizens of the United States
as much as they ever were. At the time
this rebellion was crushed, at the time of
the surrender OF Robert Il. Lee to Gen
Grant; at the time of the surrender of
Joseph Il. Johnston with his whole army
to Gen. Sherman, we looked along thi,
broad land and believed that this rebel
lion was over, and that treason was crush
ed for ever in this lanu, and that loyalty
had control apd charge of the affairs of
this nation. What did we find then p
| We found a condition of things as /
have remarked before. If we oaly re,
| fleet and have our attention called to the
time Of thc surrender OF Joseph f. John
| ston and his rebel army to Gen. Sher
man, we remember that Gen. Johnston
aud Gen. Sherman made what was called
a convention, they made an agreement
BY that agreement Gen. Sherman was to
recognize or was to permit the Governors
Of these rebel States to take the oath of
allegiance or the oath under the Constr
tuition of the United States, and contn.
ue in Office by changing the form of the
| State Government from that of rebel to
that OF the United States Government
1t was sent to the President of the Uni
ted States and his Cabinet for their as
sent. You all very well remember the
manner in which that agreement between
General Sherman and Mr.. Johnston of
the rebel army was treated How was
it treated? Mr.. Johnston, as President
and his whole Cabinet, decided that it
was recognition of traitors; that it was
putting traitors in office, that it was ma
king treason respectable, and Mr.. John
ston said "that treason" must be made
odious aud traitors must be punished;
and that traitors must not occupy front
seats as they were about to do in this
agreement between General Sherman and
Mr.. Johnston. They repudiated this
agreement. They published General
Sherman-a gallant officer an sol iier he
is, too,-in every paper almost from oLe
end of this landste the other, that they
could dot tell whether General Sherman
had surrendered to Johnston or Johnston
had surrendered to Sherman.
That was the statement made public
everywhere, and believed by everybody.
Well, | must confess that there were very
few loyal men in this country that were
willing to indorse that agreement This
is alltrue, but at the same time their un-
willingness 10 ipdorse it was not because
it was made by General Sherman, but
they would not have been willing to in
dorse it had it been made by President
johnson, or President Lincoln, or Pres
ident anybody. (ApPlause.)
Why is it that they refused to indorse
that agreement? Yet in few weeks at
terward Mr.. johnson turns right round
and befriends the very same class Of men
that General Sherman was going to rec
ognize as Governors of these different
States. lie turns right round and com