Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-02-02
Butler Unbottled.

This man Of worldwide notoriety and un-
dying fame made a speech in Washing
ton city a few days since, which we COM
mend to the particular attention of all those
persons il the North, Mr.. Greeley among
them, who are disposed to think that the
South is a laggard in the road to reconstruc-
ton, and that her people continue to cherish
bitter feelings against their late & enemies in
war" No word Of comment have we to Of
fer upon the speech itself Rich. Dispatch.
. General Butler drew a sketch Of the great
military leader Of the rebellion, Robert Z.
Lee, showing that he had resigned his posi-
ton in the United States when he had enjoy
ed the fullest confidence of the commander
in-chief, and within two days after his resig-
nation had been accepted he had assumed
command Of the rebel troops in Virginia
This man had served with the enemies Of his
country, until his word became law, and he
had then stood by indiferently, and without
remonstrances had seen our officers and men
herded in prison pens, where they lurrowed
holes In the earth for shelter. All the atroc-
tiles Of Andersonville had elected no word of
rebuke from him That man was now the
teacher Of the youth Of his country If such
things are to be, he asked, have we not shed
our blood in vain?
g What plea had this man set up to excuse
his apostacy The right of secession and his
duty to go with his State.- But suppose the
plea was false, or worse than false, what
then? He here showed that General Lee
had taken command Of the rebel troops of the
State of Virginia before her act Of secession
had been ratified by the popular voice, and
hence before she could have been said to have
seeded; and occupying the position he did,
he had contributed to carry her out at the
point Of the bayonet And yet there has not
been power enough in this Government to
have this man tried and punished. He ask
ed whether the desertion Of his flag with the
distinct purpose Of engaging in the service of
the enemies Of his country was not a punish
able military crime. He desired it to be tri-
ed, that it may be understood hereafter, that
it is death On the gallows for any man to de-
sert his flag and take service with the enemies
of his country.
"Hc next referred to the case Of Jefferson
Davis, educated in the likeschool with Lee
pity that the school should have two such pu-
pills! He had occupied high civil position,
and had sat in the councils Of the nation,
seeking, not how he might build up, but how
he might destroy. But in one thing he was
less guilty than Lee, in that he had not en-
tered into the rebellion until after his State
seeded But he had gone direct from his
place in Washington, to take the position of
Provisional President Of the rebel confeder-
alton; and he, like Lee, had permitted, if he
had not directed, all the outrages that had
been committed upon our prisoners in the
South. Whether he had ordered these things
or not, and whether Or not he was concerned
in the plot to assassinate our President, he
(the speaker) would like to seeit tried wheth-
Ell a man could desert a civil post for the ex-
press purpose Of leading rebellion against
the Government to which he owed allegiance );
and, if not, he would like to see him hung
upon the gallows, in order that all men might
know that such things were not allowable.
Having done this much, we might pause
to note the effect produced; but we could not
pause sooner"