Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-10-02
M1L1rARY RApIoAIs.

IlItSOuTS9s Cnerc WcCG tnrcc UcneralS VINO laQ
greatly distinguished themselves during tho
late war, To be sure they did not win their
great renown by any brilliant strategies, or
desperate battles. or telling victories. BANKS
was there in all his glory. He did not boast
of any of his achievements. He did not re-
mind his fellow members of his proves in
the Shenandoah Valley, nor of his exploits
in the region of the Red River. he simply
contented himself by displaying his utter
want of gratitude tothe Southern soldiers
He knew tull we'll that the boys in gray wor-
shipped him almost next to tho immortal
Stonewall-for his profuse distribution to
them of comforts to the inner and outer man,
and his generous disposition not to trouble
them with bayonet or bullet, and in return
for all this acknowledgement of his tender
kindness to them during the war, he now in
peace time insists upon their being kept oat
in the cold. Poor Banks we are sorry to
part with him, sorry to see him among the
radicals; but we will never forget his great
goodness to us while the war ragged, nor ever
ceaso to wonder how he can take oath that he
has never given aid or comfort to the Con-
federatcs.
BURNSIDE was there tco-a loading figure;
but we are. not surprised'to see him in that
company. He got so many hard knocks, SO
much battering and bruising and beating at
the South, especially at Fredericksburg, that
it would be beyond his power to have any
good feeling for our people. He could not
whip US in the fight, and feels it his duty to
punish US for compelling the world to sec that
General Burnside was not up to the immor-
tai military standard ESD
But the chief figure that doomed up in that
body of renowned men was BUTLER-Mc
Butler. The man of Big Bethel, Fort Fish
or, and Dutch Gap; the man of many spoons,
Of gold and silver ware, of personal apparel,
of sewing machines, and of all other sorts of
valuable personal property; the man with
the false tongue, the craven heart and the sly
hand. Butler was in his element; was radi-
ant in all the splcndors of rhetoric He felt
no fear, for he knew that he could talk far
better than he could fight, and that le could
gesticulatc with almost as much aptness as he
L
talked Of fights that others had fought, and
of victories that others had won; of New
Orleans at the time of his holding command
there, but not word of his cowardly insults
to the dcfencelss women of that city, nor of
his self appropriation of the goods and chat
tells belonging to others. lie grew violent in
his speech when he came to talk of Davis
and the Southern leaders. Hero is what he
said Of. General Lee:
''Is there any man here who is so stupid as
not to know that Colonel Lee, of the United
States cavalry, when he resigned his commits
sion on the 18th day of April, believed and
knew that he was to be appointed on the 22d
Commandcr-in-C Chief of the Rebel army of
Virginia? He did know it. Now, fellow.
citizens, what shall be done with the traitor
who deserts his flag and takes with him the
secrets Of his Commander? ECries of "Hang
hint Shooting is too good for him who
deserts, for the purpose of taking command,
or is bribed by higher command, the armies
of his country. Why we all know that by
every law, human, and without irreverence 1
may say divine, any soldier who deserts his
flag for the purpose of taking command in
the army of the enemy shall surely suffer
death. [Applause.l But, say you, General
Lee did but follow the secession of his State.
Alas! my friends, history shows that there
was not left to him even that too poor an ex-
cuse for rebellion, for on the 18th of April
his State passed the ordinance of secession.
but they put in that ordinance clause that
it should be void and of no effect until it was
ratified by the people at 4 vote to be taken on
the 18th of the following May, more than a
month afterwards, so that General Lee left
the army of the United States and went into
Virginia, and was at the head of the Rebel
forces of Virginia, before his State seeded,
and carried her out at the point of the bay
onet. Now, gentlemen, we had an Arnold,
and he escaped punishment, but he did not
remain here. We have, it seems to me, an
equally guilty traitor, and the question to be
decided in this country is, whether his sur
render as prisoner of war when he was cap
tured shall avail him against the desertion of
his flag to take service in the armies of the
enemies of his country? ECrics of 'No,
no!'1 1, therefore, say again, that I would
make an example of this man."
This kind Of speech is not to be mistaken.
1t is malignant, but it is the malignancy of
his whole party; It's venom is not that of
Butler alone, but of all those military men
who have been whipped by these Southern
leaders into disgrace and contempt, 1t indi-
Gates, plainly. what they will do if they get
the power. Lee will be hung, and Davis, and
Longstrect and many others, in spite of pa
roles, pardons, or General Grant. Is it not
high time that the strong hand of the head
of the army should be laid upon all those
who, as subOrdinatos, are bound to respect
the terms he granted to tho surrendered ar
mics of the South
NO. The organ of the adieine mounto=