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

cific ocean, the men who had done this,
who had performed this great duty re-
| quired at their hands towards the Gov
ernment of the United States they,
when this duty was performed to the
Government, had placed in their hands
the right, and the only right to decide
in reference to this question and to dis
pose of it. [Cheers.
But, unfortunately for the people of
this country, in the selection of cand-
dates for President and Vice President, at
the last election, we selected a man aud
placed him UPON the ticket, who was
elected Vice President. He became
President, and is now the accidental Pres
ident made so not 10y the will or the wish
or desire of the loyal people of the Uni
ted States of America, but made so by
the hand of treason, which lifted its
bloody dagger for the purpose of destroy
ing the life of this great nation. BY that
act and that unfortunate occurrence this
apostate was placed in the Presidential
chair. (Cheers.) lie is an apostate Ju-
das to the Constitution of the United
States, who had kissed the cheek of lib
erty that he might betray her into the
hands of treason. prolonged Cheers. ]
He has presented to this country an issue
for you. and me, aud the people of this
country to decide. He has again present
ed the issue that we had thought forever
decided and settled; and inasmuch as we
have had the power to settle it by our
own strong arms, by our own will, by our
own power, and by our own strength, we
will again settle it by that same will, that
same power, and that same strength, and
we will make it manifest SO that the issue
will remain settled forever. [Cheers.
We remember that during the bloody
tragedy that was being enacted before
the eyes of the civilized world, this man
declared that traitors must be impover-
lshed; that their lands must be distribu-
ted among the loyal. lie declared, too,
that loyalty itself did not reside IN the
heart Of the white man; but in the State
Of Tennessee, at his home in Nashville,
he declared that it lived in the bosom of
each aud every man that loved his coun,
try, no matter what his complexion. or
station, or situation in life was. Cheers.
He declared, further, that he would be
the Moses OF the unfortunate men (laugh
teri who had their limbs hung by the
chains of slavery for centuries gone by;
thar as their Moses he would lead them
through the Red Sea of their trials and
tribulatious until they should be placed
in land Of safety-in land of uuivcr-
sal liberty where they themselves might
enjoy the privileges and rights of citizens,
tLe>same rights before the law as any
body else; that he himself would take
upon himself to perform that great, gi-
gantic job-if you might call it so-or
act, which is preferable word; that he
would take this duty, it being incumbent
upon some man in the United States, and
he would assume to do it ON his own
part
But it seems to me methinks, some
times, instead of finding this man at the
head of the unfortunate children, and
leading them out from under the bond
age Of their tyrants and oppressors, that
he has missed his road, and to-day he is
found at the head of the rebel hordes
that have been lashed until they laid
down their arms and were willing to beg
for mercy, and he has attempted to lead
them to the promised land. [Cheers.
When he was sworn in as President of
the United States in place of the mau
whose memory will ever live in the minds
and hearts Of the people of the United
States (cheers), and in the hearts Of the
people of all civilized and christianizod
countries--a man of gigantic Intellect, a
man of great heart; the man who com
passed ali that was necessary for man t,
do by his great mind; who understood the
wants of the people, the institutions of
the people; the man who understood
what loyalty meant, what treason was;
the man who could interpret the Jaws
aud Constitution correctly, and had the
nerve to execute aud see that they were
faithfully carried out; the man who,
when the whole country stood in awe
aud trembled before the mighty hosts of
this rebellion, when the whole country
seemed as though they were willing to
give up the struggle and strike Cor peace,
| mistake, not the whole country, but a
great portion # the people, enough to
have alarmed almost ever maj this man
had faith in the flag of the country; he
had faith in the Constitution; he had
faith in God, and believed that in His
providence oil things would be brought
about in the right way, treason would be
finally crushed and loyalty would finally
triumph. [Applause. But when he
passed from the stage of action, and this
man took the oath of Office, he said, in a
little speech that he made then, that
treason must be made odious, and trait
ors must be punished. Well, do not
understand what he meant by that. /
would mean if had the power to say
that treason must be punished. | know
what you would mean, but what he meant
| cannot divine.
If we were to have the power tonight
! to say treason must be made odious, .
what would we mesa2 We would mean
that it must be hanished; that it must be
marked SO that it would become hated
aud despised, not only by the people of
this great Republic, but by the whole
civilized world, That would be what we
would mean by making it "odious. "
When we would say that traitors should