Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-09-11
The President called a Traitor while
Speaking at Cleveland---A Scene.


The following is portion of the Presidents
speech at Cleveland embracing an exciting
scene
If | were disposed to play the orator and deal
in defamation tonight, [ would initiate one Of
the ancient tragedians and would take William
III. Seward and bring him before you and point
you to the hacks and scars upon his person..
IA voice-'God bless him P'] would exhibit
the bloody garments, saturated with gore from
his gushing wounds Then I would ask you,
Inns? I tell YOU, my countrymen, | have been
fighting the South, and they have been whip
ned and crushed, and they acknowledge their
defeat and accept the terms of the Constitution,
and now, as go round the circle, having fought
traitors at the South, am prepared to fight
traitors at the North. Cheers. God wiling
with your help, we will do it. Cries of eve
won't!"] They will be crushed North and
South, and this glorious Union will be preserv-
ed. Cheers. [ do not come here as the
Chief Magistrate of twenty-five States out of
with the flag of my country and the Constitu-
ton of thirty-six States untarnished are you
for dividing this country? Cries Of mo. ]
Then am President, and [ am President Of
the whole United States. Cheers | will
tell you another thing: understand the dis
| cordant notes in this crowd tonight He who
| is opposed to the restoration Of this Govern
ment and the reunion of the States is as great
| a traitor as Jeff. Davis or Wendell Phillips. s.
Loud cheers. I am against both. Cries of
F'Give it to them Some of you talk about
! traitors in the South who have not courage to
! get away from your homes to fight them
| Laughter and cheers. The courageous men,
Grant, Sherman, Farragut and the long list OF
distinguished sons of the Union were in the
field and led on their gallant hosts to conquest
and to victory while you remain cowardly at
home Applause Bully" Now, when
these brave men have returned home, many OF
whom have left an arm or a leg or their blood
upon many battlefield, they find you at some
speculation, and you committing frauds on the
| Government. Laughter and cheers: You
pretend now to have great respect and syn sympa-
arm on the battlefield Cries, us this digni-
fed?''] [ understand you You may talk a.
bout the dignity of the President. Cries,
''How was it about his making speech on the
22d of February" [ have been with you In
the battles of this country, and I can tell you,
| furthermore, tonight who have to pay these
brave men who shed their blood while you spec
ulated, and now leave the great mass of the
people here to work it out: [Cheers. It is
time that the great mass Of the people should
understand what your designs are. What did
General Butler say? Misses. What did
General Grant say? [cheers j and what does
General Grant say about General Butler?-
Laughter and cheers. What does General
Sherman say? A voice What does General
Sheridan say?"] General Sheridan says that
he is for the restoration ofthe Government that
Sheridan fought for 'Buly!' and renewed
cries of ''New Orleans!' and confusion. +
The President: care not for dignity: There
is portion Of your countrymen who will always
respect their fellow citizens when they are en-
titled to respect, and there is portion of them
who have no respect for themselves, and con-
sseauently have no respect for others "A voice
would bet you now that if the light fell on youl
face, cowardice and treachery would be seen in
it. Show yourself; come out here where car
see you. Shouts of laughter. [ stand now
where I stood when the rebellion commenced
Who has sacrificed more for his country than |
Who has run greater risks2 But the factious
domineering and tyrannical party in Congress
has undertaken to poison the minds of the PEG
pie against me. Cheers