Weekly Trinity journal., 1866-03-10
speech of General Butler-His Indie me t
of Lee and Davis.


Soldiers and Sailors National Convention in
Washington on the 23d ult., in which he spoke
as follows of General Lee, jeff. Davis and the
loyal Southerners
ROBERT E..
have given you, my friends, feebly
the sketch Of true American soldier Let me
give you another sketch There once a SOL
der of the country, bearing one of its proudest
names intermarrying into family which the
country delighted to honor; who had received
from country, greatful for the deeds of its an
cesters, the highest education it could afford to
give who had been the petted soldier of the
country, beloved by his Commander-in-Ch Chief al
most the staff of his old age. When disorder
and civil connections and rebellion broke out,
the old Chief leaned upon the younger soldier
upon his staf-made him the confidant of his
secrets and the depository of his plans. But
suddenly that soldier departed from the ranks of
his countrys service, and within two days of the
time when his resignation was accepted was
found fighting in the ranks Of the enemy, and in
higher command. During long and bloody
war he saw his former fellow officers and soldiers
starved in prison under his very eye-saw that
from very desperation they burrowed out through
the ground-and never raised Il voice in their be-
half, although his word was omnipotent, and al
though the enemy depended wholly on his sword.
He saw the officers and soldiers Of the country
that reared and honored him murdered by thou
sands in the prisons, and never said word in
their behalf. At last after every of resist
ance had failed after having carried
which he knew TO be hopeless, and after having
fought his army until he diminished it to 1900
muskets he surrendered at last. after writing
note to the commander of the opposite army,
stating that = frankly he did not consider that
the time of surrender had come. That man is
now teacher of the youth of the country, to tell
them their duty to their flag, their country and
their Cod If this is to be so, fellow soldiers,
have we not shed our blood in vain, and are not
our lost comrades simply murdered, uselcssly
murdered, without hope in this world, and only
with hope in the resurrection.
What is the plea to be interposed in favor of
this man? The right Of secession that he went
with his State? But suppose that that plea is a
false one, what shall we say then? Robert E.
Lee resigned his commission on the 9th of April,
1861, at the same time that neighbors
murdered in Baltimore. On the nth day of the
same April Virginia had passed an ordinance of
secession, which was not to take effect until
voted by the people on the third Tuesday of
May, five weeks afterward. On the 10th of April,
say, General Lee resigned his commission, or
rather it accepted on that day, after it had
been through the various Offices of the Depart
ment in Washington, and on the 22d of April he
was appointed Commander-in-C thief of the rebel
forces in Virginia. His State had not then
ceded, but the contrary, he, at the point of
the bayonet carried her out of the Union and
forced the vote on the third Tuesday of May fol-
lowing. And yet there has not been strength
enough in this Government far-a Govern
ment that could put million in the field at
once, and that did in the last campaign put into
the field one million SIX hundred thousand men
to bring that to trial and ascertain whe
ther not treason is crime and ought to be
punished. [Appause.l
have not spoken yet of another and greater
no, another and diferent-criminal. l am now
speaking Of man who think can be, within the
spirit of your resolution tried by military
mission, and to which all the people will sa V
amen. put it to Won, fellow-soldiers, militia
ry men, whether descrtng the flag of our nation
and taking service within two days afterward in
the ranks of the enemy is not military crime
for which man is amenable to a military tribu-
nal? | think there can be no doubt upon that
question. | would like to see him tried for that
military offense. do not think that any subse-
quent parole got out of too much creduty that
the time had not come to surrender the Northern
Army of Virginia, would be good plea. l de-
sire to see that nan tried so that it may be under
stood hereafter that it is death upon the gallows
for any TO desert his flag and take service
with the enemies Of his country. Great ap-
plause.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Turn to another man, for whom there
other considerations of excusc-to Jefferson Da-
Wis, educated in the like school unfortunate,
perhaps for the school that it should have two such
pupils who went into the military service Of
his country where be behaved honorably and
well. l do not know but that might have to
apply to him the saying of rough Wing to
Arnold, in the days of the Revolution. Arnold
asked him what would be done to him if he
caught by the Americans. ''Why,' said the
Whig, a. think we should bury the leg that
r
war, and Lang the rest Of you on gibbet." So
with Davis. We might have to bury, with the
honors Of war; one arm that was wounded in
Mexico, and hang the rest of him. Laughter
applause. He had the plea. however which
the soldier had not-that his State had seeded.
Waiting until Mississippi went out, jefferson
Davis quits the halls of Congress to take the
office of Provisional President in the Confederate
States-an Office created and made ready for him
he should be ready to take it. lie,
all-powerful in the Confcderacy, with will of
iron, with prayers and proclamations to the
Divine mercy his lips, stands by and sees our
comrades starved and murdered day by day.
think ii is Of no great consequence whether it
can he proved or not that he directly ordered it.
Certain it is that il could not have been done if
he did not wish it. He sees the horrors of An
dersonylle and does nothing to prevent them.
Whether not he has any completely in the last
great act of infamous guilt, the murder of the
President, may yet know. But whether
he had not, desire to see him tried by
a Military Commission, as the tribunal which
arose out of the power that he evoked for the
purpose Of severing the Union. should like to
see the crime of the civil magistrate who deserts
his post and levies against his country not
only made odous but punished on the gallows,
SO 'hat 10 Representative Senator shall here
after IN those halls plo; treason and execute it
ou'SIGe Ai'er that will be time to pause and
see what is best to be done next.
LOYAL soUTHERSEEs
nj! Mt. rrSsIdent' beliye have spoken to every
portion OF your resolutions that struck nv ear
and given you thus cursorilv and asicnrsor;lr
my views upon it. But there is one topic upon
yea deserves mention. It is the oueston of ,-ha.
shall be done for that class of our felow-sodars
who lived in the Confederate States. 7 40 ~
refer now to the colored men, but to those trne
men who, against every inducement and ;nt;,o;
daton, stood up nobly for the old fac. Do rn,,
no. tnlnk that such noble and stern men are en-
titled to your consideration? And wonld ~,