The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-31
The Republican Party "Has No
Principle Whatever"
B. F.. Buffers speech at Gloucester, Mass


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B. +. Buffers Speech ut Gloucester, Mass.
Mr.. Chairman, my Friends and Neghoors:-
Allow me in the first place to thank you for the
opportunity which you have so CounteOusly
afforded me of speaking upon the issues of the
day. They ale very simple, they are unchanged,
they are the same now that they were 1861; tney
are perhaps being followed out in a different
field, but they are to complete the issues then
left unfinished. In 1861 the Representatives in
Congress OF the present elevcn insurgent States,
aided by some Others, left their seats i'll the
Congress OF the United States Tor the purpose OF
destroying this Government. And | am one OF
those who believe that they desire now to
return to their seats for like purpose, Let us
calmly, candidly, justly reason together upon
this matter, and If upon the whole we are con-
VinCed that the issue is such as have Indicated,
then the PLAIN duty OF every loyal man, OF every
true lover of his country Is seen in the coming
political Contesas il was seen in the great contest
of armies which has Just been concluded. We
remember, and we have by far too many re-
miuders TO forget that tor the parpOse OF
making grea5 slave empire and for the pur-
pose OF holding political power which the great
growth OF industry and enterprise of the North
was fast taking away from them, with a wicked
ness unparalleled without any possible cause
except the constitutional election OF a President
the choice of the great body of the people
these eleven insurgent States of the Union went
out of the Union. Now let no man misunder-
stand me. When ! use the term, went out of
altered the governmental right OF the United
States over a loot OF territory OF the United
States, or over any citizen of the United
States. All remain in spite of secession, in
spite OF rebellion in spite of treason, all remain
under the Government OF the United States
subject To its laws, amenable to Its tribunals, and
holding it by the power of its arms. But these
insurgents going forward, organized them
selves into communities bound by the old bOun.
daries OF the States. They passed ordinances of
secession, made themselves constitution, re-
pudiated all their constitutional obligations,
elected for themselves general and different
form of government, making tho onrnnr-stnne
from slavery, and declared themselves forever
free from all political obligations to the United
States, or any rights under its Constitution or
any amenities to its laws. They enacted laws
for themselves; they raised armies, and went
forward to an extent and with an audacity un-
paralleled; and summing 1t up IN word, they
fought Tor four years with a determination and
bravery which, IN a good cause, would have
been worthy the admiration of the world, and
with a eroCity and cruelty to their opponents and
prisoners of war whom they captured from the
United States unparalleled lnthe history OF war.
These men were subjects of the United States
but no less subjects because they were traitors,
and no less traitors because they were enemies.
With varied fortune, at some times seeming so
dark that a convention assembled at Chicago
and declared the war failure: at some tunes so
dark that even good and loyal men, putting
their trust in the good God, who had guided their
fathers and would protect their SONS, doubted the
existence of controlling Power, bat by the
bravery of our soldiers, by the patriotism of our
people, and by the stability of our institutions,
we in the spring of 1865, were enabled TO conquer
ard capture every foot of territory, and every
army of the Rebellion. My friends, what did we
capture, with the exception of men? What were
these men in the Judgment and unanimous
opinion OF the Supreme Court of the United
States? They were public enemies, captured in
war, surrendered by the surrender of tie armies
which they had raised to uproot the Govern
ment of the United States, and when we cap
tured them we captured everything they had
We captured men and property, their slaves,
their rights, constitutional and otherwise. All
were cOnquered-and, indeed, one general OF
the United States had occasion to define what
rights were left to captured Rebels, and that
definition never has been disputed, and / need
not say that in the judgment of one general
canLot be disputed, that the only right left to
captured Rebels was the right TO hang. Gap
plause.) If they received anything else it was
from Clemency and mercy and not from justice
cloud applause.) At the moment when the
conquering armies of the United States were
sweeping over tho land irresstibly, and when
the power of the Contederacy was being frac-
tured, and when their President was fleeing and
pursued by the cavalry OF the United States, at
that moment, in the spirit that starved our
prisoners at Libby, Belle Isle and Andersonville,
they raised the assassin hand OF Booth against
the great and good Lincon-the last crOwning
infamy of the war. And that raised the Vice
President of the United States into power; and
while propose to deal with all OF his acts and
opinions with that respect due to any man in a
those acts and opinions. He then declared that
treason should be madeodious and traitors should
be punished That declaration was made to every
committee from every State that visited him, and
need not tell this audience how that deciara-
tion thrilled every loyal heart Every man said
'Well, if we have lost Lincoln, we have got
johnson, and the Rebels will fare worse with
him than with Lincoln" He issued his procla-
nation for reward for the principal conspira-
tors He refused TO sanction the terms of sur
render by Sherman to johnson, and it will be
quite material for us, for moment, TO consider
what those terms WERE General Sherman anx
Gus, as he said, to pacihcate the country, agreed
with General JOHNSON that if he would surreu.
der, the people OF lAe Confederate States should
be restored to all ther rights, civil and politl
cal, which they enioye5 before the war. That
was one of the principal terms of the surrender
When that surrender was known at Wasbing
ton, and the capitulayon considered. IT wa,
at once repudiated by every loyal man, What
was it that we had been fighting for? Whst
had we gained if these terms we're allowed
Andrew johnson issued an order reauirinf
that these terms of surrender should h,
set aside. Why? Because it restored thes,
Rebels to those rights which lead 10
part in the Government of the United States
and tbps TsBasEsS pvgat0ry the Was IN Rsicl