Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-09-24

At the Massachusetts State Convention,
on the 9th inst, General Butler, being called
for, spoke as follows:-
Mr.. President and Gentleman 9J Me
Coyrytntion:-Al me to congratulate you |
upon the success and the upanimity OF your |
proceedings thus far. They accord with the
good fortune with which kind Providence
has so long favored the Republican party. |
They Rre the beginning OF the end OF the
successes of that party. They are the war
rant upon which the country may rely for its
successes in the future as 1t has for Its safety
In the past. The issues before US which have
been 40 often explained are the same as those
for which we fought from April, 1861, to
Aplil, 1861. They are those for which the
leader under whom we went through so
many campaigns, and who is now our COM
mander in the last great campaign, having
ever been successful, is to be once more VIC
torious, assuring the future of the country
which he saved In the past. Applause.1
| The men are the same whom we oppose;
they are under the same leadership, fighting
for the same principles, and we have in our
rear the same enemy, their sympathizers
They do not carry the same flag, they fight
disguised under the flag of the Union. In
the presence of the great issue, OF peace or
war, whether murder shall cease IN the
southern states, whether the right belonging
to manhood, given to him by his Maker, and
assured by his loyalty, promised to him by
being imbedded in the Constitution which at
last has given him every right az ctizen,-
that the great question--whether this great
pledge Of our national faith is to be kept-is
here and now to be determined.
There are many of my friends who honest
ly doubt whether the negro is capable OF
self government. will tell you of class
of men who will never have a doubt on that
subject. heard the following narrative
from the lips of a UnioE officer. Hc cut his
way through the bottom OF car I'D which
he was being conveyed to prison where STAR
yation and death awaited him Ae dropped
, In tho middle of Georgia before Sherman's
grand march made the Union soldier familiar
70 the negro But they knew almost by In
tuition that the Yankee soldier was their
friend. He was driven by starvation to APP
! proach some dwelling, and he delivered
} himself up to some negroes who were husk-
, ing corn in a field Il am here at at your
{ mercy" he said to them, "a reward is on
my head, am a Yankee soldier escaped
!. from rebel PRISON. can you take care ol
me?" The negro exclaimed, "God Almighty,
h master, YOU are safe with u.s." poyou be-
\ lievo that man, that Union officer, doubts
v the ability of those men for elf-governmenii
q Thousands knew of his place OF retreat, yel
d none betrayed him. They brought hin
/ every dellcacy and cared for all his wants
e Are they not fit to be trusted with the ma
o tion's honor as well as the nations safety
Il TApplause. If some more of our democra
tic friends had been down there and treate'
is as that officer was treated think inc.
a would have been converted intp good repnb
m lioans. as he was If they arc not lntellli
ID gent it is the fault of those who deprive then
is Of the great boon of learning. But they hay
r the learning Of the heart, and that make
ce them the safe depository OF the ballot.
AZ agree with my democratic friends tina
y this is white mans government, but loo
r. at the color of the heart and not of tie fac
II. when l determine what is white. Al
II. plause. ! had rather have an ignorant irien
to fighting for me than learned friend hgh
,r- ing against me. had rather have negl
he shooting for me than rebel shooting at m
ne They will vote as they fought. They fear tn
we shall be delivered over to negro domi
ion; if the negro is my superior he ought
al have the dominion if he is my equal
90 oupht to have fair chance with me.
w. a coward if undertake to trip him up
n the race. [Applause.] The rights OF m,
m ,m have never been better defined than
~ Abraham Lincoln when he said, "Eve
N man has a right to be the equal ofevery OF
az ~, er man if he can. [Applause,] In that
the embodiment OIL tue IepuphOon Piuvioi
49,, upon human rights II is the declaration
" oos tie right OF every man in the great battle
ass o life to make himself the equal of every OF
es esa er man if he can. This is the right viii
M. the republican party have given the neg
~, II is no arrangement satisfactory to sla'
~. ,iy holders, no employment satisfactory to mi
aS. az tiers, nothing that shall degrade him fr'
o oss his manhood; it Is simply the right to sta
'im i'm up in the image of God. Anything Il
erv ol.travenes that right is unjust, unholy,
ore to be overthrown.
tho suspect that the men who fear the nel
@ i';s will dominate if given this right, have
h5 lurking fear that the negro is the better n
~ of the two. The negroes have right
q nf vote, to make their own laws, choose u
own rulers, to elect and be elected to OIL
,ost these are the rights Of AN American freem
,e~ 1t is worse than wrong to give man II
rIv dom and deprive him of the ballot, the pt
MI, mr. er with which to protect himself In
,s, ,esv freedom. The ballot in the hand of the
am. boring man everywhere is the policer
,art- and the armed soldier on guard, ensurin
the him peace and security of life and prope
CO We have given the negro the ballot
;l;no pledged him by the faith of our armies,
',,,,ae the faith of our national honor, that
;tora right shall never be overridden or set as
''o hut shall be his forever. This matter at
, the not only the negro but ourselves; the N
notor is as much interested in the settlement
For the question as he can be. We are inte
f,rst ed In having our national debt paid, in
ing peace and prosperity throughout
~ land.