Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-20
rHE WAN WHO WANTS TExNEs-

would not do This man Butler has
history which would have induced most
men to remain quiet, but he seems TO feel
that extreme views and the advocacy of
extreme measures will be necessary to
satisfy the Radicals of his '1oyalty.n
While he is praying Congress to deal
harshly with the people of his State, it
may be well TO show that body what
manner of man he is When, in january,
1861, Gov. Harris called the Legislature
Of this State together, in view of the elec-
lion of Mr.. Lincoln, and the secession of
several Southern States, Butler, who was
then member of the House of Represen-
tatiyes, took an early occasion to offer
the following resolutions
''Be it resolved by the General Assem-
bly, of the State of Tennessee, That our
Senators in Congress be, and they are
hereby instructed to vote against the con-
firmation of any man to office who en-
dorsed an infamous libel upon the South,
known as the Helper Book, and that tn
Governor is hereby requested to forward
copy of this resolution to each of our
Senators in Congress.
''Be it further resolved, That the peo-
pie of Tennessee receive the report of the
appointment of William II. Seward to a
position in the cabinet of the incoming
administration as further evidence of hos
tility to the institutions of the South, and
if the policy he has advocated in all his
speeches upon the subject of domestic sla-
very shall be attempted to be inaugurated
with said administration, the South has
but little hope of a settlement of existing
difficulties between her and the North.
''Be it further resolved, That Tennes-
see is looking with much anxiety to the
policy that may be intimated in thespeech
to be delivered in the Senate of the United
States this day; and if he shall reiterate
the doctrines of his Rochester harangue,
Tennessee will take due notice thereof,
and govern herself accordingly"
A few days afterward the following
resolutions were offered by amember, and
they received the support of Butler:
''Resolved, That this General Assembly
has heard with profound regret of the res
olutiens recently adopted by the Legisla-
ture of the State of New York, rendering
men and money to the President of the
| United States, to be used in coercing soy
ereign States of the South into obedience
to the Federal government.
Resolved, That this General Assembly
receives the action of the Legislature of
| New York, as an indication of the pur-
pose upon the part Of the people of that
State to further complicate existing diff
Culties, by forcing the people of the South
to the extremity of submission or resist
ance; and so regarding it, the Governor
| of the State of Tennessee is hereby re-
| quested to inform the Executive of the
State of New York, that it is the opinion
of this General Assembly, that whenever
the authorities of that State shall send
| armed forces to the South for the purpose
indicated in said resolutions, the people of
/ Tennessee, uniting with their brethren of
the South, viii, as one man, resist such
invasion of the South at any hazard and
to the last extremity
On the 2lstof January, 1861, a series of
resolutions, proposing a convention of all
the then slaye-holding States to suggest
amendments to the federal constitu-
ton, as a basis of final settlement Of the
questions then agitating the country, were
proposed and adopted, Mr.. Butler voting
for them. One of the resolutions, which
was alternative in its character, reads as
follows:
'ResolYed, That should plan Of adjust
ment satisfactory to the South not be ac-
ceded TO by the requisite number of
States to perfect amendments TO the con-
stitution of the United States, it is the
opinion Of this General Assembly that the
slave-hOlding States should adopt for
themselves the constitution of the United
States, with such amendments as may he
satisfactory to the slaye-holding States,
and that they should invite into a union
with them all States of the North which
are willing to abide such amended con-
stitution, and frame a government,
seyering at once all connections with
States refusing such reasonable guarantees
for our future safety; such renewed con-
ditions Of federal union being first sub
mittcd for ratification to conventions of
Ill the States respectively"
So much for Mr.. Butler in the Legisla-
turc which adopted the ordinance of Sc
ccssion. He was elected to the "Rebel"
Legislature, chosen after the ratification
of that ordinance by the people of the
State. He came here and took his seat in
that Legislature, first taking an oath to
support the Constitution of the Confed-
crate States. This was q voluntary act.
After the bridges had been burned in
East Tennessee by the Unionists of that
section, the subject was brought up in
the House of Representatives, and from a
report of the proceedings of that body on
the 18th of November, 1861, VIC copy as
follows
'Mr Butler denounced the act in the
strongest terms, and sincerely hoped that
the perpetrators, be they whom they may,
will be arrested and severely punished.
He stated that he had always opposed the
introduction of Lincoln troops into East
Tennessee, and when consulted upon the
subject, had advised against it, and he be-
lieycd very large majority of his consti-
tuents were opposed to such a step"
This is very emphatic language, and left
no doubt as to where Mr.. Butler stood.
He desired 10 have the men who risked
their lives to burn these bridges arrested
and severely punished-how severely he
did not say, but the impression is legiti-
mate that he would not stop short of
hanging.
On the 22d Of November, 1861, Mr.
Butler offered a resolution 'ftstructing
our Senators and Representatives in Con-
gres to vote for a pension bill" This was
directed to the Senators and Representa-
,iyes from this State in the Confederate
Congress, and the pension was not for the
Union soldiers, but for those who should
fight for the Confederacy. The gallant
Mr.. Butler desired that these men should
be rewarded for their hardships and sacri-
fees IN the war for separate nationality,
and in the fullncss of his heart he asked
the Legislature of Tennessee to aid MIN in
an appeal to the Confederate Congress to
grant these war-woTn veterans a pension.
On the 10th of December, 1861, when
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