New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-01
ButIer In Massachusetts.
The following is from General Buffers re-
>o~& ..o,oh ~ Tourovca Maaao nhuaa<<..

requisition to protect that man and avenge
his wrong. Ought that not to be 60 here,
under the folds of our flag, under our con.
stitution, under our laws, upon our soil,
when twice Over-0nce from Britain, and
then from q deadlier enemy by the blood
and bravery of our sons our rights have
been sustained! Is not that but right
trines Is not that sound Republican
doctrine? Who is there here to deny
that7 For him have 1 offended. But
is that so today Let me tell you two or
three facts. In the first place, say we are to
have equality of right. and protection in
that right; secondly, we are to have equality
of power. I am aware that some of you
say that the negro is not tit to vote. All,
my friends. l wish he was more fit l can
remember, and there are those here in this
hall whom / used to know in olden times,
who will recollect it, when it was said a
man who couldn't read and write was not
tit to vote. l didn't believe it then. don't
now, and l never shall believe it. Our
fathers could not make their mark, and
they were quite fit to vote. The negro was
fit to fight, ard he did fight, and shall not a
man that had a musket on his shoulder and
fred bullets for the right, have BALLOT If
he is fit to shoot men, isn't he fit to vote!
am plain, blunt man, and l believe in
saying what think, and believe he ought
to have right to vote, because have seen
him fight If you had seen him fight as |
have; if you had only seen the scenes that I
have seen upon that matter, you would
drive me to my house in disgrace if did
not stand by the negro. Let me tell you
what l know upon that subject. At the
time when we needed men for the army,
and men stayed at home and sent boys on,
then we called upon the African to help US;
we called upon the negro. | am free to say
that believe it was necessary to convince
the whole people that the negro would
fight. On the morning of the twenty ninth
Of September, having redoubt to take on
Newmarket Hill determined to put in a
division of colore6 troops to take it. That
gallant troop, although suffering great
loss, dashed through two lines of
abattis and achieved one of the most
memorable victories l remember. When
the American flag fell down black hands
seized it and raised it again. The rebels
were driy en- twelve miles by that noble
company of negroes. 1t became my duty
a. commanding General to follow up the
charge, and in swartn scarcely wider
than the stage lay al dead and wounded
men, colOred men, who had laid down their
lives for their country and in defense of q
flag whose stripes had been no symbol to
them except the stripes OF an accursed
whip; men of no hope of glory, of no hope
of honorable mention; men who had simply
done their duty as loyal and true soldiers.
As l rode among the sacred dead, and
guided my horse this way and that lest he
should disfgure the remains of the noble
slain, and looked upon their upturned faces,
l took an oath that 1 would never desert
these, my comrades and cOuntrymen. And,
God help me. l never will!
No- friauAa what dn We hnQr
Cured at Hamburg, South Cardinal Only
the other day a company of militia-on the
fourth Of July-turned out to parade.
They were duly organized, had the right of
the street, and when our companies of mill.
tia turn out we send policemen before them
to clear the way. Two young men told the
captain to turn OUT he would not do it;
they complain to q justice that the compa-
ny are blocking the street: they then as
surrender. The commander of the mob
being q Confederate Major General by the
name of Butler, who understand, is a
candidate for the next Congress,
but l know Of somebody who will
be there who viii be likely to
beat him. We want to know all the But
lers there are in the field When these me-
groes surrended they took six of them pris-
oners, and told them that they might 60,
and as each one went they shot him dead,
one after the other. They have been ar
rested, and what do you suppose was the
penalty for that down in South Carolina9
Why, they don't impose any great bail up
on them. They have let them all be bailed
in sum less than my friend, Judge of the
police court, would impose upon q man
here for knocking a man down in the
streets. Butler gets loose for $1,000 bail,
and all bis associates and the general gov
eminent is powerless to interfere.
Well, but you say that was riot; there
is nothing in that. l will tell you what it
was; it was the beginning of political
Northern Democrats don't believe in that.
Some of you have fought side by side, been
together, and side by side by me, and l
know you don't agree to that. Where was
the rioti 1t was IN South Carolina. What
is South Carolinal 1t is State where the
negroes have at least 10000 ma ority. They
are a majority; don't you believe in the
majority ruling!
have been giving you an accurate and
not overcharged description Of what is be-
ing done on this soil of ours-under our
flag, under our laws-and the nation is
powerless to protect its citizens and enforce
the law. If this had been done in Turkey,
reparation would have been demanded and
obtained. If Great Britain had injured
the hull of the Catalpa, we would have re-
yenge, and yet no man has protection on
this soil under the laws of the United
States, because it is q Democratic doctrine
in these days that the national government
shall not interfere. and that is why can
not vote for Tilden. That is the cause. l
do not blame Tilden for it, but that is the
wrong. do not come here to talk abuse.
l want to speak to the ccnsciences, the
honor, to the law-abiding sentiment to do
unto others as you would have them do
unto you; l want to ask, is that right
state of things9 1t lie my desire to have the
laws of the United States enforced, 80 that
a man shall be as safe here as he is in Tur-
KEY or Australia. 1t is more to bring that
about that want to 60 to Congress again.
You see l have no hesitation in speaking
about it. ! am not like q young maid-but
more like widow. / know what l want,
and am not afraid to ask.
Now, my friends, let Us 60 little fur
Their think 1t is high time that somebody
should be in Congress that can speak Of
these things. Why, how my heart was
panied and soul was sick when Mr.. Hill, of
Georgia II suppose may call him Ben Hill,
because everybody calls me Benz, made his
speech, in which he undertook to justify
the horrors OF Andersonville, where more
men were starved to death than there were
British soldiers on the field OF Waterloo.
The General quoted largely from his
recently published letter, claiming that the
great issues of the day were equal protec-
ton, equal rights and equal power guaran-
teed to all classes of our citizens. Contin-
uing, he said: Why, observe that some
said that said nothing about civil service
reform in my letter. No, nor did l of last
years almanac. If anybody can make the
civil service better, let him do it. l have
been accused of want of civil service reform
because turned men out of Office who were
not my friends. l never advised q mans
being turned out of Office, except for
cause or for some malfeasance in Office.
I always put in office my own friends,
because 1 knew them better than l did
my enemies. thought I could trust
them further, and would do 60 again if
had the opportunity. II man wants to