The National tribune., 1899-03-02
SENATOR BUrLER.s SPEECH.

luc tHslol AppiOpIldtipH DiIi, anu III
speech in support of it, are startlin!
evidences of the attitude of the younge
| generation of the South toward the war
and the questions growing out of it
Senator Butler proudly announced th'
fact that he was the son of Confederat,
veteran who had fought four long year
to destroy the Union, or as the Senator
phrased it, He was a citizen of ;
sovereign State which, in 1861, saw
fit, or rather, | should say, was forced tt
exercise its constitutional right to with
draw from the compact of 1887" Had
Senator Butler been old enough he would
have been. by his fathers side. Hii
amendment read as follows:
That from and after the passage of this
act every pension law now on the statute
books shall apply to every invalid soldier,
widow, minor children. dependent relative,
the army nurses, and all other pensioners
who may be able to prove their claim under
the present pension laws without regard to
whether said soldier was enlisted in the Fed
eral or Confederate service OF the late civil
war of 1861 to 1865: Prorided, That those
enlisted in the Confederate service shall not
draw any back pensions prior TO the passage
of this act, but their claim under existing
laws shall begin and become operative with
the passage of this act.
That certainly is plain enough, frank
enough, and comprehensive enough. Its
effect would be to wipe out every vestige
Of distinction between those who fought
for and against the Government, and
treat both sides precisely alike, except
that rebels shall not be entitled TO any
arrears of pensions. That would come
in time, however.
Senator Buffers arguments were
equally frank and bold. He claimed
unqualifedly that when the States en-
tered the Union they reserved the right
to withdraw from it at any time they
saw fit, and that the act of the North
ern States in forcing them to stay in was
illegal and unconstitutional Conse-
quently, no man who fought in support
of the Constitutional right of secession
was a rebel or traitor, but a gallant
patriot struggling for his States honor
and sovereignty.
Therefore when the Southern States with
drew from the compact, they did not rebel
against the other States or against the Gov
eminent set up under the compact. They
simply withdrew from the compact peace
ably and in the exerci-e of their reserved
Constitutional powers. In doing this they
were not disloyal TO the other States or 10
the Government of the States but they were
loyal to truth and justice, al d to the compact
of 1857. If other States, which had before
recognized this right of each State, had not
not decided to do so by force, there would
have been no conflict of arms.
North Carolina did not desire to withdraw
from the compact or Union, and would not
have done so if South Carolina had not been
forcibly denied her right to withdraw in
peace. After South Carolina had seeded,
the people of my State by popular vote and
by an overwhelming majority decided not to
withdraw from the Union We recognized
the Constitutional right of South Carolina or
any other State to withdraw, but we took
the position that our State had no lust
cause to withdraw and that it was desirable
to remain in the Union.
The Senator reiterated his ilustra-
tion of Rhode Island, which remained
outside of the Union for some time in
the proper exercise of her sovereignty.
As we have before pointed out, there
are two fallacies to this illustration. The
first is, that Rhode Island out and in
the Union are as different as a stone in
and out Of an arch. As long as the
stone is out of the arch, it is question
whether it may not be put in, but once
in, it must stay there, for the safety Of
the whole arch depends upon it. The
second is that if Rhode Island had per-
sisted in her effort to remain outside,
means would have been found to bring
her in-even in the employment of
force, for her presence was necessary to
the peace and safety of the Union. The
first draft of the Constitution contained
a clause with reference to just such
centingen cy, for it provided that when
two-thirds of the States had adopted it
it should be compulsory on all. This
shows the mood of the fathers of the
Government with regard to the employ
ment of force on recalcitrant States.
Senator Butler continued:
Therefore every gun fired by every South
ern soldier was fired in self-defense-in de-
fense of the sovereign and constitutional
rights of his State and in defense of his
home and freside
1t was a most unnecessary and unjustifi-