Year: 1863

Gen. Butler had significant welcome
at Lowell, Mass, his native city, on the
10Th inst In response to the welcoming
speech made by the postmaster of the
city, Hon John A. Goodwin, Gen. Butler
replied in the following truly admirable
remarks:


Mr, Chairman, Friends and Neiqk60rs ::


l have many times met you in this
hall, but never under circumstances of
greater embarrassment. Nv heart is
full. Ny voice is choked with the emo
tions that well up to the eyes as / listen
to your kind words of greeting and ap-
prevail My friends, if there is reward
to be sought on earth by faithful dis
charge of duty, by loyal devotion to
country, it is the approval of ones
friends and nejghbors. Applause


You, Sir, have Aatteringly alluded to
my services, but you have not alluded to
the great element of my success. ] have
never been in battle without Massachu-
sets regiment, and | have never been
engaged in battle where success
crowned my efforts without a Lowell
regiment. Applause. The Goth
once your old 6th-was at New Orleans;
it was at Baltimore; and if | could do
nothing for you at Fortress Monroe, it
was because the Government kept back
from ne the 9th and Sth Massachusetts
regiments. At New Orleans, at Fort St.
Philip, your regiment waded up to the
armpits in mud to attack that fortress,
and it was owing to their gallantry that
the fortress surrendered. 1t is to Low
ell men, to Lowell perseverance-not
alone in the fervor of the General in
command, but in the brave and gallant
comrades with him that the country
owes the glory of that victory.


Let US pause here a moment to drop
one tear and breathe one sigh for the
gallant dead who have offered up their
lives on the altar of their country. /
need not name them to you. Every
heart cherishes their memory. But
there occurs to my thought the name of
the gallant Crowell who lies now with
his kindred here at home. These noble
men have given their lives for the sacred
cause of liberty, and they can never be
forgotten. Now, friends, cherishing
their memories, let us pass on to the
scenes of the present and the duties of
the living = .-


l have heard, but cannot believe it,
that some are faltering in this hour of
their countrys peril, that the faith of
some in the nations triumph in this un-
happy war has for moment given way.
Do you believe that there is Just God?
Whoever believes in Him must believe
that the cause of right and justice and
truth must necessarily triumph. Upon
that subject never permit yourselves to
doubt We may have to peril more
treasure, to lose more sons and brothers
in the cause of the country, but ultimate
success is sure. To doubt this is, in my
judgment, atheism of the worst sort


have heard it said, my friends, that
j have changed in some of my ideas and
thoughts on political questions since
left you. have changed in some of my
ideas, grant you, because have learn
ed something, great applause, but that
| have changed in single princirln.T T
dony. stand before you the same Demo-
crat, who for so many years battled for
the rights of the people at the North,
and now battle for the same rights in the
South i have found that this rebellion
is a rebellion against the working clas-
ses, without distinction of color; and l
have stood upon that question where |
have ever stood, and where l shall ask
you to stand-as know You will. The
rebellion was begun and is carried on for
the purpose of creating landed aristoc-
racy, which shall give to four hundred
thousand the government of eight mil
lions of whites and four millions of
blacks. 1t is for that jeff Davis and
his confe6erates have undertaken a re-
bellion which they claim is to secure the
rights of the people. Do you think, if it
was rebellion Of the people, it would be
necessary to resort to conscription to
raise their armies? Did our fathers
have to conscript men? Did our fathers
willingly 60 forth? At this time may say
that more than one-half the army of the
South is composed of men driven into it
at the point of the bayonet Did any
thing of this kind ever succeed before, and
will it succeed now2 No; unless the
laws of nature are entirely reve I'D. =.


Now let us look directly at your inter-
ests and your duties; for [ am speaking
now, having just come from the cotton
regions, where interests and duties for
once go hand in hand. Would you wish
to be at the command of those masters at
the South who could make you do as
they said by cutting off the supply of cot