Year: 1866

The following is the concluding portion
of Gen Buffers great speech at Pitts
burgh Its argument is as invincible as
its eZcoriation of traitors is severe. We
hope every reader viii give it an attentive
perusal


1t would seem to me in the present cri-
sis to be right to extend TO the South to
the Southern men who as communities
have been misled, our cordial welcome
back, when they will come back in the
spirit of truth, of justice, Of right, Of
Kindness and OflOyelty. iu which We offer
to receive them. But for the men that
misled them, the great represe ntative
men, let them be so dealt with that no
man hereafter shall ever leave Ris seat IN
the Congress of the United States, or de-
sert the glorious flag for the purpose Of
taking command in the armies Of our en-
emies. TApplause. As I have said
governments must deal with communities
as if they bad erred, as soon as the com
munities have slOWu desire to be re-
ceived back in an humbie-mark the
wOrd-in an humble thankfulDess for the
elemency meted out to them, because it
is for men who have erred to be humble
when they acknowledge their mistake.


AS for the rest 1 would answer here the
question pat by the President, Would





President. God forbid: but you begin
and hang one, and We will tell yoR where
to stop. Tremendous applause-I Bow
Mr. Davis is perhaps by no means the
worst man ia the Southern Confederacy,
but he chose to have the place of repre-
sentative man, he played for an empire,
and staked his life on the result, aud let
him pay the forfeit, Gapplause, as an ez-
ample for all time that no man shall plot
treason In the halls of the Congress of
the United States. Applause.


What shall we say. fellow soldiers, of
another man who, educated in the military
academy Of the United States to be equal
to which we had to serve four years in
the Geld mid blood and death, privatiOn
and imprisonment, brought up at the feet
of Gamaliel the chosen petted chief Of
staff to the Lieutenant General Of the
United States, on the 18th of April, 1861
when our neighbors and comrades we're
being shot down in Baltimore, resigned
his commission aud went back to his ma
tive State-for what purposes For the
purpose of, on the morning of the I'D of
July following, receiving a commission as
commander of all the rebel forces in Vir-
ginia Is there any man here so stupid
as not to know that Colonel Lee, of the
u. s. Cavalry, when he resigned his COM
mission on the 18th of April, believed
and knew that he was to be appointed on
the 22d Commander iu-ehief of the rebel
army of Virginia ? He did know it.


Now, then fellow soldiers, what shall
be done with the soldier who deserts his
flag, aud takes with him the secrets of his
commander? TCries of " Hang him. " r.
Shooting is too good for him who deserts
for the purpose of command, or bribed
by higher command in the armies of the
enemies Of his country. Why, We all
know that by every Law human, and 1
hope without irreverence 1 may say di-
vine, any soldier who deserts his flag for
the purpose of taking command in the
army of the enemy shall surely suffer
death.


But, say you, Gen. Lee but followed the
secession of his State. Alas my friends,
history shows that there was not left to
him even that poor excuse for rebellion.
For on the 18th of April, his State passed
the ordinance Of secession, but they put
IN that ordinance clause that it should
be void and of none effect until the 23d
Of the following May, more shan q month
afterWard. So that Gen. Lee left the
army of the United States, and went into
Virginia aud was at the head of the rebel
forces of Virginia before his State seced-
ed, and carried her out at she point of the
bayonet. Now, gentlemea. we had an
Arnold, aud he escaped punishment, but
he did not remain here. We have had
as it seems to me, an equally guilty trait
or, and the question to be decided ia this
country, is, whether his surrender as a
prisoner of war, when he was captured,
shall avail him against the desertiOn Of
his flag, to take service ia the army of the
enemy of his country. LCries Of . No,
no. i, therefore, again say, that
would make an example Of this man, so
that no soldier, hereafter, should find 1t
convenient to desert the flag Of his GOun-
try. - Good -; cheers.


And for the rest, the most humllIatIng
spectacle that took place at the close of
this war was that here were these rebels
threatening that, If we did not do pretty
much as they wished, they would 60 TO
Mexico, or Brazil, or South a merica, or
somewhere they would 60 and leave US.
What ought we TO have saic 20 them p
Go Stand not on the order of your going
but 90 at once More than that-here is
a free ticket on board a United States
transport, to take you wherever you like,
aud the further the better, but see to 1t
that you never come back. And Is there
one man to doubt that If this course had
been taken, there would be to-day peace,
quiet and amity with the South No
body doubts il. A golden opportunity
was then lost, but not lost forever.


We have offered to the States in rebel
lion, that if they will accept the constitu-
tiOnal amendment, they shall return to
their share in the Government. But,
fellow soldiers, want to add another
condition 60 that. = Good, good. ~ l-I
There may be many that the country may
need, but |, as a soldier, desire 60 add
one condition, and you shall Judge me
whether j wish to be very harsh.