Year: 1866

the State of Virginia before her act of
secession had been ratified by the pop,
ular voice, and hence before she could
have been said to have seeded, and
occupying the position he did, he had
contributed to carry her out at the
point of the bayonet. And yet there
has not been power enough in this Gov
ernment to have this man tried and
punished. He asked whether the de
sertion of his flag, with the distinct
purpose Of engaging in the service of
the enemies of his country, was not g
punishable military crime He desired
it to be tried, that it may be understood
hereafter that it is death on the gallows
for any man to desert his flag and take
service with the enemies of his country.


He next referred to the case of Jef-
ferson Davis, educated in the like school
with Lee-pity that the school should
have two such pupils He had occu-
pied a high civil position, and had sat
in the councils of the nation, seeking.
not how he might build up, but how he
might destroy But in one thing he
was less guilty than Lee--in that he
had not entered into the rebellion until
after his State seeded But he had
gone direct from his place in Washing
ton to take the position of Provisional
President of the rebel Confederation,
and he, like Lee, had permitted, if he
had not directed, all the outrages that
had been committed upon our prison
ers in the South. Whether he had or
dered these things or not, and whether.
or not he was concerned in the plot to
assassinate our President, he (the
speaker) would like to see it tried
whether man could desert civil post
for the express purpose of leading a
rebellion against the Government to
which he owed allegiance; and, if not,
he would like to see him hung upon
the gallows, in order that all might
know that such things were not allow
able.


Having done this much, we might
pause to note the effect produced, but
we could not pause sooner.


There was one topic, not mentioned
in the resolutions, on which he desired
to speak. What shall be done for that
class of our soldiers who lived in the
Confederate States, and against all
temptations and threats, and persecu-
tions, stood up nobly for the Union L?
Would it not be well for this Conven-
ton to give a special resolution to
those North Carolinians, Tennessee cans,
Alabamians, and-he could say from
his own Observation-Disclosures who
had fought under the stars and stripes.
These men had received no bounties
What they had received were violence,
persecution, Punishment from their
homes, the destruction of their prop
erty and the execration of their rebel
fellow citizens. 81


He spoke Of the regiment of loyal
North Carolinians captured at Ply
mouth by the rebel General Pickett,
who hanged twenty-five of those men
for their loyalty to the United States.
It had well been said, that these South
ern soldiers doubly took their lives in
their hands. Would it not be well to
give those men q special resolution,
asking for them distribution of land
for their loyalty and their services
And he thought, in this connection, it
would not hurt the argument much if a
few black men were admitted to share
in this distribution. Might not reso-
luton be passed asking that the lands
of the rich nabobs who prosecuted them
should be shared among them, in order
that everybody may know forever
hereafter that if he stand by the flag
sooner Or later it will reward and pro-
| tect him T?


The speaker here closed, amid loud
outburst of applause; and resolution
of thanks having been unanimously
adopted, the Convention adjourned. {.