Year: 1866

sluCs' w Cl, llldJ DOuy assemblies, ana
the first piece Of evidence we have that


these people are fit to return to their re-
IatiOns i'll the Union, is the beautiful


spectacle of the delegates from Massa-
chusettS and South Carolina walking
arm in arm into the Wigwam. On that
occasion the extremes met, but it was
like the dog chasing his own tail-it


was the ends Of the same dog Laugh
ter


AS a lawyer would say, he demurred
to the arrangement. There is not a
man so foolish as does not know that the
men who went to the Convention were
not the representatives Of the senti-
ment of Massachusetts. There was Mr..
Winthrop, very respectable politician,
but who never controlled anybody's
vote save his own; there was Mr. Cur
tis, an able lawyer, no doubt. These
gentlemen, however respectable, have
not been with us, and those who have
gone from us have carried nothing but
the clothes on their backs. Applause ]
Now, did the Southern delegates repre-
sent the South? That Convention was
one of the most remarkable ever held.
Not speech was allowed in it, and
there was, not representative Southern
man that held a seat there. Gov. Orr
did not represent the sentiment Of South
Carolina, for it is well known that at the
last election Wade Hampton begged
and prayed of the citizens not to vote
for him for Governor, but rather give
their votes to his opponent, Do you
think he was representative man Of the
chivalry Of South Carolina? Not at all.
Governor Perry was chosen by Presi-
dent Johnson because he had been Ia
booed during the war as almost the only
Union man in the State. Was he fit
representative of South Carolina?
Now, then, what did this Convention
do! They passed ten resolutions,
which Gen. Butler proceeded to read.
With regard to that relative to the right
of suffrage, he admitted that Congress
had no right to interfere with suffrage
in a State, but it did have the right to
regulate it i'll conquered State. In all
these resolutions where is there one
word of reproach for the traitor who
raised his arm against the Government
or of applause for the brave men who
have fallen in its defense? They say
they will not repudiate the national debt
Was the yea and nay vote called ? Did
a Southern man vote for these resolu-
tionS! There is not the shadow Of a
record of it. Did Southern man make
speech! No. Gov, Orr and Gov
Perry both made speeches outside Of
the Convention, but the gag was put on,
for fear they might say something that
would offend the North. " ..


Gen. Butler then proceeded to con-
slider the proposition of how the pro-
ceedings Of the Convention were re-
ceived at the South, and in this connec-
ton he read extracts from the Richmond
Wing and the Richmond Times, which
he termed the Conservative papers, and
the Richmond Examiner, a Radical
sheet, rcpelling the grounds taken in
the address to the people. They call
their rebellion great cause, lost for
want of means; we callit wicked and
unholy rebellion. Are they in fit con-
dition to be received back again? The
Philadelphia Convention assembled to
teach us our political duties, and he was
grieved when he read the speech of the
President to Reverdy Johnson-who
sat on the fence when he Qhe speaker
commanded at Baltimore, not knowing
which way to jump, daughter, in which
he said that a portion OF Congress were
endeavoring to usurp power that did
not belong to them. 1t was only por-
ton of Congress, because it was elected
by only a portion of the States, BY the
same reasoning was he only portion
of President because he was elected by
only portion of the States. Laughter
and applause At the time he was
elected these eleven States would have
hanged him 50 quick he would not have
had time to say his prayers for above or
below as the case might be, Laugh !
ter Viler abuse was never heaped
upon mortal man than was cast upon
Andrew johnson in the early part of
the war, and he Qhe speaker) came in
for his share Of it also.


TIE NEW ORLEANS MASSACRE.


We see by the tone of the papers that
these people are not readyfor recon
struction.c There is a mass of cover
whelmiDg evidence upon the subject.
/ for one do not believe that any portion
of this country Is ready to participate in
the government of the country, until
any man of anypart of the country has
equal rights with every other man.
And until that can be done in every
portion of the United States, that por-
ton is not ready to be admitted as a
portion of the United States. The
Southern man whether arrived at the
common, age of man or not knows that
he can go to any part Of the North and
speak his sentiments freely, and 1 do not
want any part Of this country represent
ed in Congress until you anda1 can go
and argue the principles Of free govern
mont without fear of the knife or pistol,
or of being murdered by q mob. And
when men ask me how long L.would
keep these men out, / say Keep them
out until the heavens melt with fervent
they will allow free speech
and free press throughout their land.
And if it should not come in this gener-