The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-30 00:00:00

PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S HEALTH.

The President, though still in feeble health, is
annoyed by the pressure of importunate office
seekers.

A rebel flag, captured at Anderson by the One
Hundred and Fortieth Indiana Volunteers, was pre-
sented to-day by Governor Morton, in front of the
National Hotel. A large crowd was in attendance.
Governor Morton made a brief speech, in which he
congratulated his auditors on the speedy end of the
rebellion, and concluded by introducing President
Lincoln, whose purity and patriotism were confessed,
he said, by all, even among the most violent agita-
tors. (Applause.) His administration would be
recognised as the most important epoch of history.
It had struck the death blow to slavery—(applause)
—and built up the republic with a power it never
before possessed. If he had done nothing more
than put his name to the emancipation proclama-
tion, that alone would have made his name immor-
tal. (Applause.)
The President addressed the assembly substan-
tially as follows :

Fellow-citizens,—lt will be but a very few words
that I shall undertake to say. I was born in Ken-
tucky, raised in Indiana, and lived in Illinois.
(Laughter.) And now I am here, where it is my
business to care equally for the good people of all
the States. I am glad to see an Indiana regiment
on this day able to present the captured flag to the
Governor of Indiana. (Applause.) I am not dis-
posed, in saying this, to make a distinction between
the States, for all have done equally well. (Ap-
plause.) There are but few views or aspects of this
great war upon which I have not said or written
something whereby my own opinions might be
known. But there is one—the recent attempt of
our erring brethren, as they are sometimes called—
(laughter)—to employ the negro to fight for them. I
have neither written nor made a speech on that subject,
because that was their business, not mine ; and if I had
a wish upon the subject I had notthe power to intro-
duce it, or make it effective. The great question
with them was, whether the negro, being put into
the army, would fight for them. I do not know and
therefore cannot decide. (Laughter.) They ought
to know better than we. I have in my lifetime
heard many arguments why the negroes ought to
be slaves, but if they fight for those who would
keep them in slavery it will be a better argument
than any I have yet heard. (Laughter and ap-
plause.) He who will fight for that ought to be a
slave. (Applause.) They have concluded at last
to take one out of four of the slaves, and put them
in the army ; and that one out of the four who will
fight to keep the others in slavery ought to be a slave
himself unless he is killed in a fight. (Applause.)
While I have often said that all men ought to be free,
yet I would allow those coloured persons to be slaves
who want to be ; and next to them those white person

who argue in favour of making other people slaves.
(Applause.) lam in favour of giving an opportunity to
such white men to try it on for themselves. (Ap,
plause.) I will say one thing in regard to the
negro being employed to fight for them, Ido know
he cannot fight and stay at home and make bread
too—(laughter and applause)—and as one is about
as important as the other to them, I don't care
which they do. (Renewed applause.) lam rathe
in favour of having them try them as soldiers.
(Applause.) They lack one vote of doing that, raji d
I wish I could send my vote over the river so that I
might cast it in favour of allowing the n'egro to
fight. (Applause.) But they cannot fight and work
both. We must now see the bottom of :he enemy's
enemy's resources. They will stand out as long as
they can, and if the negro will fight fez them, they
must allow him to fight. They hase drawn upon
their last branch of resources. (Applause.) And
we can now see the bottom. (Applause.) lam
glad to see the end so near at hand. (Applause.)
I have said now more than I intended, and will
therefore bid you goodby.

THE NIAGARA AND SACRAIVIENTO
FIRED INTO BY THE PORTUGUESE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAM.)

LISBON, MARCH 29, 10.25 A.M.
The Federal frigates Niagara and Sacramento
attempted to sail before the expiration of the time
fixed by the Portuguese authorities, and were fired
upon by the Belen Fort.

The Niagara was struck on the poop and a
seaman was killed.
The vessels thereupbn anchored.