, 1863-04-17

HA8 WORTHY oI lle OCCASION and the man,
GEN. A'PuERsoS's SPEECH.
The object Of the gathering was to hear the
enunciation Of the policy Of the Admlnistra-
tion with reference to freed mea in our midst
black men once langu1shing in degrading
servitude, now, through the operation Of tho
Presidents Proclamation, and the condition
of war, free as the air We breathe. He con.
CURED fully and heartily in the policy Of form
ing, oficering and arming those negro regiments,
and he doubted not that he should receive
the hearty cooperation of the officers and sol.
diers Of the Third Division. Already two
regiments had been formed at Lake Proyi.
oencc, and hc hoped to have an equal number
here. lie called especial attention to the fact
that Gen. Thomas had received full and am
pie authority from the President, to grant
commissions. He knew there were hundreds
Of private soldiers before him WHO were ca
pable Of having commands and ho would use
nis influence to secure them positions. The
Adjutant General WIS also authorized to dis
grace and dismiss from the seryioc anY mau
or officer guilty Of bruta1ly treating the black
man. and he hoped he would exercise that au-
thority.
In this strain Gen. Mcpherson continued
for several minutes, and closed lis re,narks
der which we are lighting, and the expression
Of the hope that this war would speedily ter
inmate, and the haleyon days Of peace come
again to our beloved country. He then intro
duccd Gen. Thomas, who spoke as follows:
ADJUTANT GENERAL THOMAS ADDRESS,
FELLOW SoLD1Ens: Tonr Commanding General
has 60 fully stated the object Of my MISSION that
it Is almost unnecessary for me to SAY any thing to
you in reference to 1t. STILL az come here With
tnl! authority from the President Of the United
dclioeration, has been determined upon by the
wisdom Of the nation, It is my duty to mako known
TO you clearly and fully the features Of this policy
n hsre vo o1 f1 eEaasaton 70 nc
well, how glorious hare been your achieye1nc ats
Oh the field Of battle. No soldier can come before
emotions Of bis soul stirred within him. These
emotions feel on the present occasion, and beg
you wll nsen to That have to szy as soldisFf,
seselsinS f rom aold;ss thu commands Of the Pre-
leone from Washington clothed with the fullest
power IN this matter. With this power can act
P5eeaheiy as the President 9f H. United States
ing TO Washington, but to act promptly-whst I
hare to do, to do 60 At once---to strike down the
can Only zpcaI briefly and cannot enter into the
details Of this subject at present. It may be that
some Of you are better acquainted With this coun-
spent IN the South Know this whole region
well. nm Soufhern man. and il you will, born
III Wh 80 Southern pIendiees; but ain ttce to say,
orse ,t ~ ho1 to announce 1oSou
| :, You know full well, for JON havo been over
that the rebels have sent into the field ali ali
thcir available fighting mcn-eyczy man apab1e OF
@ bearing r arms aE nnd you know they hare kept at
1of tnelr armies IN the field In this way they can
bring TO bear against is all the strength Of their
g t sall.d Confederate States, whilst We at the
N61th can only send portion Of our lighting force,
being compelled to lcarc behind another Portion
70 en!tlv:ts our hclds and supply the wants Of an
The Administration has determined to take
rom tAese rebels that source Of supply-to take
ihels heroes and compel them to send back o por-
,on o. their Whites to cultivate their deserted
1nust do this or their armies viii star7e. You
poztnnty afforded them under the Proclamation 81
the President. in September. to lay down their
arms and come back into the Union. They failed to
20 IT, rot but that the hearts Of many men OF the
south were with Us and against the rebellion; but
the leaders Of the conspiracy, JEFF. Davis 4 Co.,
wonld not permit it; therefore they are still IN
| On the first day Of Jannary last the President
Issued his proclamation declaring that from that
daH forward a1lt e'a'es in the Sates then in re-
| bcllion should be free. You know that vast num-
bess of these slavrs are within your borders, in
side the lines Of this army: They come into your
a1a 1oa IT, Int saye i
ton arc very much panied to hear and, I fear with
truth in many cases. that some Of This poor, IN.
fortunate people have on different occasions been
| Mi sion within onr lines refused by our officers
| and soldiers. This is not the way to uee freed
ef Il bes assSshd o Se deae 1HP Ills paa
raee?" They arc crowding upon us in such nur-
bers that some provision must he made for them.
prcudices Of the Northern States asainst receiving
| larSe numbers OF the colorcd race. Some States
ha1e passed lhvs fosbidding them to eone within
| .ons who have brought them have been arsaigned
before the sourts to answer for tho violation oil
Look along this river sid sec the multitude o.
deserted Plantations along its borders. These are
ths places lo1 these freedmen. WHARF theyicsDlbe
II, 81 t1 sn Al Of
Il any or this unfortunate race come into SouI
lines That you do not turn them away, but receive
then x kindly and cordially They are 10 BE- encon,:
open arms: They are to be fed and clothed: .They
a1e to be armed. This is the policy which has
9een @ inii{ determined upon. am here to say that
blacks a. can am authorized 10 give commits.
eions from the highest to the lowest and desire
hold Of It: desire only those whose hearts arc
| IN the work and to them only will give commits
tons. l don't care who they arc. o. what their
gTesent sans may BE- do not hest.te to that
Whist an authorized thus IL the name e Of the
Secretary Of War, have the fullest authority to
1t may, whom hnd malfreating this unfortunate
& Faes; Ihe part par Of ny duty wl most a;x.r<ty
such men are unworthy the name Of soldiers.
i hope to hear that in this large, this splendid
division, As know 1t to be veterans, as Napoleon
hope to hear before / leave, that / shall be
able to raise at 1east one regiment from among
y9n ds1 want to stop a one nor at two
low at Lake Proyidencc-norc than two would
Ike to rafse on this river at least
children, and all men unit to become part oI our
military organlzatioEf. and place them Oh these
p!s.nta,alons, then IT. take thesg regiments and
hs sSeeti7c,y Eaevae the eountry " vi a1se f.
Mill ptliar With all the roads and swamps they viii Be
sGg s0 @ tT2ek ont @ tRe asenrsed sneras and run
this way you may sweep into the interior with i'm.
pnnity. 1eeolect that for every regiment Of blacks
l1aise release regiment Of whites to face tie
This, fellow eoldiese /. the determined policy Of
the admin'stration Ton all know fnll well, whea
be slow in coming to deteFmination) when he
once "prts bis foot down it il there aud be Is moi
going tc take It up. ne has PIT his foot down.
| aln here to assure you that my official inaacnce
shall be gi1eu that he shall not raiseis.
GEN. LOGAN.
Gen. Thomas, at the conclusion of his ad
dress, said the gathering was an informal one
and it was proper, if they deecmed it, that
they should seek IN expression from other Of
f3cers present. An unanimous call vas made
Tor Gen. Logan, and, although suffering from
disease, and hardly able TO leave his bed, he
readily complied. regret that am not able
to report him. It Is sufficient TINT ho prom
ised his cordial-obcdicuce and cooperation il
the policy thus marked out By his supssiors
However much he might doubt the correct
ness Of the policy, his duty, and that of hi
command, was plain, and be should obey ths
order without question, and without any res
eryation, whatever. When he entered tht
army he had his prejudices, but he was free
to say that these prejudices were in q erea,
measure removed.
His remarks were those Of patriot and {
soldier, and werc most enthusiastically ap
plaudcd.
GEN. STEVENSON.
Gen. Stevenson WAS called upon and re
eponded most oloquentlJ. he was born In {
slavc State, all his interests were there, hi
was Shareholder, and he knew the working
OF the accureed institution. He referred te
some of his experiences in the Missouri Statt
Senate, of which he was q member whor
Claib jackson was Governor, md, Ike tht
others, give his unqualified endorsement O
he Prtaidsnt's policy.
GEN. LEoGKrT,
i Gen LcErctt, in obcdtcnce tn rrnrstrd rsll,