Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-04-23
views OF the Presiden,.

The President was present al the inaugura-
ting exercises OF the Great Maryland Fair. held
al Baltimore on the evening OF the 18th inst.
and MS appearance was greeted with iremen-
dous applause. After the regular address by
Gov Bradford. the President was loudly called
for, and 10 response proceeded to make a brief
address.
He referred 10 the grea' change that
has taken place in Baltimore the last three
years Truly the world, he said, had long
been wanting correct de6sition of the
word freedom. Whilst all prolessed to ad
yocate liberty, there was in ihe minds of
many very opposite views as to " ha, hb-
erty was. With one maa liberty implied
rights for himself, and to do ss be plrssed
with the proceeds of bis lator. With
Others, liberty meant 10 do as you pleased
with men and their labor. One of lbt Sc
two conflicting ideas would have to give
way 10 the other. He ,honght from some
occurrences which had lately taken place
in Mary land, her people had ahou' deter
mined which of these views oil freedom
shonid control her deslines.
lie then alluded TO the occurrences re.
ported have taken place at Fort Pillow
the massacre of several bundled cooted
soldiers by the Coufe5era;es. Many sup
pose the Government not intend doing it's
duty 10 regard to IFS pro ection of colored
troops. He desired to say ali sach were
mistaken When The aues'ion Of colored
men as soldiers was left to Government il
rested very much with himself whether he
could make soldiers of them or not. He
ponde red the m,tter ca eiu'ly AMI when
he became convinced that it was a du
ty to employ them he did not hesitae to
do so.
He stood before the American people
responsible for the act, responsible before
the christian wo,ld-res esponsible he should
stand in the era of hisrory-responsibl
for IL be should stand before God, and he
did not shrink from the d. ci-iou he made,
for be believed he was right. But when
Government determined to make soldiers
of colored people. he thought l. only just
that they should have the same pro ecIion
as " hiie soldiers. He hesiiaied not TO say
the Government would protect them to the
utmost of tbeir power. Whenever a clear
anthem lea Ell case was no .de ou, Ieiribn
tlCn Woulu lOHOW. ulDST'O ~ Hhu DtVl
dificnt to ascertain with certainty which
should govern a decision 10 a matter 20
serious, hut 10 The sffsir ai Fort Pillow be
thought they we're likely 10 find GEAR case
The Government had 20 direct evidence 20
coDfrm the reports in existence relative 10
the massae e, but he himself feared the
facts rela'ed were true
When The Government proeures facts
from several source. aud hey subsian'iate
the reports. retribnion will he surely given
But how retrib0IioD is to he admin. cred
was question still TO be settled Would
IL he right 70 lake the life of prisoners in
Wsshing'on, Fort Delaware or eIsewhe
In re- slia ion for acts in which they had
not shared. and which will probably he
found to he the ordering of only few
indiViduals, or possibly Of only one mani
The President reiterated that be Gov
eminent would Dot fail to visit retributiol
on the barbarous deeds Of the rebels.