The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-04-21
Opening of the Baltimore Falr--Speech
OF President LincOln---Re tributiOn for


Opening of the Baltimore Fair--Speech
OF President LincOln---Retribut for
Fort Pillow.
BALTIMORE, April 1S.-The inaugu-
ration exercises of the great Fair at Ma
ryland Institute tonight, were very i'm
posing. The Presidents appearance in
the hall was greeted with tremendous
applause.
After the inaugural address Of Gov
ernor Bradford, the President was
loudly called for, and in response pro-
ceeded to make q brief address He
referred to the great change taken
place in Baltimore during the last
three years. .I.l'
The world, he said, had long been
in want of correct definition of the
word " freedom" While all professed
to advocate liberty, there was in the
minds of very many very opposite
view of what liberty was. With one
man, liberty implied work for himself
and do as he pleased with the proceeds
ofhis labor; with others liberty meant
do as you please with other men and
their labor. One Of the two conflict.
ing ideas would have to give way tc
the other. He thought that, from
some occurrences that had lately ia.
ken place in Maryland, her people
were about to determine which of these
views of freedom should control hel
destiny. He then alluded to the oc,
currence reported to have taken place
at Fort Pillow, and the massacre oi
several hundred soldiers by the Con.
federates. Many supposed that the
Government did not intend to do its
duty in regard to the protection of oul
colored soldiers.
He desired to say all such were mis-.
taken. When the question of employ
ing co.ored men as soldiers was left tc
the Government, it rested very much
with himself whether he should make
soldiers of them or not.
lie pondercd the matter over care,
fully, and when he became convinced
it was his duty TO so employ them, hC
did not hesitate to do 50.
He stood before the American peo
pie responsible for the act; response
Bile before the Christian world re
sponsible he should stand in the era o.
the Christian; responsible for it he
stood before God, and he did no
shrink from the decision he had made
for he believed he was right.
But when the Government deter
mined to make soldiers of colored peo
pie, he thought it only just they SHOULD
have the same protection as white sol
diers[ Applause, and he hesitated no
to declare that the Government woulC
so protect them to the utmost of it,
power, Whenever a clear, authenti
Gated case was made out retributior
would follow. Hitherto it has beer
difficult TO ascertain to a certainty
which should govern decision in ;
matter so serious, but in the affair o
Fort Pillow, it was thought we were
likely to find q clear case. The Gov
ernmcnt had no direct evidence con
firming the reports in existence rcla
tive to the massacre, but he himsel
feared the facts related were true.
When the Government does know
the facts from official sources, and they
substanciate the reports, retributior
will be surely given, Great Applause
But how retribution will be admins
tered was the great question still i
will be settled. Would it be right t
take the life of prisoners in Washing
ton, Fort Delaware, or elsewhere, il
retaliation for the acts in which they
had not shared, and which will proba
bly, be found the ordering of only ;
few individuals, or, possibly, Of only
one man?
The President reiterated that th,
Government would not fail to visit ret
ribution when the facts were clearly
proven.
Througout his remarks he wa,
warmly applauded, especially his de
termination to visit retribution for thu
1. L. 4 Al