Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-04-26
LINCOLN AND NEGR b Troops

At tho opening OF the Sanitary Fair" in Baltimore
On the lsh inst, President Lneola delivered the fol-
loving characteristics speech: 81,
Ladies' aud Gentleman: CalIiug to mind that We are
in Baltimore, we canuot fail to uote that the world
moves Looking upon these mlny people assembled
here 10 serve they bess msy the soldiers Of the
Union, it at that three years ago the
soldiers couli not SO much paes through BaipCre
The change from then till now is both grea! and graft
tying. Blessings to the brave men who have wrought
the change, and the fair who strive to reward
them for it. rl rF au
Bat Baltimore suggests more than could happen with.
in Baltimore. The change witbia Baltimore ia part
only OF far wider change. When the begap three
years ago, neither party, nor any expected i.
would last till Each looked for the end, in some
way, long to-day Neither did any anticipate that
domestic slavery would be much affected by the war
But here We are; the war has ended, aud slavery
haisbeen much aRscsed-hoW much needs not to be
recounted So true is it that man proposes and God
dsposes.
But We can see the past, though we may not claim
to have directed III; and seeing it, in this csse feel
more he psful aud confident for the future.
The world has never had good definition Of the
word berty, and The American people, just now are
h in want of oae. We all declare Tor liberty but
in using the rerd we do not ell mean the same
thing. With some the word liberty may for each
man TO do he pleases with himself and the product
of his labor; while with others the same word may
mean for some men 10 do as they please with other
men, aud the products OF othr mems labor. Here are
two not only Different but incompatible things called
by the name, liberty And it follows that each
OF the things is by the respective plrties called by
two different and incompatible names-liberty and ty-
ranny. .t-r
The shepherd drives the wolf from the sleeps throat
for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as iberator
while the wolf denouuces him for the same act as The
destroyer of liberty especially If the sheep black
one Plainly the sheep and the wolf not agreed
Of nj ha WnrI Marty and faalU
the same difference prevails to-day among US human
creatures even 10 the North and all protesting to love
liberty. Hence we beholi the processes by which
thousands daily plseing from under tie yoks OF
bondage hsId by some as the advacce of liberty and
bewaied by others the destruction of liberty. Re-
Gently as it seems the PEI pie of Maryland have been
doing something to define liberty, and thanks to them
that in what they have done the VOLTS dictionary has
been rfpudiated.
It is no. very becoming for one in my position to
make speeches at great lengb but there is another
subject upon which feel that ought to say word
painful rumor true / fear, has reached us of tae
massacre by the rebel forces at Fort Pillow in the west
ed OF Tennessee, on thu Mississippi river OF some
three hundred colored soldiers ald white officers who
had Just been oVerpoWered by their sstaanls. There
seems to be some anxiety in the public mind whether
the Government is doing it's duty to the colored SOL
ders and 10 the service at this point At the beginning
Of the war and for tie the of coored troops
was not contemplate d. aud how tbs chsnge of purpose
was wrought Will nOt now hke Time TO explain. pOn
clear conviction of duty rssolved to turn that ele
ment Of strength to account; aud responsible for
it to the American people, the Christian world to
history and on my 61al account TO God. Having de-
tern ned to use the negro as soldier there is way
bus TO give him all the protection given 10 any other
soldier The difficulty is not in stating the pilcl-
pie, but in practically applying it. L. is mistake
TO suppose the Government ,ls Indifferent TO this
matter is no. doing the best i. 10 regard to it,
We do notto-diy kRovt that coored soldier or white
officer commanding colored soldiers has been msssacred
by the rebels when made prisoner. Wearit believe
it. may say but we do not knoW 10. To take the life Of
Of their prisoners the assumption that they muir
der ours when iss short of certainty that hey do muf
der ous, might be too serious too cruel mstsk. We
having the Fort Pillow ssr thoroughly investigated;
and such investigation will probably show concusVey
bow the truth is. IL after all that has been sid it
shall turn out that there has been massacre at Fort
Pillow it will be almost safe say there has been none
aud viii be none elsewhere Tthsre has been the mas
Of three hundred there, tie tenth part of
Tires hundred 1t will be concussey proven; being
so proven, the rstr6Etion shall surely come. II will
be matter of grave consideration in what exact
to prly the retriOuton; but in the supposed it
m