Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-04-20
2g OeIearanl.
Opening of the Sanitary Fair at
Baltlmore-Address of President

BALTlMoRE, April I8.-'rhe inauguration
exercises of the great fair ut AIaryIand
Institute to night we're very imposing.
The Presidents appearances in the hslI
was greeted with Tremendous applause.
Alter the inaugural address of General
Bradford. the Prrsidsnt was loudlr called
for and in response proceeded to make a
brief address. He referred to the great
change that has taken taken place.in Bal.
tlmure within the last three years The
world. he said, had long been in want OF a
CORRECT definition of the word freedom.
Whilst all profess to advocate liberty
there was, in The minds of many, a verv
opposite view AS to what liberty was. With
one man liberty implied, work for himself
and do as he pleased with the proceeds of
his labor. With others, liberty meant do
as you please with other men and their
LABOR. One of these two conflicting ideas
would have to give way to the other. He
Thought from some occurrences which had
lately taken place in Maryland that her
people were about to determine which of
these views OF freedom should control her
destiny. He then alluded to the occur
renee reported to have taken place ut Fort
Piilow-the massacre OF several hundred
colored soldiers by the cOnfedeTaIes. MANY.
supposed that the government did not in
tend TO do its duty in regard to the prolec.
tion of cSlOred soldiers. He desired to
say to all such that they were mistaken.
When the question of employing colored
men AS soldiers was lett TO ths government
Ii rested very much with himself whether
he should make soldiers Of them or not:
he pondered the matter carefully, and
when he became convinced it was a Iutv
so to employ them he did not hesitate to
do so. He stood before the American
people responsible for the act-resBonsi.
Oie before the Christian world-responsi-
BILE he should stand in the eye OF the his
he stood before God
and he did not shrink from the decision be
had made, for he believed he was right.
but when the government determined 10
make soldiers OF c0lored people he thought
1t only just that they should have the same
protection US white soldiers. CApplause
dc htsltaIed not to declare that the gov
ernment would SO protect them ts the at
most of it's power, Whenever clear au-
th@nticated case was made OUT retribution
would follow. Hitherto it had been diff
cult to ascertain tn n certainty who should
govern decision in IL matter 80 serious,
but III the affair at Fort Pillow he thought
we were likely To find clear case. The
government had no direct evidence t., con
hsn the reports Ia existence relative to
the massacre, but he feared The facts relA.
ted were trne. When the government does
know the tMcts, from official source, and
they substan,iatc the reports, reuiburion
will be surely given. Great Applause
But bow retrihutOn should be adminis.
tered was question stiil 10 be settled
Would it be right to take the lives of the
prisoners in Washington, Fort Delaware
and elsewhere, in retaliation for acts in
which they had not shared, and which will
probably be found to be the ordering of
only few individuals, or possibly of only
one man! The President reiterated thai
the government would not fail to visit ret
rioution when The facts were clearly 90.
tanned.
Throughout his remarks the President
was warmly applauded, especially bis de.
termination to visit retribu ion for the.
bArbarous deeds of the rebels.