The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-04-21
VOL. XXXV.I :
important Speech by the President
His Views of Reconstruction
April I1.

WAsHrseToS, April ii.
The Executive Departments, incIud-
}.ing the Presidents Mansion. were illu-
animated to night, and adorned with trans
4parencies and national fags. Thousands
9of persons hocked t. the Executive Man
3sion. The President, in response to .
Ssunanimous call, appeared at the upper
= window and made speech, as fo6 VS.;
We meet this evening not in sorrow,
&but in gladness Of heart. The eyaeGa-.
he sarrsadsr Gf ga,sss5Prfa 6g fae END Ris,Raa
army, give hopes of righteous and
aspeedy peace, whose joyous expression
7cannot be retsained. In the midst of
Sthis, however, He from whom all bless
gings flow, must not be forgotten
n 4 call for National Thanksgiving is
3being prepared, and will be duly promul-
gated nor must those whose harder part
3gives US cause of rejoicing be overlooked.
3rheir honors must not be parcelled out
= with others. ] myself was near the front,
: and had the high pleasure Of transmit
hing much Of the good news to you; but
no part of the honor for plan and exc
1cution il mine. To General Grant, his
3skiilful officers and brave men, all be
a
5but was not in reach to take an active
part BY these recent successes and the
recent re Inauguration of the national
Eauthority the Reconstruction which has
7 bad large share of thought from the
Rfrst is pressed much more closely upon
our attention. 1t is fraught with great
5dificulty Unlike the case Of war be-
tween independent nations, there IS no
authorized organ for us to treat with
mo one man has authority to give up the
rebellion for any other man. We must
Simply begin with, and mold from dis
organized and discordant elements. Nor
sis it small additional embarrassment
that VIC, the loyal people, differ among
ourselves as TO the mode, manner and
|measure of reconstruction. As a gen
|erai rule, 1 abstain from reading the re
ports of attacks upon myself, wishing
not TO be provoked by that TO which L
cannot properly offer an answer. In
spite OF this precaution, however, it
comes TO my knowledge that j am much
censured for some supposed agency ID
setting up and seeking TO sustain the new
have done just So much, and no mora
than the public knows. In my annual
of December, 1868, and the ac-
proclamation, I presented
q plan of reconstruction, as the phrase
goes, which / promised, if adopted by
any state, world be acceptable, and sus-
tanned by the Executive Government Of
the nation. | distincIy stated that this
was not the only plan which might possi-
bly, be acceptable. l also distinctly pro
tested that the Executive claimed no
right to say when or whether members
should be admitted to seats in Congress,
from such States
This plan was III advance submitted to
the Cabinet, and approved by every
member of it. One of them suggested
that should then and in that coujunc-
ton, apply the Emancipation Proclama-
ton to the heretofore excepted parts of
Virginia and Louisiana; that 7 should
drop the suggestion about apprentice
ship for the freed people, and that I /
should omit the protest against my own
power in regard to the admission of
of Congress. But even he
every part and parcel of the
plan which has since been employed or
touched by the action of Louisiana
The new Constitution of Louisiana,
emancipation for the whole
state, practically applies the proclama-
ion to the part previously exempted
t does not adopt apprenticeship for the
reed people, and is silent, as it could
Tot well be otherwise, about the admis-
ion of members to Congress; SO that,
IS it applied 10 Louisiana, every mem
'er of the Cabinet fully approved the
ian. The message went to Congress,
nd read many Communications OF the 1
'lan, written and verbal; and not sin
lie objection to it from any professed
came TO my knowledge,
ntl after the news was received at
yashington that the people Of Louisiana Z
ad begun "a movement in accordance Z
nth it.
From about July, 1862, had CORES
ouded with different persons supposed
D be Interested in seeking "a rcronstruc-
ion OF the State Government of Louisi- &
ma. When the message of 1868, with
he plan before mentioned, reached New
orleans, General Banks wrote to me that s
e was confident that the people, with +
he aid of his military cooperation,
would construct substantially on that +
,lan wrote him and some of them TO
ry it, and the result is known Such has
'een my only agency in the Louisiana
movement.
Nv promise is made as / have fire.
luently stated, but as bad promises are 2
,etter broken than kept, shall treat this 4
IS bad promise and break it whenever Z
shall be convinced that keeping it is
verse TO the public interest. But have Z
lot yet been so convinced.
l have been shown letters on this sub
eet, supposed TO be able ones, in which +
he writer expresses regret that my plan
las not seemed to be definitely fixed on the e
question whether seeded States, so called E
re in the Union or out of il. Ii would 8
ave added astonishment to his regret