Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-03-23

speech OF President LIncOIn...His
Views On tue Rebel Efforts 10 Arm
the slaves.
On Friday last rebel flag, captured at
Anderson by the l4Oth Indians, was pre-
sented to Governor Morton, in front of the
National Hotel, Washington. After g
brief speech, Governor Morton introduced
President Lincoln, saying that if he had
done nothing more than put his name to
the Emancipation Proclamation, that alone
would have made his name immortal:
THE PREsDENT's SPEECH.
The President addressed the assembly
substantially az follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS: It will be but 8 very
few words that 1 shall undertake to say. 1
was born in Kentucky, raised in Indiana,
snd lived in Illinois. Laughter. And
now am here, where it is my business to
care equally for the good people of all the
States. I am glad to see an Indiana regi-
ment on this day able to present this cap
tured fsg to the Governor of Indiana.
[Applause.l am not disposed, in saying
this to make q distinction between the
States. for all have done equally we'll
[Applause.
There are but few views or aspects of
this great war upon which have not said
or written something whereby my own
opinion might be known. But there is one
the recent attempt of our erring breth-
ren IS they are sometimes called, Laughter
to employ the negro to fight for them. l
have neither written nor made q speech on
that subject, because that was their busi-
ness, not mine, and If had a wish upon
the subject had not the power to intro
duce it or make it effective. The great
question with them was whether the negro,
being put into the army, will hght for them.
do not know and therefore cannot decide
Laughter They ought to know better
than we. have In my lifetime heard
many arguments why the negroes ought to
be slaves, but if they fight for those who
would keep them in slavery, it will be a
better al gument than any have yet heard.
Laughter and applause. He who will
fight for that ought to be slave. APP
plsuse
They have concluded st last to take one
out of four OF the slaves, and put them in
the army and that one out Of four who
will fight to keep the others in slavery
ought to be slave himself, unless he is
killed in fight. [Applsuse.1 While I
have often said that all men ought to be
free, yet I would allow those colored per-
soDs to be slaves who want to be; and next
to them those white persons who argue in
in favor of making other people slaves.
I am in favor of giving an opportunity
TO such white men to t'y it on for them
selves. TApplsuse.] will say one thing
in regard to the negro being employed 70
fight for them. do know he can not fight
and stay st home and make bread toe.
Laughter and applause And as one is
about as important as the other, then 1 do
not care which they do. Renewed sp-
plsuse.1
sm rather in favor of allowing them to
try them as soldiers. Applause. They
lack one vote of doing that and 1 wish l
could sand my vote over the river so that
might cast it in favor of allowing the ne
gro to fight. Applause. But they can
not fight and work both. We must now
see the bottom of the enemy's resources.
They will stand out as long ss they can
and if the negro will fight for them they
must allow HIM To fight ---.
They have drawn upon their last branch
Of resources [applause] aad we can now
see the bottom. Applause. 1 am glad
to see the end so near at hand. [Applause.
l have said now more than l intended,
and will, therefore, bid you good bye.
The President then retired, while the
crowd below sAluted him with loud and
hearty cheers, and the band played live
ly tune.
Gov. Morton then stopped forward and
remarked that they had now seen the rebel
rag, and he proposed thst each one in IA
vor of the perpetuity Of this great Union
take off his hat and give three cheers for
The Union flag. The request was respond
ed to with hearty good will. Three hearty
cheers were given for President Lincoln,
with three more for Governor Morton, af-
Ter which the band struck up Yankee
Doodle.