American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-07-26

days hard fighting. On the I'd of April
he sent word to the President that he had
taken Petersburg and Richmond, and was
in full pursuit ST Lees retreating army.
On the 9th of April Sheridan, and Hum
phreys and Meade and Wright reported
the continuous triumph of their conquer
ing columns. On the 9th of April Cen
Grant telegraphed the Secretary OF War
that Lee had surrendered the army of
Northern Virginia tpon the terms pro
p-sed by himself.
On the l1th of April, full of gratitude
to Gods, forgiveness to his foes, and love
for all, Mr.. Lincoln spoke from the win
dows of the Presidential mansion these
words which, precious as his last on earth,
sound like the syllables of inspiration as
we read them now. The rejoicing thou
sands had CALLED upon him tine evaRing
before, but that he might weigh and con.
dense his opinions he asked for time to
delibel ate. On the 18th we had another
day of jubilee, and on the 18th the night
was set apart for special illumination
Never did the political capital of the ma
ton shine more resplendently in the robes
of light. 1t was as if Peace aud Recon
ciliation had joined hands over the graves
of the illustrious dead-as if war and
woe had fled to the EXTREMIST shades
The next was Friday, the 4th Of April
another morning of happiness. But
what a night! As | go back to that
dreadful recollection, | go back to the
frightful agony that made millions mourn.
was in Richmond when it was announ-
ccd that Mr. Lincoln had been murdered,
1t seemed to me as if Nature had taken a
pause-as if, between the fading night OF
war and the dawning bushes of peace
stood our farewell sacrifce.-as if having
Just learned to love, to revere, to depend
upon him, to place our cares and hopes in
his keeping, as in sacred repository
he should be called away. As Elijah was
swept from earth to Heaven, so was our
deliverer taken from us. If there is a
solace for such a calamity, it is that he
died without shame, in the midst of his
glory, and at the very threshold Of the
temple of a rescued and purified Repub-
lie. ".a
Nothing is more wonderful than to see
how the President gone, and the Presi-
dent here agree on the questions Of the
day-the very issues, in fact, which Mr..
Lincoln may be said to have died in the
very act Of solving. Long years ago And
rev johnson denied the right os any
State to secede from the Union. He in
sisted that rebellion could not destroy a
State government. This doctrine, uni
versally accepted by loyal men from the
first day of the war, is now cheapened by
some who would hold it in allegiance to Sc
cure an imaginary party advantage. As
it is the very kernel of the nut-the very
gold of the mine--in fact, the vital spirit
of the Government-for which our sol
diers fought and our statesmen delibera-
ted-it is worth something to know ex.
actly where these two representative char.
acters stood in regard to it. Mr.. Lin.
coin, on Tuesday evening, the 11th Of
April, 1865, in the last speech he ever
made, thus met the question, in terms
substantially identical with the words Of
johnson. in the Senate in 1860 and 1861
and in the Presidential crnvas of 1864
g We all agree that the seeded States
so called, are out of their practical rela.
ton with the Union and the sole object
of the Government, civil and military, In
regard to those States, is to again get
them into that proper practical relation
| believe it is Lot only possible, but in
fact easier to do this, without deciding OIL
even considering whether these States
have ever been out Of the Union, than
with it.
Finding themselves safely at home, 4
,could be utterly in,materiat whether they
had erer beet abr9qd Let us all join il
doing the acts necessary to restoring the
proper practical relations between thesC
States and the Union; and each forever
after innOcentiy indulge his own opinion
j whether, in doing the acts, he brought
the States from without into the Union
or only gave them proper assistance, they
never having been out of it. The amount
of constituency, 50 to speak, on which the
new Louisiana Government rests, woulC
be more satisfactory to all, if it contained
fifty, thirty or even twenty thousand, in
stead of only about twelve thousand as j
really does.
at is also unsatisfactory to some tha
the electiee franchise is not given to thu
colored man. lcould myself prefer ho
it ,oere now conferred on the pery intetH
gent and on those 'eho seree our caIse a
soldiers. Still the question is not wheth
er the Louisiana government, as it stands
IS quite all that is desirable. The ques
ton is s''Will it be wiser to take it as il is
and help to improve it /; or to reject anC
iisnarSe II ~ Can T,ouisiana he hrouO