The New York herald., 1865-04-12
A Day Of National Thanksgiving
to be Appointed.
rH1 PHor1n's TH Dzun3.
Grand Thanksgiving Service in
Trinity Church.
One Hundred Guns Fired in
Union Square,
&C., &C. &c.
WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON.
ILLUMINATION OF THE PUBLIC BUILpMas-spEEcH
OF THE PRESIDENT, ETC.
WASHINGTON, April IL, 1865
Tho Executive Departments including tho Presidents
Mansion, again Illuminated tonight and adorned
with Transparent and national flags also many
places Of business and private dwellings. Bonhrcs
blazed In many parts Of the city and fred
Thousands Of persons of both repaired the Exc
cuve Manson and after several airs mad played by
the band the President in response to the unanimous
call, appeared at upper window The cheering with
which he was greeted having ceased he spoke fol-
lovs:-
SPEECH OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
We meet this evening not In sorrow but in gladness Of
heart. The evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond
and the surrender of the principal nsurgen army gpe
hopes Of righteous and speedy peace whose
joyous expression cannot be restrained. In the
blessings flow must not be forgotten. call
for national Thanksgiving is being prepared
and will be duly promulgated. Nor must those whose
harder part gives us the Of rejoicing be overlooked
Their honors must not be parccled out with others
myself the 'front.' and had the high pleasure OF
transmitting much Of the good to you. But no
part Of the honor for plan execution mine. To
General Grant, his skilfu ofcers and brave all be-
longs The gallant navy stood ready, but not in
Inauguration Of the national authority-reconstruction
which has had large share Of thought from the FIRST, is
pressed much closely upon our attention II Is
fraught with great difhculty Unlike Of be-
tween dcpendsnt nations, there authorized organ
for s 10 treat wh-no has authority give up
the rebellion for any other We simply must begin
with and mould from dsorganized and discordant ee-
ments Nor is 1t small additional embarrassment that
we the loyal people, differ among ourselves to the
mode, manner and measure Of reconstruction. As
general rule abstain from reading the reports Of At
tacks upon myself, wishing not To be provoked by
that to which / cannot properly offer an answer
In spite Of this prccaution, however, IL comes
TO my knowledge that l much censured
for some supposed agency in setting up and seeking
sustain the new State government of Louisiana In this
have done so much and than the public knows
In the annual message Of December 1se3 and the ac
companyng proclamation, presented plan OF recon
strrction, as the phrase goes which / promised, II
adopted by any State, would be acceptable to and
tanned by the executive government Of the nation. I
distinctly stated that this the only plan which
might possibly be acceptable and also distinctly pro-
tested that the executive claimed right say OF
wbother member. should be admitted to seats in Con-
gress from such States This plan was In advance sub
mitted 70 the then Cabinet, and approved by every
member Of It, One or them suggested that shonld
clamaon to the heretofore excepted parts Of Virginia
and louisiana that should drop the suggestion about
apprenticeship for freed people, and that should omit
the protest against my power In regard the
mission Of members Of Congress- But even he
approved every part and parcel of the plan
which has since been employed or touched by
the action Of Louisiana The new constitution Of
Louisiana, declaring emancipation for the whole state,
practically applies the proclamation to the part previous
y excepted 1t docs not adopt apprenticeship freed
people, and SILENT II could we'll bc otherwise
about the admission OF members TO Congress- so that
s 1t applied 10 Louisiana every member Of the Cabinet
fully approved the plan Tho message went to Congress
and received many concentrations of the plan
ten and verbal and single objection 70 from any
proessed emspcipationist came 10 my knowledge until
after the news reached Washington that people Of
Louisiana had begun TO nov In accordance with From
about July, 1882 had correspondcd with different per-
supposed TO be Interested seeking rcconstruc-
ton Of State government for Louisiana When tho
message Of 1862 with the plan before mentioned reached
New Orleans General Banks that he was cona
dent that the people, with his military cooperation,
would reconstruct substantially that pan.
him and some Of them 10 try IT, They tried IT, and tn,
result h known Such has been my only agency IN
getting up the Louisiana government AS to sustaining
IL, my promise Is out, before stated But as
shall treat this ~ bad promise, and break
Il whenever ! shall be convinced that Keeping
II Is adverse TO the public interest," but have not yet
been convinced have been shown a letter on this
subject supposed 10 be able one in which the writer
expresses regret that my mind has not seemed 10 be
definitely nxed upon the question whether hc seeded
States, called in the Union or out Of IT, IL would
perhaps add astonshmcnt his regret were he 70 learn
that SINE have found profcsscd Union men cndoavor
Ing tO that question have purposely forb,rne
say public expression upon H. Az appears to mo that
question has not been nor vet Is practically
material one and that any discussion OF IL vblo
II thus remains practically immatcral could have
effect other than tho mischicyous OF dividing our
friends As yet, whatever II may become that question
M bad as the basis OF conrovey and good Tor uoth,na
al ALA merely rernicious abstraction We all agree
tha 'hc seeded States called of their proper
practical relation with the Union ard tba, the sole
object Of 'he government civil and military in regard
TO those stet.s, Is TO again get thcm into that
proper practical relation believe that IL Is not only
possible, but In fat easier, TO DO this with.
out deciding or even considering whether those
states have over been out of tho Uuion than
With y. Finding themselves safely at home It would
b. utterly imma,cral whether they had bccn abroad
Let all Join in doing the acis necessary " restore tho
prop practical relations between these States and the
Union, and each forever after innocently indulge h
opinion whether doing the acts he brough, the
States from without tho Union or only gayc them
proper assistance, they mover having been ou, Of IL