New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-04-12
RECONSTRUCTION.
IMPORTANT SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT
WASHINGTON. Tuesday, April IL. 1865.

and adorned with transparences and national naBs as
also many places of business and private dwell
ings. Bonfrcs based in many parts OF the city and
rockets were fired. Thousands Of persons OF both
repaired to the Executive Mansion, and, after
several airs had been played by the band the Presi
dent In response TO the calls appeared at an
upper window. The cheering with which be was
greeted having ceased, he spoke as follows
We meet this evening not In SORROW but in gladness
of heart The evacuation OF Petersburg and Rich
mond, and the surrender Of the principal insurgent
army, give hopes Of righteous and speedy peace
whose Joyous expression cannot be restrained In the
midst OF this, however, Ho from whom all blessings
flow must not DO forgotten call for
National Thanksgiving is being prepared,
and viii be duly promulgated. Nor must those whose
harder part gives us tho cause OF rejoicing be over
looked. Their honors must not be perceled out with
Others l. myself. was near the front and had the high
pleasure Of transmitting much Of the good
news to you. But no part Of the honor for plan or
execution is NINE To Gen. Grant, his skillfu officers
and brave men all belong. The gallant navy stood
ready, but was not In reach to take active part
BY these recent the reinauguraton OF the
national NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. which has had
large share OF thought from the frsts pressed much
more closely upon our attention. 1t IL fraugbt
with great difficulty. Unlike case OF war
between independent nations there is no authorzeS
organ for US treat with. No has authority
to give up the rebellion for any other We simply
must begin with and mold from disorgan1ed and dis
cordant elements Nor Ia II a small additional enibar
assment that We, the loyal people. differ among our
selves as 10 the mode manner and measure OF recon-
sruetion As general rule, abstain from reading
the reports Of attacks upon myself. wishing not to be
provoked by that TO which cannot properly offer an
answer. In spite OF this precsuton however 1t comes
to my knowledge that am much censufed
for supposed agency in setting up and seeking 10
snstain the State government OF Louisiana In
this have done Just so much and no more than the
public knows. In the ANIMAL message OF December.
s63 and the accompanying proclamation. presented
plan Of reconstruction. "a the phrase goes, which
promised. II adopted by any State, would be accept
able and sustained by the Executive Government OF
the milton. distinctly stated that this was not the
only plan which might possibly DO acceptable and
also distinctly protested that the Executive claimed
no right TO say who whether members should be
admitted sca,s ia Congress from such States This
plan was in advance submitted to the then Cabinet and
approved by every member Of 1t. One OF them sug-
ges,ed that should then and in that connection apply
the emancipation proclamation 10 the heretofore
ceT,ed parts Of vrsiaiA and Louisiana, tina, should
.
pe. and that sbonld omit the protest against my own
power In regard to the admission Of members OF Con-
gress But.even be approved every part and parcel Of
the plan which has since been employed or touched
nv the action VI louisiana The ColstltutiUa ~
LOUISIANA declaring emancipation for the whole State
practically applies the proclamation 20 tho part previ
ousy excepted 1t does not adopt apprenticeship FOR
freed people and Is silent 1t could not well be 9th
or~s.s. about the admission Of members 10 Congress
No that "A applied louisiana every member OF the
Cabinet fully approved the plan. The message went TO
Congress and received many concentrations OF the
plan. written and verbal and not single objection 10
1t from any profcssed emancipatonist came to my
knowledge until afer the news reached Wellington
that the people Of Louisiana had begun to
move In accordance with it. From
about July, ls6l had corresponded with
different persons supposed to be interested in seeking
construction Of q State Government for Louisiana.
When the message OF 1863 with the plan beforomsn.
toned reached New-Orieans. Gen. Banks wrote me
that he confident that the people with his military
COOPERATE would reconstruct substantially on that
plan wrote TO him and Of them TO try IL. They
tried it, and the result is known. Such has been my
only agency in getting up the Louisiana Government
As to sustaining It, my promise out as before stated
bat bad promises are better broken than kept, i
shall treat this 3 bad promise, and break 1t
whenever I shall be convinced that keeping |
II is adverse to the public interest but have not yet
been 30 convinced have been shown letter this
subject supposed TO DO an able one), In which the
writer expresses regret that my mind has not seemed 10
be definitely fred the question: whether the seeded
States called. In the Union out Of 1t would
perhaps add astonishment TO his regret were he to
learn that since have found protested Union men en-
deayo rng to answer that question. have purposely
forborne any public expression upon IT, As appears to
me- that question has not BEEN yet is. practically
material one. and that any discussion OF II, while
II thus remains practically iDmaterial could have
no effect other than the mischevous oneiof dividing
our friends. As yet whatever 1t may become. that
question is bad as the bnss Of controversy and good
Tor nothing at ala merely perncious abstraction.
We all agree that the seeded States called out
Of their proper practical relation with the Union and
that the sole object Of the Government civil and mill
tary in regard TO those States Is to again get them
into that proper practical relation. believe that it
not ony possible but In fact easier to do this without
deciding considering whether those States have
were blew out Of the Union than with II. Finding
themselves safely at home II would be utterly imma.
terial whether they had been abroad. Let all Join
In doing the acts necessary to restore the proper prac
tca relations between these States and the Union and
each forever s!er innoceny indulge his opinion.
whether in doing the acts he brought the States nom
without into the Union. or only gave them proper as
sistanee they never having been oa fit The amount
Of constituency so to speak. which the Louisiana
Government rests, would be more satisfactory
to all II VI contained 10000 or 10000 OF
even 21ooc instead Of l2Ooo as II does 1t