Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-04-20
RECONSTRUCTION.
IMPORTANT SPEECH BY THE
ESADENT.
WASHINGTON, April II, 1865

the Presidents mansion, were again ilumi-
mated tonight, and adorned With transpar-
encies and national flags, as were also many
places of business and private dwellings,
Eentires blazed in many parts Of the city,
and rockets were fired. Thousands of per-
sons OF both sexxs repaired to the Execu-
tive Mansion, and, after several airs had
been played by the band, the President, in
response to the numerous calls, appeared
at an upper window. The cheering with
which he was greeted having ceased, he
spoke as follows:
We meet this evening. not in sorrew, but
in gadpess of heart The evacuation of
Petersburg and Richmond, and the surren-
der of the principal insurgent army, give
hopes ofa righteous and speedy peace,
whose joyous expression cannot be restrain
ed. In the midst of this, however, He
from whom all blessings flow must not be
forgotten. A call for National Thanks
giving is being prepared, and wi | be duly
promulgated. Nor must those whose hard
er part gives us the cause Of rejoicing be
overlooked Their honors must not be par
celed out with others, |, mysslt was near
the front and had the high pleasure of
transmitting much Of the COED news to you
But no part Of the honor fer plan or execu.
tion is mine. To Gen. Grant, his skllful
officers aad brave men all belong. The
gallant navy stood ready, but was not in
reach to take active part. BY these recent
successes the re Inauguration Of the natien-
al NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. which has had
large share Of thought from the irst-is
pressed much more closely upon our atten-
ten. 1t is fraught with great difficulty
Unlike q case of war between independent
~ how ssn nth aI fry,,
to treat with. No one man has authority
to give up the rebellion for any other man.
We simply must begin with and meld from
disorganized aud discsrdant elements. Nor
is it a small additional embarrassment that
we, the loyal people, differ among ourselves
as to the mede manner and measure of re-
construction. As a general rule, abstain
trem reading the reports OF attacks upon
myself, wishing not to be provoked by that
to which cannot properly offer an answer.
la spite ofthis precautien however, 1t comes
to riy knowledge that am much censursd
for some supposed agency in setting up aud
seeking to sustain the new Stats govern
msnt oil Louisiana. In this have done
juSt SO much and no more than the public
knows. In ths annual message OF Decen'
ber, 1868, aud the accompanying procama-
tion, | presented plan of reconstruction,
MS the phrase goes, which promised, If
adopted by any State, would be acceptable
to and sustained, by the Executive Gov
ernment of the nation. | distinctly stated
that this was not the only plan which might
possibly be acceptable; and also distinctly
protested that the Executive claimed ne
right to say Who or whether members should
be admitted to seats in Congress from such
States. This plan was in advance submit
ted to the then Cabinet and approved by
every member Of it. One of them suggest
cd that I shsuld then, and in that connec-
ton apply the emancipation proclamation to
the Heretofore excepted parts Of Virginia
aud Louisiana, that should drop the sug-
gestion about apprenticeship for freed peo-
pie, and that should omit the protest
against my own power in regard TO the ad
mission of members ofCongress. But even
he approved every part and parcel of the
plan,which has since been employed or touch
ed by the action of Louisans. The new
Constitution Of Louisiana, declaring eman-
cipation for the whole State, practically sp.
plies the proclamation to the part previous
" excepted. 1t does not adopt apprentice
ship for freed people, aud is silent, as it
could not well be otherwise, about the sd-
mission n members to Congress. SO that
as it applied to Louisiana, every member of
the Cabinet fully approved the plan. The
message went to Congress, and received
many Communications Of the plan, written
aud verbal, and net single objection to it
from any professed emancipationist came to
my knowledge until after the news reached
Washington that the people Of Louisiana
had begun to move in accordance with it
From about July, 1862, | had corresponded
with different persons supposed to be inter-
ested In seeking reconstruction OF State
Government for Louisiana. When the
message of 1868 with the plan before-men-
toned reached Newt Orleans, Gen. Banks
wrote me that be was confident that the
people, with his military cooperation,
would reconstruct substantially On that
plan. Iwrete to him and some of them to
tryit. They tried it, and the result is known.
Such has been my only agency in getting
up the Louisiana Government. As to sus-
tanning it, my promise is cut, as before sta
ted; but as bad promises are better broken
than kept, shall treat this as bad prom
| ;ss, and break it whsnever shall be con
vinced 'that keepisg it is adverse I'd the pub
Elic interest, butt have not yet bssns 90 con-
3inssd. Ihsvs been shown letter "a this