The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-04-19
lf;fIFsss last Speech
tne .;s, If tho celebration Of ' IL,
On the ose1.Sn 81 w President spoke

- -. o.cosion Of tho ce'eofa','- .note
.u On 'Ss Lee. ;.~y.h' pts''a''' 'P''
r. iIeesn..taetos !. f0'lo.';s s. I bu, In
ahl, evening not ih SORT sfsn of Peters
II, hart: 1.-The evacuation .' " of the
burg ana i ;n.nrsent army, give hopes ~ s,.
prlns,p" md speedy peace, whose ''yc ,nids,
ErighteouS "uu 'r he restrained. In the ni,.
Pre .Ss;s uh o lie frpmwhou'ah Ots''"
Flow, must not he forgo'1en' ,;r;nr is being
en.t 'o md will be duly pronulgn'eai o uS
Ep' .l. hose whose harder part glFet 70 honor,
must .no;u ~" he overlooked. Their hTnUn
j.. 81, he purcelled out with others; h;Sh
Emus' ~. u w III. front, and had tne n.sSI
njca, Of transmitting Etnncn u .T for nIap|
S.su - Won. but no part OF the honor lot Pinu;
news - inr ;simins, To General Grant, n.s
ot : gnsJS nnd brave men, all beIonSo
49, LILLIAN, navy stood ready, but was MOI r
,rocs n take an active part. ny these .s. 81
.uccnsscs and the recent re.inaughFaIioa.
,Lo T,,iounl authority the reconstruct. ..n
whicb has had large share OF thought -
rho Gr.t !, pressed much moro eiosely va" ,!S
our attention. 1t is fraught with sreu' u' -"
6cul,v Unlike the case OF war 'bet"ee, ."u.
ncnicnt nations, there is no authorized o.Sa"
81. no IN treat with. No cne man has a"'ho'
iiy "a Give Nc the rebellion for any othes i.'uu,
W. must simply begin with, and molu i,on'
i,;sorrnn;,ed and discordant elcments. ro
!. II q small additional embarrassment ,""'
VIC, the lcyal people, differ among onfses!ss
AZ to the mode, manner and measure OF ~
reconstruction. As y general rule, "os'u'''
from, reading the reports Of attacks upon my.
self wishing not 10 be provoked by tHa' ~
which | cannot properly offer Oh answer ~
,pite OF this precau,iou, however, 1t comes u
lny knowledge that am much" ecueureu 'o'
some supposed ugcncv'in setting up anu seek
inc to sustain The new government OF Louis
!innn. In thisI have done just so much' III"
no more than the public. knows. In my an
Enual message o. December, 1863, nnd the nc
Econpanving proclamation, presented pam
of reconstruction, ms the phrusc goes, WHEN
l. promised if adopted Ivy amy State, wcn!d o'
eacccp,ablc, and sustained by the EXECUTIVE
tGovernmcut Of the nation. distinctly stntc"
, Ithnt this was not the only plnn which mie,'
possibly be acceptable. also diStinc',!
, pro,e led that tho Executive claimed no r'Gn'
say when or whether members shou!d "e
!admittel to seats in Congress, from saei'
4Stutrs. -. - - 81, - s.: :
81 The plan was in advance submitted 10 INC
ACubinet, and approved by every member Of IL,
Home ,f them suggested tia, should then ah9
lin tina, conjunction, apply the Emancipation
.EProcla ma ton to the heretofore excepted paf's
4 Of Virginia and Louisiana; thai should drol
3ihc suggestion about apprenticeship Tor tut
ffrecd people, aud that should omit thcpro
test against my own power, in regard 10 INC
admission Of members Of Congress. Gnt even
he approved every part and lhrcei o. th,
ls plan which has since been employed or touched
Rby the action Of Louisiana. 60.
ID The new Constitution Of Louisiana, decinr'
Hing emancipation for tho whole Suite. pr"cti'
lg cally applies the proclamation 10 ;hc part
j prcyi o,,sly exempted. II docs not adopt ap'
prcntic eship for the freed people, and is silent
.Has it could not we'll DC otherwise, 'nhout tho
Sadmission Of members 10 Congress; so TINT
LAS it applied 10 l.ouisana every member Of
fEthe Cuhine, fully approved the, plan. Tho
Smcssage went to Congress, and read man!
Recommendations Of the plan. written and yer
!, Ebnl; and not single objection to it from any
lEprofesSed cmancipaLionist come 10 my kuo%l'
hedge, until after the news was received NJ
Is Wasllington tllnl the people Of. Louisiana had
Ebegun II movement in accordance with II.
b From about July, 1868, had corrcsponded
Ewith different persons supposed TO bc inter
Ecstcd in seeking reconstruction Of the Stat'
pHGovcrnmcnt of Louisiana. When thcmessage
Of 1863, with the plan before mentioned
,Ercachcd New Orleans, General Banks wrote
Eto me that he was confident that tho people
with the aid Of his military cooperation
would construct substantially on that plan
El wrote him and some Of them TO Try it. The!
tried it, and the result"is known. Such has
been my only agency in the Louisiana move
ment.
My promise is made, as have frequently
Stated, but rs bod promises are better broken
than kept, shall treat this as q bad promis,
and break it whenever I shall be convinced
that keeping ieisarerse to the public interes,
But hnve not yet been 80 convinced.
I hnve been shown letters on this, subject
supposed to be able-ones, in which; the writer
Eexprcsses % regret that my mimi has MOI
seemed to be definitely fixed on the question
whether seeded States, 60 called, arc in tht
Union or out Of it.. : II would have added 'ns
tonishrnent 10 his regret wero hc to learn tina
Esince have found professed Union mcu en-
dcavoring to- answer: that question, / hav.
Epurposely forborne any public expression up
omit. Ii, appears to me that the question ha'
not been, and Is not yet practically materia
one, and the discussion Of it while;it remains
practically immaterial could have no cftec
other than tho ,mischievous one Of dividing
our friends, As jet, whatever it may become
that question is q bad bnse Of dispute, .ant
good for nothinsnt oil. We all ugrec tha
the seeded States, 50 called, are out Of ,hei
proper practical relation with tho Union, ant
that the solo object Of the Government, civi
and military, in regard to those States, is t
get them into that proper relation. l bclicy
that it is not only possiblei but in fact easier
J. 10 do'this,without deciding, or even consider
ing whether these States have ever, been GU
Of, the Union, for when, finding ihemselve
safely at home, il would be- utterly immateriu
whether they have been abroad OF. not. lie
us all join in doing the acts necessary to re
Etorc tho nronnr. nrhct icAlS ralAkiona .hetHecI