Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-04-20
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH.
The Recent Victories-Iiis Theory of
Rcconstruction--The Louisiana State
Organization Advocated.
WASHINGTON, April IL

WASHINGTON, April H.
The Executive Department. including the Pres
idcntial Mansion, were Illuminated tonight and
covered with transparencie. and national flags
Thousands of persons focked to the Executive
Mansion. The President in response to Il unani
nous call, appeared at the upper window, ant
spoke follows:
We meet this evening not in sorrow, but in
gladness of heart The evacuation of Petersburg
and Richmond and the surrender of the principal
insurgent army give hopes of righteous and speedy
peace, whose joyous expression cannot be restrain
cd. In the midst of this, however. He from
whom all blessings flow must not be forgotten. A
call for nations thanksgiving Is being prepared
and will be duly promulgated. Nor must those
whose harder part gives us cause of rejoicing be
overlook ed. Their honOrs must not be peccd
out with others. myself was near the front, and
had the high high pleasure of transmitting much
of the good news to you, but no part of the honor
for the plan or execution is mine. To Gen Grant,
his sklllul officers and brave men, all belongs
The gallant navy stood ready, but was not in
reach to take an active part.
By these recent successes the re inauguration ot
national authority and reconstruction which ha,
had large share of thought from the first, is pre-
ssed much more closely upon our attention. 1t is
fraught with great difficulty. Unlike the casc OF
war between nations there is no authorized organ
for Us 10 treat with. No one man has authority to
give up the rebellion for any other man. We
simply must begin and mould from disorganized,
diScordant elements; nor is il 4 small additional
embur Is smcnt that We loyal people dilcr among
ourselves rs to the mode, manner and measure of
reconstruction.
As general rule abstain from reading repor IS
of attacks upon myself, wishing not to be pro-
voked by that to which cannot properly offer an
swer. In spite of this precaution, however, it
comes to my knowledge that | am much censurcd
fer rsOme supposed agency in setting up and seek
ing to sustain tho new government Of Louisiana.
In this have done just 50 much and no more than
the public knows In my annual message of De-
cember, 1863, and accompanying proclamation, |
presented plan of reconstruction, the phrase
goes, which | p-omisedit it adopted by any State
would be accepable aud sustained bv the Execu-
tive 60, ernment of the nation. | distinctly stated
that this not the only plan which mi ght posi-
bly, he acceptable' and distinctly protested that
+ the Executive claimed no right to say when or
whether members should be admitted to seats in
+ Congress from such States. This plan in ad-
vance submitted to the cabinet and approved by
every member of it. OIie of them suggested that
: | should then and in that connection apply the
emancipation proclamation, except in parts OF Vlr-
ginia and Louisiana; that should drop the sugges
/ ton about apprenticeship for freed people, and
that should omit the protest against my own
pow or in regard to admission to members of c H.
cress. bat even he approved every part and pIrcei
of the plan which has 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
parts previously exempted. IL does not adopt ap-
premiership for freed people. and is silcn; it
could not well be otherwise about admission of
members 10 Congress, 50 that, as it applied to
Louisiana, every member of the Cabinet fully ap-
proved the plan. The message went to Congress
I. I
plan written ard verbal, and not a single objection
to it from any profcssed emancipationist come to
nv knowledge until after the news reached Wash
inston that Louisiana had bcsG to move in accord
anCe with il.
From about July, 1862. had corresponded with
different persons supposed to be interested in help
ing the recon<truction ofthe Sttte government for
Louisiana. When the message of lo6J, with the
plan before mentioned, reached New Orleans
Gen. Banks wrote me that lie confident that
/ the people, with his military cooperation, would
reconstruct substantially on that plan. wrote 10
him and some of them to try it. They tried il
and the result Is known. Such has been my on
ly agency in getting up the Louisiana govern
mcnt.
As to sustaining it, my promise is now as before
stated hut rs bad promises are better broken than
kept, shall keep that bad promise and break
il whenever shall be convinced that the keeping
oft is adverse to the public interest; but have
not been so convinced have been shown a let
ter on this subject. supposed to be able ono, in
which the writer expresses regret that my mind has
not seemed 10 be definitely fixed on the question:
whether seeded States so-called are in the Union
or out OF H. Ii would perhaps add astonishmeni,
to his regret, were he 10 learn that since | have
found pfOiessed Union men cndeavoring TO answer
that question, have pnrposcly fereborne anv pub
lie EXPRESSION upon it, il appears to me that the
question has been nor yet is. practically mate
al anIt hat ssin off al,
remains practically immaterial, could have no
effect other than mischivously offending our
friends.
As yet, whatever it may become, that question is
bad as blss of controversy, and good for nothing
at all. We all argue that seeded States, so,
called, arc out of their proper practical relation
with the Union, and that the same object of the
government, civil and military in regard to those
States is to again get them up that proper prac-
teal relation. believe that it is not only posi-
BILE, but in fact easier to 90 this, without deciding
or even considering whether these States have
ever been out OF the Union than with it, Finding
themselves safely at home, il would be merely
immaterial whether they had been abroad. Let
Us all, doing acts necessary to restore the proper
practical relations between these States and the
Union, each forever after innocently indulge his
own opinion whether in doing these acts he
brought States from without into the Union, or on
ly gave them proper assistance, they never having
The amount OF constituency so to speak, on which
the Louisiana Government rests would be more
satisfactory to all if it contained fifty or sixty
thousand, or even twenty thou,and instead OF
twelve thousand as it does.
Jt is also satisfactory to some that the eIcctiy g
franchise is not given to the colored man.
would, myself prefer that it were now conferred
on the very intelligent, and on those who serve
our cause as soldiers. Still the question is not
whether the Louisiana government, as i: stands,
is quite all shat is desirable. The question is,
will it be wiser to take il rs it is and help TO
improYsit or TO reject and disperse. Can Louis
lana be into proper practicable relation with
the Union sooner by sustaining discardiny
the new government. Some IL 900 voters i'm the
heretofore slave State Of Louisiana have sworn
allegiance TO the Union. Assumed to be the right
full political power of the State, they held cleo
tions, organized State, Government, adopted a
free State Consultation, giving the benefit Of the
public schools equally to black and white. and
empowering the Legislature to confer the elective
franchise upon the eolored man. The Legislature
has already voted to ratfy the Constitutional
amendment recently passed by Congress aboishing
slavery throughout The Union.
These II 600 persons thus fully committed
to the Union. TO perpetuate freedom in the State:
committed to the very things and nearly all the
things the nation wants, and they ask the nation
recognition and assistance. We have rejected and
spurned them. We in fact say to the white man.
you worthless or worse. We will never help
you nor be helped by you. To the blacks we saw