The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1865-03-25
An Address by President Lincoln.
His Vices Of Slare,y and Negro Soldiers IA
the Rchct Army.
Tie Eacmy at tie End Of his Resources

WASHINGTON. March ia Rebel flag,
rlpturrd at Fort Anderson by the 10th In
dianna Volunteers, was to-day presented to-
Governor Morton, of that State. in front OF
the National Hotel A large crowd Of pco-
l%tr was in attendance.
Governor Morton made brief speech, in
the course of which he congratulated his
.aditors on the speedy end of the rebellion,
and concluded by introducing President
Lincoln. whose purity and patriotism. he
said, were confessed by all, even amongst
yhe most violent agitators. [Applause.
His Administration will be recognized as
the most important epoch of history. 1t
yIruci, the ,lcath-blo to slavery. applause
and built UP the republic with a power it had
never before possessed. If he had done
no hing more than to put his name to the
emancipation proclamation. that act alone
would have made his name immortal. APP
plause.
The President addressed the asscmb!agc
substantially rs follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS: 1t viii be hut few
words that shall undertake to say. was
born in Kentucky. raised in Indiana, and
live in Illinois laughtcrl and | am now
h4,rc, where it is my duty to be, to care
"fnally for the good people Of all the States.
am glad to see an Indiana regiment. on
'i'l> lily. 'iDIt w liitSN.l' N"''"i'u me-
u the Governor Of the St1te of indiana
IApplause. am not disposed, in saying
;nis. to make distinction between States.
Tor all have done equally well. [Applause. ]
There arc bHt few views or aspects of this
great war upon which ! have not said or
written something whereby my own views
might be made known. There is onc-the
r,cent attempt of our ''erring brethren as
thcy arc sometimes called laughter, to en-
r'oy the negro to fight for t'cse. have
n ,ithcr written nor made speech upon that
Sbiect, because that was their biz siness and
mot mine: and if they had a wish upon the
subject, had not the power to introduce it
o. make it effective. The great question
with them was, Whether the negro. being
put into the army vail fight for them? |
do not knew, and therefore cannot decide.
Laughter. They ought to know better
than we, and do know. have in my life,
time heard many arguments why the negro
ought to be slave, but if they fight for
those who keep them in slavery, it will be a
better argument than any ] have yet heard.
Laughter and applause. He who will fight
for that ought TO be u slave. Applause.
They have concluded at last to take. one
out Of every taur of the slaves and put him
in the army, and that one out of four who
will! fight to keep the others in slavery ought
10 be slave himself, unless he is killed in Q
fight. [Applaase.
While have often said that all men ought
20 be free. yet would allow those colorcd
persons to be slaves who want to be, and
next to them. those white men who argue in
f,vor of making other people slaves. APP,
plause.
] am in favor Of giving an opportunity tc
such white men to try it on for themselves
Applause | will say one thing with re-
gard to the. negro being employed to hight
for them that do know. know that he
bread too laughter and applause and 81;
one is about as important as the other to
them, don't care which they do. Renew
cd applause. Il am rather in favor of hav
ing them try them as soldiers. Applause.
= They lack one vote of doing that, and ] wish
] could send my vote over the wires, so tina
might cast it in favor of allowing the ne
gro to fight. Applause But they cauno
fight and work both. We must now see thu
bottom Of the enemy resources.
They will stand out as long as they can
and. IL the negro will fight for them, the.
must allow him to fight. They have draw
upon their last branch Of resources Zap
piause] and we can now see the bottom
near at hand. [Applause.
have said now more than intended to
and will, therefore, bid you good bye.
The President then retired, while th
crowd below saluted him with loud an
hearty cheers, the band at the same tim
playing lively tune.
Governor Morton then stepped forwar
and remarked that they had now seen tn
-- rebel flag, and he proposed that each ma
in favor of the perpetuity of this Cnio
should take OFF his bat and give three cheer