Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-04-15

IMPORTANT SPEECH OF &R. LINCOLN.
PRESIDENTS VIEWS 0NREc0Nsr RCCTYoN

PRESIDENTS VIEWS 0NRECQNS TRUCTI0N.
" k,Et>vroS bpril 1.-THE Executive Departments
including lhe Presidents House were again Illuminated
tonight and adorned With Sparencics and national
flags Many places OF business ana private residences
Illuminated aHd bonres baled IN various parts
oft .he ity ANA roe krtS let of IN great numbers
Thousand, OF persons Of both sexes repaired to the En-
ati'e Mansions aud after the periomance'oi several
ars By the ban the President in response 10 the unan
nous -aN, appeared at an upper window and was most
enthusiastically received.
The sheeiipc with which he greeted having ceased,
tEr President spoke - follows:
ADDRESS or rHr PRESIDENT
nee, tEi- evening not in sorrow. bat in gladne-s
OF heart The evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond,
and tue surrender Of the principal insurgent army give
mop q. righteous and speedy peace whose Joyous eX
prg-sion- cannot De restrained. In the midst OF this
howe er lie from whom all blessings flow must not De
ofgo,rer s call for national Thanksgiving is being
prepared ana viii be duly promulgated
NOE must those whose harder paIt gives as the cause Of
rejoicing be overlooked Their honos must not be par
reed ont with others myself near the front and
had the ugh pleasure Of transmitting much Of the good
you But no part OF the honor Tor plan OF exc
cuton j. nine To Lieut. Gen. Grant his skillfu officers
and b-lve men, al belongs. Tie gallant navy stood
ready. bo, not in reach 10 take active part.
By these recent successes, the Ic-nauguraOn of the
national authority. reconstruction which has had large
share o. thought from the first is pressed much more
,i0eiy upon attention. II Is Taught with great dill
E,aty Unlike the case Of war between Independent
nations ,heE no Authorized organ for rs TO treat with
so one has authority TO give up the rebellion for any
" g simply must begin Win and mould IRON
SOrCluLeu and GiScOrdant elements. Nor Is u small
additional embarrassment that we, the loyal people, diff
ter among ourselves 10 the mode manner and measure
% n obstruction.
4 General rue abstain from reading the reports
of attacks upon myself wishing not to be provoked by
tha' 10 which cannot properly offer an answer. In
spite Of this precautiOn, however, il comes to my know
ledge that am much censured for some supposed agency
10 setting up and seeking to sustain the State Gov
,rnment Of Louisiana. In this have done just 60 much
and no more, than the public knows.
N Annual Message Of December, 1868, and
r3u,inr PROCLAMATION, presented plan of reconstruc
lion as tie pharse goes which promised il adopted by
anv State should be acceptable 10 and be sustained by
The Executive Government Of the nation.
distinctly stated that this was not the only plan
viii brnight possibly he acceptable and also distinctly
,o.lel taa the Executive claimed no right to say when
%. whether members should be admitted TO seats in
Congress, rom such States. This plan was in ADVANCE
suoaiteG 10 ths Gen CsoiAet s.i distinctly GppfG,S u
tv pyerg member ot Il. One OF them suggested that
should tIel ANA n that connection apply the Emancpa-
zion Proclamation 10 the heretofore excepted parts Of
Virrii. and Louisiana that should drop the sugges-
lion about apprenticeship for freed people, and thdt ]
should o the protest againSt my own power IN regard
% The admission o. members OF Congress but even he APP
proved every part and parcel OF tine plan which has
sin been employed or touched by the action " Louis
lana The new Constitution If Louisiana, declaring
emancipation for the whole state, practically applies tie
ura .anatiun TO the part previously excepted. Il does
o. u. sunrenti'c hp for freed people and is se1t
sc IL could not well BE- otherwise, about the admission o.
members TO Congress that a. it applies 10 Louisiana
vory member Of the Cabinet fully approved the plan.
Message
concentrations of the plan, written and verbal and not
q single objection TO it, from any PROPOSED emancipa'
ZIONIST came to my knowledge until after the reach
cd Washington that the people OF, Louisiana had begun
10 move in accordance with IT,
From about July, 1862 had correspOndei with differ
ent persons supposed TO be ineres in seeking
struct on of Stale government Tor Louisiana. When
she message of 1863 with the plnn before mentioned
reached New Orleans General Banks wrote me he was
confident that the people with his military cooperation,
,,ould reconstruct substantially on that plan wrote
a o III, led
Sueb onIy. ha, been myagency in getting mp the Lou
i.iapa government As 10 sustaining it, my promise is
ont as before stated But aS bad promises are better
broken Than kent shall treat this bad promise, and
break II when shall be convinced that keeping 1t is
oycrse 10 the puhlic interest BW have not yet been
'.,rvincp5 / have been shown letter this subject,
urpoei 10 he an able one in which the writer expresses
,a,e ,bot my mind has not seemed to be definitely fixed
ON the question whether the Seeded states so called are
in the Union ont of II Tie writer would perhaps
add atonishmen 10 his regret were he 20 learn that since
barp t,uud nrofc,Scd Union men cnqCavOrng 10 make
thar ouesti0n ! have puTposey iOrborne any public
s,,,rssion unop il A. appears 20 ne that question
has NOT been nor vet IS practically material one,
and that any discussions of Il, while ~ thus remains
practically immateyial, coujd have no eject other
than the mischevous one o. dlVluihe gu. nlenu,,
= yet whatever ii may hccaiter become that queStoh
bal the basis of controversy and good ior nothing
else merely pernciuus abstraction We all agree inst
the seeded states so called are OF their proper pac-
ii relations with the Union aud that the sole object
O.. the government vii and military m regard to THESE
Sate Is to again get them into that proper PRACTICAL re-
atou. believe that il Is not Only possible but IN Tact
easier % do this without deciding even considering
whether these states have been out OF the Union
than with il. Finding themselves safely ~ home, 70
would be utterly namaeria whether they haeyef been
abroad. Let Us all join in doing The acts necessary %
restoring thc proper practical relations between .hese
ieg ana The Union and each .ortver after innOceny r.
-5jrI~e hs own opinion whette IA doing the acts he
brou,h. The states TVm without no The Union, only
raye en proper assistance ;hey never haY1g been out
re anoua, Of Constituency so e speak, On which TIE
new 3usana government ls9-3 8oola be 10 more 5st
sctor - 81 Il i. Contained d5g thirty o. even tSeuy
do i is Also unsatisfactory TO some that tae elective
esrcl.c Il not given TO tie colorea man would my
sell pretJ: it nov conferred On he very intelligent
al them ara On those NO serve o1r cause soldiers
Stlit lie question IS not stetac ne Louisiana govern
men. as t.nas Is quite ~ :;1t teaJEh.e Tie 21es-