The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-04-13
Speech Of the President.
WAsHrNeroN, April II.

HESS ana private dwellings,. DouureS uiAzeu
in many parts of the city, and rockets fred
Thousands OF persons of both sexes repaired
to the Executive Mansion, and after several
airs had been played by the band, the Presi-
, ent in response 10 unanimous call appeared
at an upper window. The cheering with
which he was greeted having ceased, he spoke
as follows:
"We meet this evening not in sorrow but in
gladness of heart The evacuation of Peters,
burg aud Richmond, and surrender of the
principal insurgent army, give hopes of
righteous aud speedy peace, whose joyous ex-
preston cannot be restrained. In the midst
OF this, however, He from whom all blessings
flow must not be forgotten. A call for Ma
tional Thanksgiving is being prepared and
will be duly promulgated. Nor must those
whose harder part gives US the cause OF re-
joicing be overlooked. Their honesty must
not be parceled out with others. l myself
was near the froDt, and had the high honor Of
transmitting much of the good news to you,
but no part of the honor for the plan or exc
cuton is mine. To Gen. Grant, his skilful of
tcers and brave men it belongs. The gal
liant Navy stood ready, but was not In reach
to take an active part.
Nor is it small additional embarrassment
that we, the loyal people. differ among our
selves as to the mode, manner and measure of
reconstruction. aa
Dy these recent successes, the reinaugura-
lion of the national authority, the reconstruc-
ton of which has had large share OF thought
from the first, is pressed much more closely
upon our attention. 1t is 1raught with great
difficulty. Unlike case of war between in
depeneent nations, there is no authorized Or
gan for us TO treat with; no one man has au
thority to give up the rebellion for any other
man. We simply must begin with and mould
Isea <aln
AS a general rule abstain from reading the
report OF attacks upon myself, wishing not to
be provoked by that to which cannot proper
ly return an answer.
In spite of this precaution, however, it comes
to my knowledge that am much censured
for some supposed agency in setting up and
seeking to sustain the new State government
OF Louisiana. In this / have done just so
much and no more than the public knows
In the annual message OF December, 1863, and
accompanying proclamation, presented
plan OF reconstruction as the phrase goes,
which I promised, if adopted by any State,
would be acceptable to and sustained by the
Executive government OF the nation. l dis
tinctly stated that this was not the only plan
which might possibly be accepted. and also
distinctly protested that the Executive claimed
no right to say when, or whether members
should be entitled to seats in Congress from
such States. This plan was in advance sub
mitted to the Cabinet and approved by every
member of it. One of them suggested that
should then and in that connection apply the
emancipation proclamation to the excepted
parts Of Virginia and Louisiana; that should
drop the suggestion about apprenticeship for
freed people, and that should omit the pro-
test against my own power in regard to the
admission of members of Congress, but even
he approved every part and parcel of the plan
which has since been employed or touched by
the action of Louisiana. The new Constitu-
ton of Louisiana, declaring emancipation for
the whole State, practically applies the proc
lamation to the part previously excepted; it
does not adopt apprenticeship for freed PEG
pie, and is silent, as it could not well be 9TH
erwise, about the admission of 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 re-
ceived many commentators of the plan, writ
ten and verbal, and not single objection to
it from any professed emancipationists came
to my knowledge until after the news reached
Washington that the people of Louisiana had
begun to move in accordance.
From about July, 1862, | had corresponded
with different persons supposed to be interest.
ed in the reconstruction of State govern
ment for Louisiana. When the message oil
1868. with the plan before mentioned, reached
New Orleans, Gen. Banks wrote me that he
was confident the people with his military CO.
operation would reconstruct substantially on
| that plan. I wrots to him and some of them
to try it. They tried it, and the result is
knaRq SqGb 1b1sda Jhsfa fhHRdly agency 10
sustaining it, my promise is out, as before
stated; but as bad promises are better broken
than KEEP. shall treat this as bad promise
tho+ Leon;na & is sdga,so 70 tho ,,nhl;c intor'
.at ~. T 49, ~ ~,ot No., 50 oan,,iaoaJ I
49, hao,, s.,s,,r, lsttar ~ ,h;s s,h;aot a,r
nosed ~ ha an ahia ona in which tbe yr;ta,
aynressss raoret that NV mind has not seem.
cd to ha def,5itelv Aged m theouestion wbeth.
ar the seeded States. 40 called. are In the In.
/ ion or out of it. 1t would, perhaps, add as
| tonishment to his regret were he to learn that
| since have found professed Union men en-
deavoripg to answer that question, I have
nurnoselv Eorborne anv nubljc expression !, n
On II * If annears to me that question has
not been. nor is vet. a o actically material
one. and Tins any discussion of Il while If
Tins remains nracticallv immatariaI conld
have no effect other than the miscellaneous one
of dividing orr friends: vet. whatever II NAV
become that ouest;on Il had 40 q basis of CON.
troversv. and eood for nothing at al. 7g- -
WI. ~, 80 .,,.t .ho soeadad ct.+os -
c.llad arc ont of their nroner nractical reIa.
t;o,, Nth INC TTnon and tbat The sole object
W ~" Govarnmant civil and m;I;tarv in 70.
=. Az ~ thes Statos "a 70 .,o;n ',st tbar,
shat nroner nrscticsi ralation I behave II 10
not oplv nossihle Init in, fact easier tn do this
withopf dec;d;nc or evan consider;no wheth.
er these States have sver heer ont ~ tba GTr.
ion than with IT, Finding themselves safely
at home Il would he utteriv immaterial wheth.
or thew had hean abroad LET ns all ;oin in
doing tba acts necessary To restore the nrone az
nractioaI relations hot wean thesa Ststas and
the IIn;on and each forever or innocentlu
;nd,,oa h;s own nn;n;or whsthar in Sa;ns,
the acts ba bronobf the states from p;thont
into the IInion or on NV oave them nroner az
s;ss.ncs tbav ,,euer hsni9, boan ort ~ r.
,1T,'o -, 80. ',:... go ~ .",,-
AlS auoun' ri ras4s
on WMcn tne nous, - LIZ = 1850
woadu oe mo 90 600 r,s,, % Or 600 ;stS ~
"a 2UVoo ~ It Soos ~ ;s aIso y,
1870 ttat tha aiao,;,a Afsa1ot;as - W
70 tba colored ,oan Io,,Id . aHs 49,
y. " wy Soiolou uiau. wouiu inysei prefer