The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-03-29

P-H Hast thou a friend, use him friendly !;
abuse him not in the jest or in earnest !;
conceal his infrmities ;;privately reprove
This errors. Commit thy secrets to him,
|F!yst with caution, lest thy friend should
become thy enemy, and abuse thee.
President Lincoln's Views on Arm
: q. ing Slaves.
: a rebel flag, captured at Anderson, by
|EHeN Nl40th Indiana Volunteers, was pre-
'sented, on the 18th inst, to Governor
Morton, in front of the National Hotel.
A large crowd was in attendance. Gov.
ernor Morton made a brief speech, in
which he congratulated his auditors on
the speedy end Of the rebellion, and con-
cluded by introducing President Lin
coin, whose purity and patriotism were
confessed, he said, by all, even among
the most violent agitators.
His administration would be recog.
nized as the most important epoch in his.
tory. 1t had struck the blow to slavery
Capplausc] and built up the Republic
with power i. never before possessed.
If he had dono nothing more than put
his name to the Emancipation Procla.
nation, that alone would have made his
name immortal.
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH.
The President addressed the assem-
bly, substantially as follows:
FELLow.CITlZENs: 1t will be but o
very few words that l shall undertake to
say. / was born in Kentucky, raised in
Indiana, and lived in Illinois. Laugh.
ter. Aud now am here where it is NV
business to care equally for tho good
people Of all the States. nm glad to
sec an Indiana regiment on this day able
to present the captured flag to the Gov.
crnor Of Indiana. [Applause.l I am
not disposed in saying this to make u
distinction between tho States, for all
have done equally well.
There arc but few views or aspects Of
this great War upon which I have not said
or written something whereby my own
opinion might be known. But there is
onc-thc recent attempt Of our erring
brethren, as they arc sometimes called,
laughter to cmploy the negro to fight
for them. | have neither written nor
made speech on that subject, because
that was their business: not mine, and il
| had wish upon the subject, 7 had no,
the power to make it effective. The great
question with them was whether the ne,
gro being put into the army will fight for
them. | do not know, and therefore can,
not decide. Laughter. They ought
to know better than We. | have in my
lifetime heard many arguments why the
negroes ought to be slaves, but il they
tight for those who keep thcm in slavery,
it will be a better argument than any |
have yet heard. Laughter aud APP
plausc. lie who will fight for that
ought to be slave. Applause.
They have concluded at last to take
one out of four Of the slaves, and put
them in the army; and that one out Of
the four who will fight to keep the others
in slavery ought to be q slave himself,
unless be is killed in fight. Ap.
plausc.] WhilerI have often said that all
men oughtto be free, yet | would allow
those colored persons to be slaves who
want to be; and next to them those
white persons who argue in favor of
making other people slaves. Applause.
Lam IN favor Of giving an opportuni.
ty to such white men to try it on for
themselves. Applause. will say one
thing in regard to the negro being cm-
ploycd to fight for them. do know he
cannot fight and stay at homo aud make
bread too. Laughter and applause -
And rs one Is about as important as the
other, then / do not care which they do.
Renewed applause. -.....
am rather in favor Of allowing then,
to try them US soldiers. Applause. =
They luck one vote of doiug that, and l
wish could send my vote over the river
so that might cast it in favor Of allow.
ing the negro to fight. Applause. j.
But they cannot fight and work both.
We must now see the bottom Of the en-.
emy's resources. They will stand out as
long as they can aud if the negro will
fight for them they must allow him to
fight. .... ..
They have drawn upon their last
branch Of resources [applausc and We
can'now see the bottom. AppIause. !
am glad to see the end 80 near at hand.
Applause. l have said now more than
/ intended, and will therefore bid you
good bye.
A man came to the Duke of WcllioS-
ton" What have YOU to offer p !" \