Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1865-10-18
The President to the Coi0red Troops.

Inc ADDRESS OF the PRESIDENT 10 the col
ored troops was in every way creditable
to both his head and his heart Without
waiting for 4 more accurate report, which
cannot modify, however il may polish,
His EAccllencys noble words, we must
reprint few Of them here rs highly
worthy OF him. of us, and of sacred cause the
of liberty and justice, for which both
black soldiers and white, foreign born
and natige, have fought with equal
bravery:
You have gone forth, IS events have
shown, and served with patience and en-
durance III the cause of cur country
This Is your country as well rs anybody
else country. Cheers This is lie
country in which you expect to live and in
viii h you should expect to do something
by your example in civil life, as YOU have
done in the field. This country Is founded
on the principle of equality, and at the
same time the standard by which persons
are to be estimated Is according to their
merit and their worth, and you have OBJ
served, no doubt that for him who does
his duty faithfully and honestly, there is
always a just public judgment that will
appreciate and measure out to him his
proper reward.
Is slavery dead? VIII the Executive
suffer It's resurrection
One great question has been settled in
this Go7ernment, and that question is the
question of slavery. The institution Of
slavery made war againts the United
States, and the United States has lifted It's
strong arm in vindication Of the Govern
ment and Of free government, and ia lift
ing that arm, appealing to the God Of bat
Il - ! LODI hot = h
ton Of slavery must 80 down. [Cheers
And to those now before me, members
of the lst regiment Of colored volunteers
of the District Of Columbia and the capt.
tai Of the United States have to say that
great deal depends upon yourselves; YOU
must give evidence that you are competent
for the rights that the Government has
guaranteed to YOU Henceforth YOU must
be measured according to your merits, and
though one man is more merItoriOus that the
other, they cannot be equals; and be who
Is the most meritorous is the superior
without regard to color The idea Of hav-
ing law passed in the morning that viii
make white man a black man before
night. and black man Il white man before
dav. is ahsured That is not the standard
1t is Your own conduct; it IS your own
merit
This is the wav to make white men
black, and back men white, Cheers.
He that Is most merit0ri0us, and yirtu-
Gus. and intelligent. and well informed,
must stand highest without regard to
color
The future of the freedman will depend
much upon himself:
There Is q great problem before rs, and
| may as well allude to it here in this
connection. and that Il, whether this race
can be incorporated and mixed with the
peope OF the United States to be made a
harmonious and permanent Ingredient in
the population. This is a problem not vet
settled bat we are in the right line to do
so.
let ~ make the experiment Of doing
Justly IN good faith:
Are the digestive powers Of tho Ameri-
can Government sufficient 20 receive til.
element In q uew shape, and digest II and
make it work beautifully upon the system
that has incorporated it? THIS Is the
question TO he determined. Let US make
the experiment and make It in good faith
Let Us wait patiently upon events and
upon providence.
In speaking to the members Of thisrezi-
ment. / want them 10 understand that so
lar rs am cGnccrHeG, DO not assume or
pretend that | am stronger than the laws
Of the course Of natuSe. or that / am wiser
than Providence itself Il is our duty to
try and discover what these laws are
which are ut the foundation Of the things,
aud. having discovered what they are,
conform our actions and our conduct 10
them and to the viii Of God who ruleth
all things. He holds the destinies Of ma
tons in the palm Of His hand, and lie
viii solve the question and rescue these
people from the difficulties that have so
long surrounded them. Then let US be
patient, industrious and pcrseycrin@.
These works prove that President John
son is not unworthy of the mantle that
fell upon him from our ascending Elijah
They also furnish another hopeful sign of
the times, and include us in another cheer
ful aspect Of the political situation.