Delaware State journal and statesman., 1865-03-21
AN ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT
LINCOLN.

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son by the l40th Indiana volunteers, was
to-day presented to Governor Morton, of
that State, in front of the National Ho.
tel. A large crowd of people was in at
tendance.
Governor Norton made brief speech.
in the course of which he congratulated
his auditors on the speedy end of the re-
bellion, and concluded by introducing
President Lincoln, whose purity and pa,
triotism, he said, were confessed by all
even amongst the most virulent agitators.
(Applause.) His administration will be
recognized as the most important epoch
of history. 1t struck the death blow to
slavery, (applause) and built up the re-
public with a power it had never before
possessed. If he done nothing more than
to put his name to the emancipation pro.
clamation, that act alone would have
made his name immortal. (Applause)
The President addressed the assemblage
substantially as follows
Fellow citizens - II will be but few
words that shall undertake to say. l
was born in Kentucky, raised iu Indiana.
and live in Illinois daughter y and /
am now here, where it is my duty to be,
to care equally for the good people of oil
the States. ! am glad to sec an Indiana
regiment on this day able to present this
captured flag to the Governor of the State
of Indiana. (Applsuse.) am not dis
posed, in saying this, to make distinc-
tion between States. for all have done
equally we'll (Applause)
There are but few views or aspects of
this great war upon which l have not
said or written something whereby my
own views might be made known. There
Ia one-the recent attempt of our "err-
ing brethren" aG they are sometimes call.
ed, Qaughter) to employ the negro to
fight for them. l have neither written
nor made speech upon that subject be-
cause that was their business and not
mine; and if they had wish upon the
subject had not the power to introduce
it or make it effective. The great ques.
tion with them was whether the negro
being put into the army will fight for
them 7 do not know, aud therefore
cannot decide. (Laughter.) They ought
to know better than we, and do know.
have in my lifetime heard many argu.
ments why the negro ought to be slave
but if they fight for those who would keep
them in slavery il will be better argu-
ment than any l have yet heard. (Laugh.
ter and applause.) He who will fight for
that ought to be q slave. (Applause,)
They have concluded, at last, to take
one out of four of the slaves and put him
In the army, and that one out of four
who will fight to keep the others in slav-
cry ought to be slave himself, unless he
is killed in fight. (Applause.)
While l have often said that all men
ought to be free, yet would allow those
colored persons to be slaves who want to
be, and next to them, those white men
who argue In favor of making other peo-
pie slaves.
l am in favor Of giving an opportunity
to such white men to try it on for them
! will saY one thing with regard to the
negro being employed to fight for them
that do know. l know that he cannot
night and stay at home and make bread
too. (LAnghter and applause And as
one IS about as important as the other to
them, don't care which they do. IRE
newed applause.) am rather in favor Of
having them try them as soldiers. ZAP
plauss.) } They lack one vote ofdoing that,
and wish ] could send my vote over the
river 80 that / might cast it in favor of
allowing the negro to fight. (Applause.) }
But they cannot fight and work both.
We must now see tho bottom of the enc.
my's resources.
They will stand out as long as they can,
and If the negro will fight for them they
must allow him to fight. They have
drawn upon their last branch of resources,
and We can now see the bottom. / am
glad to see the end so near at hand. Zap
plause.)
l have said now more than intended
to, and will therefore bid you good bye.
The President then retired, while the
crowd below saluted him with loud and
, hearty cheers; the band at the same time
playing lively tune.
Governor Morton then stepped forward
and remarked that they had now seen the
rebel flag, and he proposed that each man
IN favor OF the perpetuity of this Union
should take of his hat and give three
cheers for the Union aag: The request
was responded to with hearty goodwill.
Three rousing cheers were then given for
'freBident Lincoln, and three more for
Governor Morton after which the band
struck up Yankee Doodle.