The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-04-24

pressly. (Cheers.)
I Then, for my life, cannot see where there
is any tyranny 1t is very easy to impugr
motives and suspect the purity OF the best
acts of a mans life. IF you come forward
and propose certain thing your motives
are suspected and condemned, and II you
withhold your opinion, you are regarded as
being opposed to the matter, so that 1t Is
hard to move one way or the other, so far as
certain persons are concerned, on all CUES
tions pertaining to the interest OF the great
masses of the American people, for in them
is my hope and the salvation of the country
1 am with you citizens, soldiers and sail
ors Who has sacrificed or periled more than
the humble individual who addresses you
Has not my all been put upon it ;? My life
my property? Everything sacred and dear
to man have been staked upon it, and could
1 now be suspected of faltering at the close
of this third ordeal of the nation?
Who is he, in public or private life, who
has sacrificed more, or who has devoted
more of his time and energies to the accom-
plishment of the great end than I? And I
have done it from the promptings of my
own heart and conscience l believe l was
right, and, with your help and your counte-
nance and your judgment, 1 shall go through
on that line (Cheers and laughter) And
when come to talk about sailors and sol
diers, about this to be done and that to be
done, all 1 want is for you to wait and see,
so far as the future is concerned. Wait and
see if do not stand by you although every
other may falter and fail. (Cheers.) 1 want
to see measures of policy brought forward
that will advance the interests OF the people
rof that portion of the people who have
constituted the gallant and brave men who
In both branches of the service have upheld
the national flag and sustained the country
in the recent struggle.
thank you, gentlemen, for this encourage
ment. thank you for your countenance on
this occasion. 1t cheers me on and gives me
strength to perform the work before me. If
we are true to ourselves-if we are true to
the Constitution, the day is not far distant
when this government will be rest ored. Let
US go on and restore the government. Let
us enlarge the of our commerce and
trade. Let us not only inspire confidence at
| home but respect abroad, by letting the ma
ton resume its career of prosperity and
greatness.
! L know that some will find fault with me,
and say 1 am too lenient, too kind, and all
that. If we were all to be put to death or
punished, thrown away for one offence,
or for the second offence, and were to be
lost and excluded from society and COM
munion with our fellow men, how many of
us would be left
1 have felt when have done wrong and
repented of it, that / was as sincere and
honest as he who had done no wrong at all.
Then we must reason with each other and
understand our nature, and what is necessary
to restore peace and harmony and concord
to distracted and divided people. In time
of war it is right to burn villages, sack cities,
and devastate fields-tO lay waste country
and cripple and reduce the enemy-but in
time of peace, the converse of this course is
precisely the right one.
The true policy of a nation is to rebuild
tS itS liaC
of agriculture, and let all the avocations of
peace and prosperity be restored. L know
there are some who have been at home cal
culating during the war, and who hung on
to the consideration of questions of peace
and harmony, and the avocations of civil
life, all the feelings of resentment, which an
mated us, when the excitement was up and
running high. But, take the brave men who
sustained the flag on the field, and on the
wave, and you will find better feelings, and |
better judgment on these questions, than you |
will find with those who have been sitting !
up i'll the closet, and never smelled gum
powder. (Cheers.) Yes, from the private |
up to the Commanding General. they know
better how to treat the present circumstances |
than any ofthese closet patriots and human
itarians.
Then, my countrymen, felowcitizens, sol |
diers and sailors, let us rejoice that peace
has come. Let us rejoice that the relations
of the States are about being restored. Let
us make every effort we can on proper prin-
ciples to restore the relations which existed
between the federal government and the
States thank God that peace is restored.
| thank God that our brave men can return
to their homes and resume their peaceful
avocatons. l thank God that the baleful
planet of fire, Of blood which n short time
ago was in the ascendant, has been chased
away by the benignant star of peace.
hot tbo Sta of 1S lad
in the Heavens, let us cultivate the arts and
relations of peace and all these associations
which appertain to men in peace. The time
is not distant when we can have political
political jubilee-and when
we can proclaim to all nations of the earth
that we are again united people, and that
we have triumphantly passed through our
third ordeal, having peace at home and
power to bid defiance to all the world
Cloud cheers.)
Remember one thing gentlemen, that in
my past life, though Islander may misrepre-
sent, no man can say that 1 ever deserted or
betrayed him. 1t will be for you to see in
the future who will redeem all his promises
and Will be most faithful.
thank you, gentlemen, for the compli-
ment you have paid me.
AS the President closed his speech, he was
loudly and continuously cheered. The band
i)cllOlhcu pitlIlOtiC ais, duIt Vic 1AiLnSHSC
crowd dispersed.
Speech of the President to the COl0red People.
The colored people of the District of Col
1mbia celebrated on Monday the 10th the
fourth annual return of the anniversary of
5he passage of the act abolishing slavery in
;he District of Columbia. Speeches were
made by Rev. II. H. Garrett, (coloredO Sen
.tors Trumbull and Wilson, Gen. Howard
md Others. The procession filed by the
White House, where they were addressed by
he President as follows:
1 have nothing more to say to you on this
occasion than to thank you for this compi-
nent you have paid me in presenting your
selves before me on this your day of celebra-
ion. 1 come forward for the purpose of in
licating my appreciation, and manifesting
5he appreciation of the respect thus offered
)r conferred.
1 thank you for the compliment and I