The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-05-26
FROM WASHINGTON.


F neI.-.Speechcs by the President, Sec
rotary of War, Secretary OF the Treas
ury aud the Postmaster Generals
-LetteFs from SecFetary Harlan and
Attorney General Speed--.TheIr Po.
sItions on the Issues of the Day.
WASHINGTON, May 2s.-The Presl-
dent and the various members Of his
Cabinet were serenadedi tonight by the
National Union Club, attended by a
very large concourse of citizens, num-
bering several thousands.
The President was the first to be COM
plImented in this way. In acknow1-
edgement of it, he came out in front of
the Executive Mansion, and standing
on the coping of the balustrade, he
made avery brief speech. His appear
ance was the signal for enthusiastic
greetiugs! His words were asfollows:
SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT.
FeIOtO, Citizens :-In appearing before
you this evening it is simply for the
purpose of rendering to you my thanks,
my sincere than ks, for this demonstra-
ton, and for the appreciation which you
have srnHnffesIeu on this OCCASION, and
bhf many occasions before. Such ap.
probation Is peculiarly gratifying and
encouraging to me under existing CIR
cumstances. .AIlthatw will be necessary
is to persist in the support and main
tenance of correct principles, and the
day'is not distant when the American
peOple will satisfy you that the good
work you have commenced is right, as
it will, so prove in the end.a tCheers.l
I repent my thanks for your appEoba;
ton or my conduct as public man and
In uuf
The President then retired amid
Hearty applause. - =, - /
THE SECRETARY OF STATE sERENADED.
dence Of the Secretary of State. In the
absence of Mr.. Seward the compliment
was acknowledged by Mr.. Frederick
Seward, who said: ,..-,..--..-..s.-
FeLlOu CittEenS :-In behalf of the
Secretary of State, I thank you sincere
" for this manifestation of your kind
ness. I regret that he is not here to-
him pleasure to witness and share in
your demonstration of fpatri lotto feelings
Of fideIityto the Union and of apprecia-
ton or the wise and earnest efforts of
the President for Its restoration.
[Cheers.l sgff,gsks eFrrgF Ff}ET
SPEECH OF SECRETARY wELLEs.
The Secretary of the Navy was next
called upon. In Acknowledgements of
the complaint, Mr.. Welles said:
thank you, gentlemen, for this COM
pliment, which 1 suppose Is to the Ad-
ministration and its policy, which we
one and all approve. [Cheers.l You
need, not xpect any. remarks. from me.
for,I do not intendsto make any. You
are; one and al, Il suppose, for the
Union7andlf for the establishment of the
rights noft the States. [Cheers.l These
are my views. [Cheersil ,,i ,.31ii. 5s.., !,
The Secretary of War was next called
The Flag, p t.'When Johnny Comes
Marching Home, !" and other airs. Z a,
SPEECH OF SECRETARY STANTON.
aentlennenn :4on the afternoon of
Thursday, the 18th of this month, l re-
ceived note from the Secretary Of the
National Union johnson Club, telling
me that it was the design of the associ-
alton to serenade the President and his
Cabinet, and. that Ilwould be called
upon at my residence. Immediately
on the receipt of this note, eply was
sent to the Secretary, expressing my
thanks for the 'complimenta and declin-
ing, the honor of the serenade, as u sim
liar compliment by the patriotic asso-
citation OF Soldiers and Sailors, League
had previously beendeclined. Two rea-
sons inducedny action. The last time a
public speech was made from this spot,
| in answer to a serenade. was the night
of Friday, the 14tb day of April, 1865.
Atthe momentwhen we were rejoicing
over the downfall ofjthe rebellion, one
of'the Instruments was numbering Mr..
Lincoln! You will not think it strange
that a complimentary occasion fraught
with such associations should not be
coveted. Besides, as the head of de-
partment, my, public duties have been
Simply. executive, and 1t; has always
been my aim to avoid trenching upon
duties devolvedl upon others, and TO
avoid mischiefof premature discussion
Of matters entrusteds to the legislative
branch Of the g6yernment land under
its consideration.
But thelcall this evening relieves me
from any imputation of intruding my
opinions upon you. shall, therefore,
declare them 1brieH y. and plainly, and Al g
to the end, that they may be neither ac-
cidentally understood norwilful y mis-
represented what it is my purpose to
say on this occasion has been written.
After four years of wartime authorlty
ofthe Federal Government has estab-
lished throughout the whole Ierrltoryot
the United States, at a sAcrihce OF over
three hundred Thousand lives OF loyal
soldiers. and a cost of more than three
Thousand millions of dollars. Nearly
every household In eighteen loyal
States Is mourning its loved ones, slain
by rebels. ~
Atax, which may last for generations,
is laid upon the food and.trtaiment and
necessities of every family, and in the
price of their daily bread the twenty
million inhabitants OF the loyal States
feel, and will long continue TO feel, what
its cost to uphold their Government
against rebellion. Z Z. az
rhe Office OF President deyolved upon
Mr. IohnRon at the death OF Mr.. Lin