The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-01-31

to conviction, and ready to hear the sugges-
tions of others, he became more and more
settled and firm in his conviction as to the
wisdom of that policy from the date of that
down to the very day of his
dcath,5 bse s.ses., a.s. 49, .,s,t.
: Sir, on the 18th of April last he spoke to
the people of Washington. It was on the.
occasion of the illumination, but three days
before his assassination. The great army OF
the rebellion had surrendered. BE had him
self visited Richmond, where from the very
house occupied by Jefferson Davis, he had,
from time to time, telegraphed the gladden.
Jug news of victory upon victory to rejoic-
ing people. He had returned from the chief
seat of the rebellion to the capital of the
Union, bringing with him, as the spoils OF
victory, not gold, nor crowns, nor jewels, but
the broken chains of four million slaves" !"
In that hour of triumph, in that moment of
supreme exaltation, he could not refrain,
when invited, from appearing before the peo-
pie to add to the general joy. Among other
things he said:
eve meet this evening, not in sorrow, but
in gladness of heart. The evacuation Of Pc
tersburg and Richmond, and the surrender Of
tuC HiluCiPdi SSh1 dihiy gov hORO Va q
righteous and speedy peace, whose joyous
expressions cannot be restrained. In the
midst of this, however, He from whom all
blessings flow must not be forgotten. A call
for national thanksgiving is being prepared,
and will be duly promulgated. Nor must
those whose harder part gives us the cause OF
rejoicing be overlooked. Their honors must
not be parceled out with Others. l myself
was near the front, and had the high pleas
ure of transmitting much Of the good news
to YOU; but no part of the honor, for plan
or execution, is mine. To General Grant,
his skilful officers, and brave men, all be-
lonps.p X
.ssIn the annual message Of December,
1868, and accompanying proclamations,
presented plan of reconstruction, (as the
phrase goes,) which promised, if adopted
by any State, should be acceptable to AMI
sustained by the Executive Government ol
the nation
,."This plan was in advance submitted to
the then Cabinet, and distinctly approved by
every member of it.n "Eyery
part and parcel of plan which has since beer
employed or touched by the action OF Louis
ianan
The Senate will remember that Mr.. Lin
coins Cabinet then consisted of Mr.. Seward
Secretary of State; Mr.. Chase, then Secreta
ry of the Treasury and now Chief Justice
Mr.. Stanton, Secretary of War; Mr.. Welles
Secretary of the Navy; Mr.. Usher, Secreta
~ of the Interior; Mr.. Blair, the Postmaste
General, and Mr.. Bates, then Attorney Gen
eral. Let us remember each and every on,
of those men approved every part and parce
of that policy. read still further from thi
last great speech, in which he gave, in NOR
forcible Language, the reasons which mad
him adhere to and cherish that policy up t,
the time of his death:
"Some twelve thousand voters in the here
tofore slave State of Louisiana have sworl
allegiance to the Union; assumed to be tn
rightful political power of the State; helt
elections; organized a free government
adopted free State constitution, giving tn
benefit of public schools equally to black ant
white and empowering the Legislature +
confer the elective franchise upon the color
ed man. Their Legislature has already vo
ted to ratify the constitutional amendment
recently passed by Congress, abolishing slave
ry throughout the nation. These twelv
thousand persons are thus fully conmittedt t
the, Union, and the perpetual freedom in til
States committed to the very things, ant
nearly all the things, the nation wants-an'
they ask the nations recognition and its as
sistance to make good that committal.
snow, if we reject and spurn them, we'd
our utmost to disorganize and disperse them
Vein effect say to the white man, " You an
worthless, or worse; we will neither help yo
nor be helped by you.n To the black W
SAY, G This cup of liberty, which these, you
old masters, hold to your lips, we will das
from you, and leave you to the chances G
gathering the spilled and scattered content
| in some vague and underlined way, wher
where and how" If this course, discourae
ing and paralyzing both to white and black
has any tendency to bring Louisiana int
proper practical relations with the UnioI
/ have, SO far, been unable 70 perceive it. 4
IF. on the contrary, we recognize and su!
tain the new government of Louisiana, th
| converse of all this is made true. We er
courage the hearts and nerve the arms of tn
twelve thousand to adhere to their work, an
argue for it, and proselyte for it, and figl
for it, and feed it, and grow it, and npen ]
! to complete success. The colored man, to-
| SeeIuO I'LL ulltcu lOI Is luSDlICtl VII
vigilance and energy and daring, to the sam
/ end Grant that he desires the elective fraI
/ chise. Will he not attain it sooner by say
| ing the already advanced steps toward
| than by running backward over them 2
| Concede thatthe new government of Louis
ana is only to what it should be as the egg
to the fowl we shall sooner have the fowl b
Matching the egg than by smashing it."
g 1 repeat the question, Can Louisiana
brought into proper practical relation wit
! the Union sooner by sustaining or by discart
ing her new State government p What h,
been said of Louisiana with apply general
10 other States" ei'.s'-' eHifi
/ Sir, have given you his own words.
|, would to God they could be read again an
again in the hearing of every American cit
zen. They come to us as his dying legat
upon the great problem of the hour. The
state the important fact that this policy WI
entered upon by him with the full approb
tion of every member Of his Cabinet as
every part and parcel of that policy. I
repeat, and ask the Senate and the coul
try to hear, we have Mr. Lincoln's positi,
4 testimony that Mr.. Seward approved it
general and in detail; Mr.. Chase approved
( and every part and parcel of it !; Mr. Stante
4 and Mr.. Welles also, who still remain in Il
i Cabinet, fully and cordially approved.
And now, sir propose to show you that
higher tribunal than Congress, or the Chi
Justice of the Supreme Court, or the Pres
dent and his Cabinet approved and sustai
ed that policy. The loyal people of Il
United States, represented at Baltimore, q
i proved it by the denomination of Mr.. Linco
for the Presidency. And, as if to make Il
j endorsement Of this mart Of Mr.. Lincolr