Year: 1865




gladness of heart. The evacuation of Pc
tersburg and Richmond, and the surrender
of the principal insurgent army give hopes
of righteous and speedy peace, whose joy
Gus expression can not 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 promulgated duly
Nor must those whose harder part gives us
cause for rejoicing be overlooked. Their
honors must not be parceled out with 9TH
ers. myself was near the front, and had
the high pleasure of transmitting much of
the good news to you, but no part of the
honor for the plans of their execution is
mine. To General Grant and his skillful
officers and brave men all belongs. The gal
liant navy stood ready, but was not in reach
to take active part. By these recent sue
cesses the reinauguration of National au-
thority and reconstruction, which has had
large share of thought from the first, is
pressed much more closely on our attention.
1t is traught with great difficulty. Unlike
a case of war between independent nations,
there is not an authorized organ for US to
treat with. No man has authority to give
up rebellion for any other man. We SIM
ply must begin with mold from disorgan-
lied and discordant elements. Nor is it a
small additional embarrassment that we
loyal people differ among ourselves as to
the mode, manner and measure of a recon-
struction. AS general rule, L abstain from
reading reports of attacks upon myself,
wishing not to be provoked by that to
which | can not properly offer answer. In
spite of this precaution, however, it comes
to my knowledge that am much censured
for some supposed agency in setting up
and seeking to sustain the new State Gov
ernment of Louisiana. In this have done
just so much, and no more, than the public
knows. In my annual message of Deem
ber, 1868, and accompanying proclamation,
l presented plan of reconstruction, which
promised, if adopted by any State, would
be acceptable to and sustained by the EX-
ecutive Government. distinctly said this
was not the only plan which might possibly
be acceptable, and also distinctly protest.
ed that the Executive claimed not the right
to say when or whether members should be
admitted to seats in Congress from such
States. This plan was in advance of that
submitted and approved by every member
of the Cabinet. One of them suggested
that L should then, and in that connection,
apply the Emancipation Proclamation to
the heretofore excepted parts of Virginia
and Louisiana. That should drop sugges-
tions about apprenticeship for freed people,
and that l should omit the protest against
my own power in regard to the admission
of members of Congress. But even he ap-
proved every part and parcel of the plan
which has since been employed or touched
by the action of the new Constitution of
Louisiana. The new Constitution declaring
emancipation for the whole State, practic-
ally applied the proclamation to the part
previously excepted. 1t does notadopt ap-
premiership for the freed people, and is
silent, as it could not be otherwise, about
the admission of members of Congress, so
that as it applies to Louisiana, every mem-
ber approved of the plan. The message
went to Congress and received many COM
mendations OF the plan, written and verbal;
and not single objection to it from any
professed emancipationist came to my
knowledge until after news was received at
Washington that the people of Louisiana
had begun to move in accordance with it.
From about July, 1862, l had correspond
ed with different persons supposed to
be interested in seeking recon-
struction of State Government for Louis
lana. When the message of 1863, with the
plan before mentioned, reached New Or
leans, General Banks wrote me that he was
confident the people, with his military CO.
operation, would construct substantially
on that plan. / wrote him, and some of
them, to try it. They tried it, and the re-
suit is known. Such has been my only
agency in getting Louisiana, and the move
ment as to sustaining it. Ny promise is
out, as before stated, but as bad promises
are better broken than kept, L shall treat
this as bad promise, and break it when
ever shall be convinced that keeping it is
adverse to public interest. But have not
yet been so convinced. ! have been shown
letters on this subject, supposed to be able
ones, in which a writer expresses regret
that my mind had not seemed to be defin-
itely fixed on the question whether the Sc
ceded States, so called, are in the Union or
out of it. 1t would, perhaps, have added
astonishment to his regret, were he to learn
that since l have found professed Union
men endeavoring to answer that question.
l have purposely forborne any public ex-
preston upon it, as it appears to me that
the question has not been, nor yet is, prac-
tically material one, and that the discus
sion of it, while it remains practically i'm
material, could have no effect other than
the mischievons one of dividing our friends.
AS yet, whatever it may become, thatques-
tion is bad as a basis of controversy, and
good for nothing. We all agree that the
seeded States, so called, are out of their
proper particular relation with the Union,
and that the sole object Of the Government,
civil and military, in regard to those States,
is to again get them into that proper rela-
ton. / believe that it is not only possible,
but in fact easier to do this without declar-
ing or even considering whether those
States have ever been out of the Union than
with it. Finding themselves safely at home,
twould be utterly immaterial whether they
had been abroad. Let us all join in doing
acts necessary to restore the proper practi-
cal relations between these States and the
Union, and each forever after innocently i'm
dulge in his own opinion whether In doing
such acts he brought States from without
into the Union, or only gave them proper
assistance, they never having been out of it.


The amount of the constituency, so to
sneak, on which the Louisiana Government 4
rests, would be more satisfactory to all, II il |
contained $4,000, 10000 or even 100000, in
stead of $4,000 as 1t does. 1t is also satisi
factory to some, that the elective franchise
is not given to colored men. / would my
self prefer that it were now conferred on
the very intelligent and on those who
serve our cause as soldiers. Still the ques-
tion is not whether the Louisiana Govern.
ment as it stands is quite all that is desir.
able. The question is, will it be wise t.
take it as it is, and help to improve 1t, or e,
reject and disperse? Can Louisiana b.
brought into proper practical relations will
the Union sooner by sustaining or discard
ing the new Government? Some twelvi
thousand voters in the heretofore slave Staff
of Louisiana have sworn allegiance to tn
Union--assumed to be the rightfil politiea
power of the State---held elections-organ,
lied a State overnment-adopted fire.
State Constitution--are giving the benefi
oc .~,,hI;o sobonIe anuallv tO black on.