Year: 1865

people of Washington, who IN large
crowds have followed the First District of
Columbia regiment as they marched
through the street, having recently return
ed from the South. The regiment pro-
ceeded to the Executive Mansion and were
addressed by the President, who thanked
them for the services which they had rem
dered. This, he said, is the country of all
within its limits, without reference to color.
He gave them some wholesome advice, in
culcating the importance of honesty in
dustry and virtue, and the necessity of
showing by their conduct that they are
worthy of freedom.


ANOTHER ACCOUNT.


The first District of Columbia colored
regiment marched from their quarters in
Campbell Hospital to the Executive Man
sion where they were received by the
President who addressed them as follows


My FRIENDS: Ny object in presenting
myself before you on this occasion, is sim
ply to thank you, as members of one of
the colored regiments which have been in
the service of the country, to sustain and
carry its banner and its laws triumphant
ly in their part of this broad land. re-
peat that l appear before you on the pres
ent occasion merely to tender you my
thanks for the compliment you have paid
me ON your return home again, to again be
associated with your friends and relations
repeat / have. but little to say 1t being
unusual in this Government and in most
governments to have colored troops en-
gagged in their service, you have gone
FORTH as events have shown, and served
with patience and endurance in the cause
of your country. This is your country
as well as anybody elses country. Cheers.
This country in which you expect to live
in, and in which you should expect to do
something in civil life, rs you have
in the field, this country is founded upon
principles of equality, and acts sometimes
stand out by which persons are to be esti-
mated, according ito their merit and theiI
worth, and you have observed no doubt
that for him who does his duty faithfully
and honestly, there isalways just public
judgment that will appreciate and meas
ure out to him his just reward. l know
there is much well calculated in this gov
ernment, and since the late rebellion COM
menced to excite the white man against
the black, and black man against
white. There are things IyOu should all
understandand at some future time pre-
pare yourself for what is before you
upon the return of peace and the sur
render of the enemies of the country. 1t
should be the duty of every patriot and
EVERYONE who calls himself !. Christian to
remember that with the termination of
the war ssresentments should cease, that
angry feelings should subside, and every
man should become tranquil and be pre-
r = loc L =.
other part of your mission. You have
been engaged in the effort to sustain your
country in the past, but the future is more
important to you than the period in which
you have just been engaged One great
question has been settled in this Govern
ment, that question is the question of sla-
very. The institution of slavery made war
against the United States, and the country
has lifted its strong arm in vindication of
the Government, and of free Government
in lifting that arm and appealing to the
God of battles, it has been decided that
the institution of slavery must go down
(Cheers.) This has been done, and the
Goddess of Liberty, in bearing witness
over many of our battle-ields, sees strug-
giles commence, has made her loftiest
fight and proclaimed, that liberty has
been established upon a more permanent
and enduring basis than heretofore. ZAP
plause.) But this is not all, and, as you
have paid me the compliment to call upon
me, 1 shall take the privilege of saying
one or two words. As l am before you
repeat that that IS not all, now when your
arms are recovered, and the olive branch
of peace is extended as l remarked before,
the sentiment of revenge should subside
Then what is to follow?y do understand
no doubt, and if you do not you cannot
understand too soon that simple liberty
does not mean the privilege of going in
to the battlefield or into service of the
country as a soldier. 1t means things as
well, and now when you have laid down
arms there are other objects of equal i'm
portance before you. Now that the Gov
ernment has triumphantly passed through
this nightly rebellion, after the most gig
antic battles the world ever saw, the pro-
blem is before you and it is best that
you should understand it, and therefore
speak simply and plainly, will you now
when you have returned from the army
of the United States and take the position
of citizens, when you have returned to
the associations of peace, will you give
eNlueuCe 10 inc NOIlu Lhdb Noh are capa-
bls and competent to govern yourselves?
That is what you will have to do.


Liberty is not a mere idea, a rude va
gary. 1t is a reality; and when you come
to examine the question of liberty, you
will not be mistaken in mere idea for
reality. 1t does not consist in idlenesss;
it does not consist in being worthless; it
does not consist in doing all things we
please, and there can be no liberty without
law. In government of freedom and of
liberty, there must be law, and there must
be obedience and submission to law with
out regard to color. (Cheers.)


Liberty-and may l not call you my
countrymen liberty consists of the glo-