UNITED STATES. 



797 



I could send my vote over the river, so that I might 

 cast it in favor of allowing the negro to fight. But 

 they cannot fight and work both. We must now see 

 the bottom of the enemy's resources. They will 

 stand out as long as they can, and if the negro will 

 fight for them, they must allow him to fight. They 

 have drawn upon their last branch of resources, and 

 we can now see the bottom. I am glad to see the 

 end so near at hand. I have said now more than I 

 intended to, and will, therefore, bid you good-bye. 



Previously, on March 4th, the inauguration 

 of President Lincoln for a second term had taken 

 place. The weather was inclement, but the as- 

 semblage was large. The oath of office was ad- 

 ministered by Chief Justice Chase, after which 

 the inaugural address was read by the President 

 (see PUBLIC DOCUMENTS). On entering upon his 

 second term the President retained all the mem- 

 bers of his Cabinet, as follows : 



Secretary of State William H. Seward. 

 Secretary of the Treasury Hugh McCulloch. 

 Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. 

 Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles. 

 Postmaster- General William Dennison. 

 Secretary of the Interior J. P. Usher. 

 Attorney- General James Speed. 



On March 8th, in consequence of the mutual 

 explanations which had taken place between 

 the Governments of the United States and 

 Great Britain, the order was rescinded which 

 required passports from all persons entering 

 the United States from Canada. This order 

 had been issued on the 17th of December, 1864, 

 in consequence of the facility with which hos- 

 tile persons could invade the territory of the 

 United States and escape apprehension. About 

 the same time the President, in compliance 

 with an act of Congress, issued his proclama- 

 tion requiring all absentees from the army or 

 navy to return to duty within sixty days, or 

 they would be regarded as having voluntarily 

 relinquished and forfeited their rights of citi- 

 zenship, and be forever incapable of exercising 

 any rights of citizens. On March 14th the 

 President issued an order directing the provost 

 marshals to arrest any persons in the United 

 States who shall have engaged in holding inter- 

 course or trade by sea with the insurgents, if 

 citizens or domiciled aliens, and all non-resi- 

 dents and foreigners who had beer, engaged in 

 violating the blockade of the Southern ports, 

 and who remained in the country twelve days 

 after the publication of his order. 



Meanwhile military affairs were rapidly com- 

 ing to a crisis. General Grant had informed the 

 President that Richmond would hold out only 

 a few days longer, and the latter went to City 

 Point, to be present at the final events of the 

 .war. His despatches of April 2d will be found 

 under "AKMY OPERATIONS." It was now ap- 

 parent that the war. was over, and the North 

 victorious. The Southern States were again to 

 become active members of the Federal Union, 

 and the question arose as to the terms upon 

 which the Southern people should be recog- 

 nized as in their former position, to resume 

 which they almost universally soon expressed 

 an earnest desire. The proceedings and views 



of the President on this subject while at Eich- 

 mond, after its evacuation, and previous to his 

 return to Washington, are very imperfectly 

 known, as his death followed so soon after- 

 wards. A witness before the joint Committee 

 of Reconstruction at the first session of the 

 Thirty-ninth Congress (Mr. Cook), on April 

 11, 1866, testified to the propositions submitted 

 by President Lincoln to Judge Campbell, Com- 

 missioner to the Fortress Monroe Conference. 

 Mr. Lincoln suggested three points as essential 

 to peace : First, the disbandment of the rebel 

 armies ; second, the full submission of the 

 Southern people to the authority of the United 

 States ; and third, no abatement by the Execu- 

 tive from his position on the emancipation of 

 the slaves. This was submitted by Judge 

 Campbell, in Richmond, a few days after the 

 evacuation of that city. To these were added 

 paragraphs in which the late President declared 

 that any propositions not inconsistent with the 

 foregoing, would be received and considered in 

 a spirit of kindness and liberality; also that 

 those who should immediately accept these 

 terms would place themselves in a condition to 

 avoid the operation of the confiscation law, the 

 execution of which was optional with the Pres- 

 ident. A special correspondent of the New 

 York "Times," writing from Washington on 

 April 22d, said: 



While President Lincoln was in Richmond, Judge 

 Campbell told him that, in an interview with Davis, 

 Brecjpnridge, and Benjamin, just before they left, 

 he said that, as there was no hope for the Confeder- 

 acy, and President Lincoln could not negotiate with 

 them, he (Lincoln) would negotiate with the States, 

 and recognize the right of the Virginia Legislature to 

 control the troops of that State. 



He then told Mr. Lincoln that if he would permit 

 that body to convene, it would, doubtless, recall the 

 Virginia troops from the field. 



Mr. Lincoln cautioned Judge Campbell against any 

 misunderstanding, and gave him in writing his only 

 terms, which were those tendered in the'Hampton 

 Roads interview, to which he added another, that in 

 case the leaders persisted in the war, their property 

 should be relentlessly confiscated. 



At City Point General Sherman met and 

 had an interview with the President. General 

 Sherman's views of the terms of reconstruction 

 after this interview may be found under "AEMY 

 OPERATIONS." On April 6th President Lincoln 

 sent the following order to General Weitzel, in 

 command at Richmond: 



HEADQ'KS ARMIES OF THE UJTITED STATES, 1 

 CITY POINT, April 6, 1865. ) 



To Major- General Weitzel, Richmond, Va. : 



It has been intimated to me that the gentlemen 

 who have acted as the Legislature of Virginia, in 

 support of the rebellion, may now desire to assemble 

 at Richmond and take measures to withdraw the 

 Virginia troops and other support from resistance 

 to the General Government. If they attempt it, give 

 them permission and protection, until, if at all, they 

 attempt some action hostile to the United States, in 

 which case you will notify them, give them reason, 

 able time to leave, and at the end of which time ar- 

 rest any who remain. Allow Judge Campbell to see 

 this, but do not make it public. 



Yours, etc., A, LINCOLN. 



