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Last Public Speech.

The Louisiana Government.

Proclamation

fourths of all the States would be unquestioned and unquestionable.

"I repeat the question. Can Louisiana be brought into proper practical relation with the Union sooner by sustaining or by discarding her new State Government? What has been said of Louisiana will apply severally to other States; yet so great peculiarities pertain to each State, and such important and sudden changes occur in the same State, and withal so new and unprecedented is the whole case, that no exclusive and inflexible plan can safely be prescribed. As to details and collaterals, such an exclusive and inflexible plan would surely become a new entanglement. Important principles may and must be inflexible.

"In the present situation, as the phrase goes, it may be my duty to make some new announcement to the people of the South. I am considering, and shall not fail to act when satisfied that action will be proper."

On the 11th of April, also, appeared the following proclam

ation:

"WHEREAS, By my proclamation of the 19th and 27th days. of April, 1861, the ports of the United States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas were declared to be subject to blockade, but whereas the said blockade has, in consequence of actual military occupation by this Government, since then been conditionally set aside or released in respect to the ports of Norfolk and Alexandria, in the State of Virginia, Beaufort, in the State of North Carolina, Port Royal, in the State of South Carolina, Pensacola and Fernandina, in the State of Florida, and New Orleans, in the State of Louisana; and whereas, by the 4th section of the act of Congress approved on the 13th of July, 1861, entitled 'an act further to provide for the collection of duties on imports, and for other

Proclamation on Maritime Rights.

Proclamation closing certain Ports.

purposes,' the President, for the reasons therein set forth, is authorized to close certain ports of entry.

"Now, therefore, be it known that I, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States, do hereby proclaim that the ports of Richmond, Tappahannock, Cherry Stone, Yorktown, and Petersburg, in Virginia; of Camden, Elizabeth City, Edenton, Plymouth, Washington, Newbern, Ocracoke, and Wilmington, in North Carolina; of Charleston, Georgetown, and Beaufort, in South Carolina; of Savannah, St. Marys, Brunswick, and Darien, in Georgia; of Mobile, in Alabama; of Pearl river, Shieldsboro', Natchez, and Vicksburg, in Mississippi; of St. Augustine, Key West, St. Marks, Port Leon St. Johns, Jacksonville, and Apalachicola, in Florida; of Teche and Franklin, in Louisiana; of Galveston, La Salle, Brazos de Santiago, Point Isabel, and Brownsville, in Texas, are hereby closed, and all rights of importation, warehousing, and other privileges shall, in respect to the ports aforesaid, cease until they shall again have been opened by order of the President; and if, while said ports are so closed, any ship or vessel from beyond the United States, or having on board any articles subject to duties, shall attempt to enter any such port, the same, together with its tackle, apparel, furniturę, and cargo, shall be forfeited to the United States.

"In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

"Done at the City of Washington this eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-ninth.

"ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

"WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State."

And on the same day the following:

"WHEREAS, for some time past vessels-of-war of the United

Proclamation on Maritime Rights.

Equality claimed with all Nations.

States have been refused in certain foreign ports privileges and immunities to which they were entitled by treaty, public law, or the comity of nations, at the same time that vesselsof-war of the country wherein the said privileges and immunities have been withheld have enjoyed them fully and uninterruptedly in ports of the United States, which condition of things has not always been forcibly resisted by the United States, although, on the other hand, they have not at any time failed to protest against and declare their dissatisfaction with the same. In the view of the United States no condition any longer exists which can be claimed to justify the denial to them by any one of said nations of customary naval rights, such as has heretofore been so unnecessarily persisted in

"Now, therefore, I, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States, do hereby make known that if after a reasonable time shall have elapsed for intelligence of this proclamation to have reached any foreign country in whose ports the said privileges and immunities shall have been refused as aforesaid, they shall continue to be so refused, then and thenceforth the same privileges and immunities shall be refused to the vessels-of-war of that country in the ports of the United States; and this refusal shall continue until war-vessels of the United States shall have been placed upon an entire equality in the foreign ports aforesaid with vessels of other countries. The United States, whatever claim or pretence may have existed heretofore, are now at least entitled to claim and concede an entire and friendly equality of rights and hospitalities with all maritime nations.

"In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

"Done at the city of Washington this eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred

Supplementary Proclamation.

Key West.

Official Bulletin.

and sixty-five, and of the Independence of the United States

the eighty-ninth.

"By the President:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

"WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State."

And, on the twelfth April, the following supplementary proclamation:

"WHEREAS, By my proclamation of this date the port of Key West, in the State of Florida, was inadvertently included among those which are not open to commerce :

"Now, therefore, be it known that I, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States, do hereby declare and make known that the said port of Key West is and shall remain open to foreign and domestic commerce, upon the same conditions by which that commerce has hitherto been governed.

"In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

"Done at the City of Washington this eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, and of the Independence of the United States. of America, the eighty-ninth.

"By the President:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

"WM. H. SEWARD, Secretary of State."

The light in which the administration regarded the position of affairs can best be judged from the following official bulletin from the War Department, bearing date April thirteenth, 1865:

"This Department, after mature consideration and consultation with the Lieutenant-General upon the results of the recent campaigns, has come to the following determination. which will be carried into effect by appropriate orders, to bo immediately issued:

Official Bulletin.

Drafting and Recruiting Stopped.

Expenses Curtailed.

"First. To stop all drafting and recruiting in the loyal States.

"Second. To curtail purchases for arms, ammunition, quartermaster's and commissary supplies, and reduce the expenses of the military establishment and its several branches.

"Third. To reduce the number of general and staff officers to the actual necessities of the service.

"Fourth. To remove all military restrictions upon trade and commerce, so far as may be consistent with the public safety.

"As soon as these measures can be put in operation, it will be made known by public orders.

"EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War."

The Traitor President, who, on the fifth of April, had issued a proclamation to the effect that he should hold on to Virginia-where was he at this time?

CHAPTER XXV.

THE LAST ACT.

Interview with Mr. Colfax-Cabinet Meeting-Incident-Evening Conversation-Possibility of Assassination-Leaves for the Theatre-In the Theatre-Precautions for the Murder-The Pistol Shot-Escape of the Assassin-Death of the President-Pledges Redeemed-Situation of the Country-Effect of the Murder-Obsequies at Washington -Borne Home-Grief of the People-At Rest.

On the morning of Friday, April fourteenth, 1865, after an interesting conversation with his eldest son, Robert, a captain on General Grant's staff, relative to the surrender of Lee, with the details of which the son was familiar, the President, bearing that Schuyler Colfax, Speaker of the House of Repre

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