With malice toward none, with charity for all, with › firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and orphans; to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

PRESIDENT LINCOLN TO THURLOW WEED.

Executive Mansion, Washington, March 15, 1865. Dear Mr. Weed:-Every one likes a compliment. Thank you for yours on my little notification speech and on the recent inaugural address. I expect the latter to wear as well as, perhaps better than, any thing I have produced; but I believe it is not immediately popular.

Men are not flattered by being shown that there has been a difference of purpose between the Almighty and them.

To deny it, however, in this case, is to deny that there is a God governing the world.

It is a truth which I thought needed to be told, and, as whatever of humiliation there is in it falls most directly on myself, I thought others might afford for me to tell it. Truly, yours, A. LINCOLN.

INTRODUCED BY GOVERNOR MORTON, FROM NATIONAL

HOTEL, WASHINGTON, D. C., MARCH 17, 1865, AND
THE PRESIDENT'S RESPONSE.

Fellow-citizens:-It will be but a very few words that I shall undertake to say. I was born in Ken

tucky, raised in Indiana, and lived in Illinois; and now I am here, where it is my business to care equally for the good people of all the states.

I am glad to see an Indiana regiment on this day able to present the captured flag to the governor of Indiana.

I am not disposed, in saying this, to make a distinction between the states, for all have done equally well.

There are but few views or aspects of this great war upon which I have not said or written something, whereby my own opinion might be known. But there is one-the recent attempt of our erring brethren, as they are sometimes called, to employ the negro to fight for them. I have neither written nor made a speech on that subject, because that was their business, not mine; and if I had a wish upon the subject, I had not the power to introduce it, or make it effective. The great question with them was whether the negro, being put into the army, will fight for them. I do not know, and therefore can not decide. They ought to know better than we. I have in my lifetime heard many arguments why the negroes ought to be slaves; but if they fight for those who would keep them in slavery, it will be a better argument than all I have yet heard. He who will fight for that ought to be a slave. They have concluded at last to take one out of four of the slaves and put them in the army; and that one out of four who will fight to keep the others in slavery ought to be a slave himself, unless he is killed in a fight.

While I have often said that all men ought to be

free, yet would I allow those colored persons to be slaves who want to be, and next to them those white people who argue in favor of making other people slaves. I am in favor of giving an appointment to such white men to try it on for these slaves. I will say one thing in regard to the negroes being employed to fight for them. I do know he can not fight and stay at home and make bread too. And as one is about as important as the other to them, I don't care which they do. I am rather in favor of having them try them as soldiers. They lack one vote of doing that, and I wish I could send my vote over the river so that I might cast it in favor of allowing the negro to fight. But they can not 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, and will therefore bid you goodbye.

CITY POINT, VIRGINIA, APRIL 2, 8:30 P. M.

At 4:30 P. M. to-day General Grant telegraphs as follows:

We are now up, and have a continuous line of troops, and in a few hours will be intrenched from the Appomattox below Petersburg to the river above. The whole captures since the army started out will not amount to less than twelve thousand men, and probably fifty pieces of artillery. I do not know the

A por

number of men and guns accurately, however. tion of Foster's Division, Twenty-fourth Corps, made a most gallant charge this afternoon, and captured a a very important fort from the enemy, with its entire. garrison.

All seems well with us, and every thing is quiet just now. A. LINCOLN.

CITY POINT, VIRGINIA, APRIL 2, 2 p. m.

At 10:45 A. M. General Grant telegraphs as follows:

Every thing has been carried from the left of the Ninth Corps. The Sixth Corps alone captured more than six thousand prisoners. The Second and Twentyfourth Corps captured forts, guns and prisoners from the enemy, but I can not tell the numbers. We are now closing around the works of the line immediately enveloping Petersburg. All looks remarkably well. I have not yet heard from Sheridan. His headquarters have been moved up to Bank's House, near the Boydton road, about three miles south-west of Petersburg. A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR.

At 12:30 P. M. to-day General Grant telegraphed me as follows:

There has been much hard fighting this morning. The enemy drove our left from near Dabney's house. back well toward the Boydton pland-road. We are now about to take the offensive at that point, and I hope will more than recover the lost ground.

Later he telegraphed again as follows:

Our troops, after being driven back to the Boydton plank-road, turned and drove the enemy in turn, and took the White Oak road, which we now have. gives us the ground occupied by the ing. I will send you a rebel flag troops in driving the enemy back. four flags captured to-day.

This enemy this morncaptured by our There have been

Judging by the two points from which General Grant telegraphs, I infer that he moved his headquarters about one mile since he sent the first of the two dispatches. A. LINCOLN.

To E. M. STANTON, SECRETARY OF WAR.

City Point, Virginia, April 2, 1865, 8:30 a. m. Last night General Grant telegraphed that General Sheridan, with his cavalry and the Fifth Corps, had captured three brigades of infantry, a train of wagons, and several batteries; the prisoners amounting to several thousand.

This morning General Grant, having ordered an attack along the whole line, telegraphs as follows:

Both Wright and Parke got through the enemy's lines. The battle now rages furiously. General Sheridan, with his cavalry, the Fifth Corps, and Miles' Division of the Second Corps, which was sent to him this morning, is now sweeping down from the west.

All now looks highly favorable. General Ord is engaged, but I have not yet heard the result in his front. A. LINCOLN.