This address, the longest of the presidential period with the exception
of the First Inaugural, was delivered before a great crowd gathered in
front of the White House, four days before Lincoln's assassination.
The evening before, on a similar occasion, he had requested the people
to wait until he could prepare his remarks, adding that he wished to be
careful, as everything he said got into print. The newspaper reports
of the following day state that it was received with great enthusiasm.
The address is of special interest as indicating the attitude of the
President toward the difficult question of Reconstruction.
_The evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond_. April 2 and 3
respectively. General Lee surrendered April 9.
_The new constitution of Louisiana_. The constitution was adopted
September 5, 1861.
_The proposed amendment_. The thirteenth amendment, abolishing slavery
throughout the United States, was proposed in 1864, but failed to
receive the necessary two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives.
It was passed in 1865, and after receiving the endorsement of the
necessary number of States went into effect December 15 of the same
year.