, 1862-04-19

Washington cor y. y. Tribunc1
In anticipation Of the Iberty-iay that seems
so near to them, the slaves Ill over the city,
and the free negroes, who are connected with
them by the lies Of kindred and sympathy,
are dressed in their best to-day {mauy OF them
in their seedy best, to be snre), and arc as
eembled to celebrate this Sabbath as day Of
praise and Thanksgiving. I have talked with
several candidates" this evening, from
whom gather that this ss Thanksgiving Day"
has been Kept jogeusly in nearly ali Of their
seventeen churches. There seems to hare
been p1econcert among them, and the after
noon was devoted to loye-feasts
I attended the Bethel Church, near tic Cap
ito', this morning The black clergyman
preached very good sermon from the text,
IF God be for us, who can be against Us W
to an audience Of 200 or 800 Of his own peo-
pic.
He spoke OF the deliverance of Moses and
the children Of Israel from bondage; aud bya
natuTai transition, referred to the condition
Of the slaves in America, and especially in
this Diss rict. He thanked the Lord most fer
venf1y that he had been perH1ittca to live to
see this day. 43 years ago he IVES tarred and
feaihered in Washington because he would
preach the Lord Jesus as he understood it;
''but now,'' shouted the sable speaker. alet
Ethiopia lift up her hands to God, for great
good is coming out Of this war "a good for
NC, for us. and for our people, whom every
nation has get its heel upon' ~ His audience
to the end of the discourse. Of course, The
expressions and demonstrations were ext,aya-
gant--trae to the quick fancy aud feryeut
hearts Of the race. Some rubbed their hands
in glee, some laughed outright, some leaped
IN the air or twisted themselves into
grotesque attitudes, as if their joy was
too intense to be entertained at a staid per
many shqns? eo:E to h.si God
day has come.' &c; while nearly all were in
tears. When the speaker thanked the Lord
that the slaves were to be free, the jubilee be.
triumphant voices! An old "aunt," off in
the right hand upper corner, shouted and
wept persistently- Probably she had !, reason
Tor it, thought-pcrhaps two or three of
them, helpless, and in the hands OF the kid
nappers. ,"Glory to God"' said the preach
yelled 2 voice at the right that belonged to a
stronEly-built mulatto. mo- commanded
the speaker Instantly, IL tell You
glory to God!'' for lie seemed deter
mined 49. from the first word that God
lusing TO give moiety to the President or
Congress 4 pair Of hands clenched spasmod-
lca1ly the top Of the seat in which Was siting
| Looked back and the man was hopping up
and tdown, as If he had Just caught 4 glimpse
eneiEar 81 en- and presently Interrupted th7
for the land Of Canaan.'' His face bore q deep
scar across the nose, and tears were streaming
from the long fu11oTs Of his cheeks He had
seen thirty years, perhaps, and the light gray
rags that he gathered about him told me ihat
be had stcome out Of the house of bondage''
Most af the hearers were partly white; many
were mulattoes, quadroons, octoroons-and
one OF two women, I imagined, would attract
attention, for their good looks, on Broadway.
But what day Of sunshine it was to the
stricken souls! They seemed to think little
OF ihe hidnapper; they were full Of hope, aud
looked ahead: Such chorus Of exultation I
never heard before; such Joyful gestures I
never beheld-it #as spectacle for maa aud
angels.