Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-11-18
RECEPTION OF GENERAL sTEEDMAN
From the Toledo ohio Blade, Oct %.

| Inc announcement on saturday Lnat III wa
determined to give Brig. Gen. Steedman q
| public reception at Whites Hall, brought to
| gether an immense concOurse of citizens il
| the evening. At least half an hour before the
| time designated tor the arrival of the General
II the available space in the Hall was appro
! priated.
At little before O'Clock, Gen. Steedman
accompanied by Lieut.. Col. Bryant, of the
SSth Indiana, Capt. Moe formerly of the 14th
now aid TO Gen. S., Capt. J. w. Smith, OF the
| lllth, and numUer of our prominent citi-
zens, reached the Hall, under escort of the
! Union Silver Band, and as they entered were
| greeted by the most vociferous cheering
| which was continued for some moments after
| the General appeared on the stage. In the
rear of the stage, was suspended the old flag
of the 67th O. V. l., which contributed large
ly to the interest of the occasion.
Gen. Steedman was introduced to the audi
ence by ID. E. Gardner, Esq, who briefly allu-
ded to the interest which our citizens felt in
the General and the regiment led by him to
the field; OF the changes which had marked
their career, of the pleasure afforded by the
bravery ol both, and our pride at learning of
the gallant conduct of the General in the re-
cent engagements; and assured him that his
| name would be cherished and honored by his
friends al Toledo and throughout the \ orth-
! west, among the heroes of the war.
General Steedman said he scarcely knew
| how to reply to the remarks addressed to him ;
he WAS taken so completely by surprise. He
knew that soldier should not allow himself
to be suTprsed-We have lost much by being
surprised-but i'll this instance it was Com
pieie. He heard of the proposed demoDstra-
tion but short time before coming to the
Hall, aud had no opportunity of preparing him
sci! lor speech. He thanked the ladies and
gentlemen for their kind reception it was
gratifying to him TO see so many of his old
friends and neIghbOrs on that occasion, TO eX-
tend 10 him kindly greeting on his return
home. For p years he had been talking with
artillery-and he thought the soldier should
speak III no other language and was quite
out OF practice in the way of public speaking,
but he would talk TO them tor little while
in an old fashioned way. He SAID the meet
ing reminded him of the one held at the de-
pot to uiscuss the assault on Fort Sumter
those assembled at that time were friends OF
Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and
some of them had supported Breckinridge,
hut they had forgotten a II but their country.
He said be would have been glad to meet his
friends in similar manner this occasion,
and inquired 'swhat has arisen TO change the
feelings of an American towards his country ?''
At the commencement of the war, himself and
his old Democratic friends endorsed the Ian
guage OF the illustrious Douglas-hs last
words TO the country-that there could be but
two parties. Patriots and Traitors; he was
DOu thSu-d DOuSIdS lLlan uON-auU
in response to the call of his country, went
forth to contribute what he could toward saw
ing it from the ruin which threatened He
said there were some of his Democratic friends
who aided him in getting up his regiment,
united with Republicans cheering him on in
the cause he had espOused, but as soon as he
was gone turned against him and called him
an ''abolitIonist." He then paid his respects
to this class OF persons in his own inimitable
= lie. IIe rebul[e DOiufp ed nd
the audience signiied their approval of it by
the most enthusiastic applause.
He said the abOlitlonism of the army cOnsis-
ted in a determination to put down the rebel
lion-to subJGgate the rebels-yes, said the
General, ''that is the word-subjugate them.''
We have progressed nobly We have rescued
six States-territory sufficient for empires, the
army is sitting the backbone OF the
Coniederacy, and all that is necessary is to
send the men there are enough of them and
they must come. There are only two ways
of crushing the rebellion and restoring peace
to the country; one is to subjugate the rebels
and compel them TO lay down their arms. the
other to acknowledge their independence.
The latter course would be degrading in the
highest degree to our national honor and man
hood, and subject us TO the scorn and con-
tempt of the civilized world. To fight it out
to the .bitter end' is the only alternative
to do this we must employ every means known
to civilized warfare. While the army was de-
termined TO whip the rebels, here at home,
there are men constantly afraid they will be
shot unconstitutionally. He was Democrat
when he went into the army, and did not
think he could stand it to have negroes placed
by the side of his men but when he got South
and saw them used by the rebels, he under
stood the necessity of taking this power from
them. They did not arm them they dare
not trust them; for, if they arm a thousand
he LAT m Id PM wa nd TTncIt.
Sam would get the arms. A kindly feeling
has gradually grown up between our soldiers
and the blacks. Kindness begets kindness;
the blacks have been our friends, they are now
our spies We can't conceal our movements
from the enemy, for every boy and the old
men would inform them of our precise situa-
ton, and this gave them great advantage.
For 25 years the Shareholders had talked in
the presence of their house servants of the
friendly feeling of the Northern people to-
wards the negro the servants repeated what
their masters had said TO the field hands, and
when our army went South every negro un-
derstood them to be their friends, and often
have they rendered most important service to
our officers.
Gen. S. then related the substance of con-
versation he once had with Col. Ready form
erly Congressman from Kentucky, relative
to the arming of negroes; he told this rebel
who was Mortified at our using the negroes
as soldiers-that himself and friends had the
matter in their own hands; if they would lay
down their arms, return to their allegiance,
there would be no necessity Tor armng the ne
groes the rebels had forced this upon the
General Government, and unless they brought
the war to a speedy close there would be 200,
600 arm ed blacks in the field. And then,
said the General, they will garrison your
towns, and instead of being servants, will be
masters of the Confederates, and you (the
Colonel and his friends) will be under the me-
cessliy of applying to them for permission TO
ho said IN