The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-04-14
Letter from Rev. William Henry Chan
ming.

Letter from Rev. William Henry Chan.
ming.
To the Editor of The Boston Transcript.
The Rev. William II Cbauning, iu q lot
ter to me, writes as follows. Thinking IL
will interest your readers copy II for your
paper, with the true and manly spirit OF
which 1t 10 in harmony.
Respectfully, L. MARIA CHILD.
| WASHINGTON, March 9th, 1865.
Tho transformation 10 steadily proceeding.
Schools. habitable homes, crowded churches,
thrift, enterprise, laudable ambition, neat
attire, and courteous manners, mark the
complex methods by which this long do
pressed race arc becoming free citizens of
Republic. Old Senator Bradiee, of Yer
mont, one of the most sagacious, strong
headed, experienced statesman Of New Eug-
land, said to me, two weeks ago, holding out
both hands, and bis face oil aglow Let me
congratulate you on .he ten strike you made
by inviting o coiored minister to preach in
the Capitol. That was biting tho white in
the target. When Senator Sumner intro.
ddced Mr.. Rock, q colored lawyer, as bis
peer in the Supreme Court, and you, as
Chaplain, introduced Mr.. Garnet as your
peer in the preachers desk, In the Church
of tho People, the doors of Church and
State were opened for the negro in this ma
tion, never to be closed again. If any Of
the young politicians in Congress find fault
with your rsdicaiism, tell them that On old
Democrat, . friend for years of Con. Jack.
son, who has been behind the scenes for two
generations. thinks you did exactly right"
Verify Verify old John Browns soul is
marching on. . r|
You ought to have been on the steps OF
the Capitol on Inauguration day, and heard
that simple le-bearted confession of the Presi-
dent, and seen the faccs of the listening
| crowd. II were to live to the age of Me.
thuselah, could not expect ever to witness
such q spectacle again. Call to mind the
Inauguration of 1861, With the infamous gu.
thor of the Dred Scott decision administer
ing the oath the half.treacherous crowd of
shareholders and tho half timid band Of pa.
trio.s; the impending gloom of tho coming
tornado of civil war, and an inexperienced
Western politician called to assume 0 more
awful trust. amidst more appalling Difficult.
tics. than auy statesman of the oldest nations
had ever been forced to confront, before
scornful, sneering, on-looking world, repre-
sented by supercilious diplomatists How
could the Address of an uutried President,
under such circumstances. be other wise than
deprecatory, almost TO The verge Of weak
concession?
Ard now mark the contrast, the actually
incredible contrast! Calmly triumphant,
the approved Chief of Free People, al
but unanimously reelected by tho nation,
in confident hope that he would bost carry
| through, to peaceful consumm alton the ter
rible war so nn~iilingly accepted but 80 IN.
oh Ca g. -.sL
Chief.Justice appointed by himself to that
guiShed as the advocate of the rights of tho
Negro Slave: amidst q vast multitude whose
cheers rent tho air; where black faced col.
diers. in blue uniforms, with glistening bay.
ouets, wore ranked with white. faced com.
rsdes; where co!ored Masons and Odd Eel.
lows, In splendid regala, symbolized the
fraterual charities of peace; where refugees
for freedom. in their coarse, brown, ragged
plantation clothes, were intermingled as
equals with we'll dressed citizens; while the
world gazed on the sight with awe at the
mighty judgments of Providencel
Imagine all this, and then conceive that,
just as .he President barred bis head to take
bis oath before the People, the clouds part
ed and the sunbeams fell upon him, whilo
far above, on the summit of the dome, tho
Goddess of Liberty was crowned With light
The heart must have been cold, the imag.
ination dull indeed. thst did not, at such .
moment, feel az If Chrism of the Light of
Life was consecratiDg the Head of Free
Nation. tF
And the Address itselfl I read 10 With
beating heart aud brimming eyes. To my
judgment, that Speech stsnds isolated
amidst the public addresses of this nation |
or any other netion, for its intense sincerity |
In simple truthfulness Il 10 sublime. Think |
of i'll. Here 10 the victorious Ruler Of oil
Republic. that has already proved itself to |
be the mightiest power upon earth; in the
very hour whom triumph 10 - suro a. any
contingent event 10 human affairs can be,
when some slight outburst of exultaut hope
would have been not only pardonsble, but
acceptable; and what do We hear? A hum.
Bile acknowledge for upmerited mercy, a
touchingly pathetic submission to the extrem.
est sacrifices demanded in righteous penal |
ty for monstrous wrongs; q steady trust that
coed will finally prevail; and modest. firm
and msgnaaim0us resolve to fulfil all duties |
of humanity, st home and abroad To my
mind, this plain, straightforward telling the
truth, before that living God, whose word is |
truth; before the People, whose represents.
tive he knew himself to be; aud before tho !
World, whose verdict will finally be Just,
according to the facts, s,proves Abraham Lin.
coin TO be Great a. we'll ss Good.
Cordially, your friend.
WILLIAM H. CHANNING.
Mrs. L. Maria Child.