The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-04-08
What Happened on March Fourth.

Washington, new President was inaugu-
rated. 1t was the third like occasion I'M
der the auspices of the same party. The
minds of thoughtful men, Oh the occasion,
went back over the long years of anxiety,
privation, toll suffering. war and death,
since that party inaugurated its first Presi-
dent-a party whose avowed purpose was
philanthropy-th great moral party that
was to put out of existence all oppression
and wrong, and introduce the reign of
righteousness and peace Eight years of its
domination had PASSED. 1t had freed the
negroes of the South. We speak not now
of the agonies of blood, of the slaughtered
thousands, of the manned hundreds of thou
sands. We speak not Of the mountain OF
debt, or the curtailed comforts Of the poor
man. But the negro is free.
On that night festivity reigned. The
ball rooms were filled with rich dresses.
smiling faces, glittering jewelry. Feasts
us
music filled the air. Why shall they not
smile. and feast, and dance? Is not the
party of great moral ideas in power, and
has it not just put its chosen representative
in the Presidential chair? And above all,
is not the negro everywhere free?
Let the music ring out again Fill the
goblets with rare wine Let men drink,
and beauty moisten her red lips! 1t is
glorious and
Let us look on another scene Of that
Fourth of March night. Let us away tc
the north, into the heart of New England
into Vermont, and in the town Of Peacham
among the mountains. 1t is bitterly cold
The ground is covered deep with snow.
The road is lonely, deserted, bleak with the
frosty wind, and white with drifting flakes
Along the road that winter night move
painfully and YEARLY three females, An
old lady. her daughter, and child of ten
der years. Thinly clad, hungry, poor and
despairng, they stumble along the dreary
path, sinking down at last, benumbed with
cold, they sleep the sleep Of death.
The story Of this awful occurrence is
told in a local paper. We do not wish tc
exaggerate. The truth is bad enough
therefore we copy it eutire from the St
Johnsbury Caledonian-
A widow, aged "A years, and an unmarried
daughter aged 49, by the name of Emmons,
and child Of another daughter, aged years
very poor, but so far as appears, guiltless OF
all else, were ordered out Of the town where
they were living, a few miles from Peacham
probably to save that town the expense of sup
porting them. They started on the morning OF
the 4th Of March, to go on foot, to an adjoin-
ing town over the mountain, where q relative
had offered them home. The roads were
very deep with snow, and travelling in any
way difficult. In the afternoon they were over
taken by Peacham man, going up the mount
ain. They begged the privilege of riding. He
could not carry all of them, but offered to take
the old woman; she, however, was unwilling
to be separated from the others, and SO the man
went on. This was about 2. NJ, and the sun
was then shining. Soon after they reached q
cottage at the very foot Of the mountain where
they stopped and rested, and begged for the
privilege even of sitting by the tiresile during
the night. This was refused them; and they
started again up the mountain. All along up
marks were left, where the aged woman had
sat in the snow to rest.
While ascending, violent snow storm over
took them, and was raging fiercely when they
reached the last house on the height. This
was passed by the travellers without calling,
the man of the house having met them in the
woods and forbidding them to call. 1t was
now O'Clock. The next two miles seemed to
have cost the poor family some three hours OF
painful toll, and when within about half mile
of the next house, the Old mother appears to
have sank down and died. The daughter and
grandchd struggled on until they reached q
fence, near q house in which light was burn
ing. Here they both rested for time; and
then the lad made straight for the light, and
had reached it within twelve or fifteen feet,
when, with an expiring cry for help, he fell
The cry was heard but In the raging storm
was not supposed to be the call of a human be
ing. So nothing was done until morning when
the child, first, then the daughter, and finally
the old mother were found where they sank
down and died, within the sigh OF aid.
Dead Frozen to death on that winters
night Driven from shelter, like wilc
beasts, to perish in the highway! Why is
this? What manner Of men are the au.
thorities and people Of Peacham? To
!, what church--to what party do they be
long? Who are their teachers aud ex
emplars?
Why, they gave their votes, six TO one
Tor the man whose Inauguration at Wash
ington is being celebrated with so much
pomp. They are men Of the great moral
idea party, They are philantllropists
But these poor women and this child arc
WHITE, There is no Freedman's Bureau
to care for them. No clothing, no rations
for their comfort. Only the cold shroud of
the heaped up snow, the dead faces upturn-
ed as if questioning Heaven, and the pitt
full story of their struggles for life, told by
the mute yet eloquent record on the wintry
highway.
Aud while the frost is stealing over their
forms, freezing out their lives, the dance
and music and feasting 60 on at the iuaue.
uration, and congratulations are exchanged
on the continued reign of the party of phi-