Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-04-29
GRANT AMONG THE NEGROEs.
Amusing and Pathetic Scenes In u New
Orleans COlored Methodist Church.
Y O Intter 10 thn Milunnken Snntinnl

thusiastic and hearttelt-last Monday he
was among the negroes. Rev. DR.. Hart
zell, editor Of the Southwestern Christian
Advocate, about whose work among the
negroes shall have much to say in the
future, invited Grant to Wesley chapel to
meet the Methodist preachers. 1t is a
large church, but on Monday it could not
hold tenth of the negroes who crowded
around it. 1t had come to the knowledge
Of the negroes that Grant would visit this
coIored church at ten o'clock-and at tour
o'clock in the morning it was crowded Ia
its fullest capacity. These dusky patriot,
waited here and in the streets of the vicn-
ity for over six hours, for look at the
great Union general.
When two blocks away from the church
he was fairly startled at the mass oil black
humanity. The dozens of policemen on
the ground found it difficult to clear a
path for the carriage, and when Grant
got out he was nearly killed by the pres
sure of the wild crowd. To merely touch
his arm would make a negro fairly scream
with ecstasy, and one white haired old
negro who grasped his hand cried out
"Bress God! Bress Col! Now Use
ready to die--l done shuck his han, |
done shuck his han" and the old fellow
threw his arms up and called on the peo.
pie to look at him-he'd "shuck Grant 5
han. No language can give a correct
idea of the scene. Men, women and chill.
dren screamed and pushed and pulled,
crazy to shake hands with the general,
and it was fully fifteen minutes before he
reached the altar after he entered the
door. "l've been in Africa" he said,
"but never got so warm as this" 1t was
fifteen minutes more before the crowd
could be quieted by the vigorous express
sions of the pastor, emperor William, ="
an old colored minister who was formerly
a slave. When there was something like
quiet, Emperor William made some re-
marks, his face beaming with happiness
and sweat.
81 done had a few big days in my life"
he shouted, IAN dis is one O. my big
days. One pint's settled--you all said
he wouldn't come, an yer he is. You
was a betten' yO' dolla's he wouldn't
come, but bless the Lawdl yer he is. "
"Oh, yes! Oh, yes! da' he is suah
enough" shouted back the congregation,
and they Rugged themselves and wept
while one old sister cried, "Oh, my God,
| done see him; oh, my God!"
A negro choir of a hundred voices then
broke loose with De B idegroom's Come,
the people keeping time with their feet
and with their swaying bodles-all crazy
with excitement. We had now, for the
first time, chance to look about. Over
the pulpit was an immense portrait OF
Grant, beautifully decorated. and opposite,
fine picture of Lincoln, similarly decor
ated. On a table In front of the pulpit
was a cart load Of fragrant flowers,
brought by the colOred people. Along
the aisles, squeezed into thinness by the
crowd, were the marshals-old men with
their hair done up in bright ribbons, and
with red, white and blue batons in their
hands. Every inch of room in the large
church was occupied, while the gallery
grcaneA with IT'S weight Of durlSy famaies.
Every moment bench would snap be
meath its load, the pressure of the crowd
outside would crush in a window, while
the unctious "amens" would roll from
every part of the room. There never was
a better opportunity to study negro
characteristics and negro appearance
there was every shade of SKIN from the
awtully black African tc the far and
buxom quadroon.
After the singing and a characteristic
prayer, DR.. Hartzell made an eloquent
address Of welcome, which was accom-
panied by "amens' and cries Of "dat's
so," "dat's hit" by the congregation.
Grant responded in a few words, in
which he hoped the colored peoplewould
stick to the Bible and the spelling
book. A young colored man then
made briefspeech, which was one of the
most eloquent and effective | ever heard
He stopped over a little, but he did 1t
gracefully, welcoming Grant as the saw
lour Of the colored people, to be named
only with Lincoln. General Grant" he
said, "you have uttered many pithy SEN
tences that live in popular memory; you
have said let us have peace when peace
was the longing o. every heart; you ex-
pressed the de ermina ion Of the American
people when you said you would fight it
out on this line if it takes all summer;
but there was one speech nobler than all
which has sunk deeper into the hearts
Of millions-when the landlord at jack
sonville, Florida, would have driven the
cOlored people back as they escorted you
to the hotel you said, let them come, for
where | am there the Colored people may
be. " The perfect frenzy Of the crowd
when this was related was beyond all des-
criptlon.
| wish could put Scott Chin before you
as he made his remarks, but pen and ink
will not do it. He is q tall old man q
preacher for sixty years. Evidently the
brothers have trouble in stopping his talk
when he is once started-like an OCCASION
al visitor at at newspaper office at the
busiest time, his tongue seems to be
wound up for twenty-four hours. As he gets
warmed up his body sways like that Of a
dancer, his speech has a musical swing,
almost like song, to which he keeps
time with his foot. He reached the pull
pit after being cautioned a dozen times to
''b1elen yo' Speech and after shaking
both of Grants hands commenced in low
voice which gradually grew loud and
musical. "De Lawd's been good to his
OIL sarvent," said he. 81 nebba hoped to
see dis executive in dis world, but hoped
to meet him in glory. | was proud Of dis
hero's respecting the saying Of de Angel
Gabriel, peace on earth, and good
will to all men. God has peace in heaven
and he wants peace yer, and dat's why he's
watched over dis hero-he wants to make
peace down yer. An angels been watch
IN ova you, and mighty big angel come
with you to Louisiana. As you come along
prejudice and envy and malice peeped at
YOU, but de angel tuck care of you. An
when yo' wuck's done may dat angel take
you to glory and set you down on de right
han of God"
The old man was in an ecstacy. As he
lift the pulpit his eyes were closed, and
his arms thrown up, The brothers evl'
IDENTIFY understood his condition, for they
passed him along from one to another un'
iii he was deposited in his seat, apparent
| ly unconscious of how he got there. He
sat there with his face turned upward and
bis lips moving, perfect case Of exalta
tion.
Other speeches were made, and ther
Grant shook hands with the preachers
and an effert was made to clear the way
| for his exit. II was impossible. The
black thousands swarmed to the front and
shook his hands, his arms. his coat.tails
He was wedged in by wild multitude
and only after a long struggle didhe man
age to escape through back door. Fol
blocks he was followed by men, womer
and children, all shouting and throwing
| hn;r nrr,,a Hn una naltad with Hnuarl