Daily Republican., 1880-10-08
aAHrrELD Aup TEE vsEEsnES
A S0Iesnn Rrsmk fnst Scene n tht
Home OF the Dhlo Statesmen.

The FISK uDlieo singers, Sno san
40 coeptably In this city, upon two o
nlors occasions, q few days ago drov
up at breakfast time 70 Gen. GARFIELD
house at Mentor, O., and called on him
rhey treated .hs family to some OF tn
peculiar pathetic songs Of their race
The little company Of listeners was
deeply moved by the music, the melo
dious voices and the earnest devotional
expression Of the singers.
When they we're about to 20 they
turned toward Gen. Garfield and sang
an impressive bsnedio.ion with these
words I" The Lord be with you ; the
Lord guard and preserve yOu /; the
Lord lin up His eountenanoe upon you,
and give you peace" There was 81.
lence for q time as the music died
away. Then Gen Garfield, who had
stood by the mantel with bowed head
spoks to the band Of singers very earn
sStly and aolemnly, saying:
My friends, for my family and my.
sslfI thank you for this visit and for
the songs you have sung. While l
have listened thought has ccms to ns
which may encourage you.
A voioe has gone forth before every
great good that was ever achieved In
this world. A voice in the wilderness
was tbs herald Of our Saviour. In the
war OF the Union the thunder Of our
guns on q thousand battle fields was
the voice that prepared the way for the
liberty that came to your race.
Now, friends, the earthly saviour OF
your people must be universal sduca
tion; and believe that your voioss are
preparing for the coming Of that bless-
ing.
You have sung q great uuiversity in
to being. You have sung before kings
and princes. You have sang to the
meek and the loWly. You have sung
TO the hearts Of your people, and hepe
and believe That your voices are herald
ing the great liberation which sduca-
tion will bring to ysur lately snslaved
brethren. You are fighting for light
and for the freedom 1t brings and in
thst contest I would rather b. with
you and defeated than against you and
victorious. In the language of the song
you have just sung l say to you,
"March on, and you shall win the vic
tory--you shall gain the day"
One Of the singers, Mr.. J. T. LoudeD,
made this reply:
81 have no words to express my own
feelings and the feelings of those who
are associated with me here this morn
ing, nor can l express hos much real
pleasure 1t has given Us TO be here and
listen TO the words that you have given
1tterancs 10. You know how We havsi
been looking to the future, how the
wheels have seemed TO roll backward
or the past few yeas. We kew not
whether they are to stop in their back.
ward movement now. You cannot
'esliEs with what hope and expectation
ve look to your elevation to the lofty
eat that is within the gift Of this coun-
ry. You do not know how We cling to |
he sentiments that you utter, and
specially to the sentiments that you
ave just expressed touching the rights
4 our people.
We are of you, and we aro with you
a this struggle, even as we were in
he bloody conflicts that closed it seems
ut yesterday, | believe that the
ecOrds do mot bear an account of any
'sitor to the Government Of the United
tates with \ black skin, and I believe
lst We srs as faithful and true to-day
} those who were victorious in that
reat struggle as we were then. We
'ok forward to the success Of those !
ho were successful in that great
'ntest with no less longing and ex
,ctation than We did when the guns
ere laundering upon the battle. fields !
which you have Just spoken, and | i
lily say, from a full heart, God bless
N and give to You successl For that
8 shall hops. labor and pray, and
Ok forward with longing expectancy. "
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