The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-07-23

suspense of those July days! There was
not household that did not throb and
thrill between hope and fear. There were
100000. men. thousands of them from
Philadelphia and the neighboring towns
and there was not family that did not
tremble for its loved ones engaged in
that fatal strife,or did not shudder at the
advance of the foe who seemed SO near,
or did not fancy in that advance the loss
of the holy cause of the Union.
On the morning of the fth Of July,
1868. ! was at the Union League, then
on Chestnut street near Eleventh, Phila-
delphia. in the massive building now oc-
cupiod by the family of the beloved Mat
thew Baldwin The rooms aud gardens
of the lovely mansion were filledto over
flowing with pale, anxious men the
streets were full of n silent, waiting crowd
the sidewalks and windows were crowded
with women even the children were
awcd into silence as their elders discuss
cd in whispers the possibilities of the
dreadful fight in the green valleys of the
Cumberland. Reynolds had been killed
of others, and his brother. James l.. came
from Iancaster,in this state, bowed down
in terror with the sacrifice,and humbled
women were sobbing over the dispatches
already recording their losses. 1t was II
day of tears and despair. | had been
present at other scenes of sorrow, but
nothing like this 18th of July, 1868. The
commandant of this department was
General j. \. j. Dana, and his Office was
Girard street near Twelfth, and ! held
position MS Il consulting member of his
staff, About noon ON that Saturday i
saw that he was in tears. lie handed
me Il dispatch from General Mead just
received. ! opened and tried to read it,
but could not. | saw enough to tell that
we were saved. And soon the good news
became universal Then all hearts ex-
ploded with joy. over the deliverence. 1t
was a wonderful sight that sudden
change from grief TO gratitude. Some
shed tears, some shouted in Joy old foes
became friends, and even iniidels Joined
in the spontaneous prayers of the preach
ers. Robert Browl,ing's thrilling poem
describing the man who carried the good
news TO Ghcnt, which broke the siege
and filed the souls of the Flemish with
a deep thanksgiving 10 God, might have
been paraphrased in honor of the messen-
ger who brought such happiness to the ops
pressed and terrified and despairiug Phil
adclpha.
Who won that great fight ! Who
saved Philadelphia from fire and spoil
| Who drove back the enemy and saved us
| from II fate of which the burning of
c Chambersburg and Carlisle and the for
ced contributions upon York We're inten-
dcd to be grim preparations A brave
army of patriotic citizens. led by three
PENNSYLVANIA Genernls-Georee Gordon
Mead, OF Philadelphia,J Ohm Fulton Rey-
nolds, of Lancaster, and Winfield Scott
Hancock. of Montgomery. Mead died
ON the 9th of November. 1872, in his
house presented to his wife by the peo-
pie of Philadelphia. afterwards supple
mented by Il contribution of 100000
from the same source Reynolds was
killed in battle on the 2nd of July, and
is buried ut Lancaster Hancock is to-
day the democratic candidate for presi-
dent of the United States.
am only one of the army of the re-
publicans who will vote for General Han
cock for these reasons only one of many
of the Oldest republicans of this city,who
call upon me to say that they would be
ashamed of themselves if, after all their
words of praise and thanksgiving for the
salvation of Philadelphia from fire and
rebel contribution III 1868, they should
now vote against the man who did the
most Of the work. General Garfield is 8
good man, but we owe him nothing com
pared with the debt TO Hancock. WheI
told that to vote for llancck is to vote fol
a democrat. / reply that the partition be
tween the two parties is very thin. Tn,
q only point on which we may he said t.
differ is protection, and that cannot be
: very strong one when Hancock come
from the great tariff county Of Montgom
1 cry. Pennsylvania, and all his friends ar
/ open advocates of protection, while Gan
i field WAS a member of the Golden clul
n in London. the great free trade head
!. quarters in England because of his rathe
1 bold sympathies with the western ent
j. mics of Pennsylvania interests.