Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-07-14
Governor Andrews Prayer.

The memoir of Governor Andrew which
has recently been prepared by his friend
Peleg w. Chandler, for the Massachusetts
Historical Society, contains the following
account Of a memorable scene in the official
life Of the great war governor Among the
governors friends was young merchant OF
Boston, and | will let him tell the story in
his own way: at was in the summer OF
1862, when emancipation was being talked
a great deal. We had not had any great
successes, and everybody had a notion that
emancipation ought TO come. One day the
governor sent for me TO come up TO the
state house. | went up TO his room, and l
never shall forget how met him. He was
signing some kind Of bonds, standing at
tall desk in the council chamber, in his
shirt sleeves, his fingers all covered with
ink. He said How do you do2 | want
you to go TO Washington why, COVER
nor said |, u can't go to Washington on
any such notice as this. 1 am busy, and it
is impossible for me to CO. 'All my folks
are serving their country said he, and he
mentioned the various services the members
of his staff were engaged in, and said with
emphasis, Somebody must go to Washing
ton well, governor, | don't see how
cam Said he, | command you to CO.
WELL said |, governor, put it in that way
aud I shall go, of course There is some
thing going on he remarked. This is a
momentous time He turned suddenly
toward me and said, You believe in prayer,
don't you p said, why, of course Then
let us pray;' and he knelt right down at the
chair that was placed there; we both knelt
down, and | never heard such prayer in
all my life | never was so near the throne
of God, except when my mother died, as |
was then. | said to the governor, am
profoundly impressed; and | will start this
afternoon for Washington | soon found
out that emancipation was in everybodys s
mouth, and when | got to Washington and
called upon Sumner, he began to talk eman-
cpatiou. He asked me to go and see the
president, and tell him how the people OF
Boston and New England regarded 1t. |
went to the white house that evening and
met the president. We first talked about
everything but emancipation, and finally he
asked me what | thought about emancipa
ton. told him what thought about it,
and said that Governor Andrew was so far
interested in it that | had no doubt that he
had sent me on there to post the president
in regard to what the class of people met
in Boston and New York thought of it, and
then | repeated to him, as had previously
to Sumner, this prayer of the governors, as
well as could remember it. The president
said, when we have the governor of Massa
chusetts to send us troops in the way he has
and when we have him to utter such pray
ers for us, have no doubt that we shal
succeed In September the governor sent
for me. He had dispatch that emancipa
ton would be proclaimed, and it was done
the next day. You remember the president
made proclamation in September to take
effect in January. Well, he and were
together alone again in the council chamber
Said he, You remember when wanted
you to go to Washington p | said, Yes,
remember it very WELL 'Well,' said he
Il didn't know exactly what ! wanted yor
to 60 for then. Now will tell you what
let's do you sing Coronation" and III
join with you So we sang together the
old tune, and also Praise God from whom
all blessings How Then sang 'Old John
Brown he marching round and joining il
the chorus after each verse;"