Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-08-20
Gov. Andrews Prayer.

The memoir of Governor Andrew
which has recently been prepared bv
his friend, Peleg W. Chandler, for tbs
NJ ,ssachusetts Historical society, con.
talns the following account of q mem.
orable scene in the official life Of the
great war Governor which has tIava,
OF Cromwell ana the English common
wealth:
Among the Governors friends wa.
young merchant OF Boston, and l viii!
let him tell the story in his own vay:
1t was in the summer of 1862, wber
emancipation was being talked of o
great deal. We had not had any grea,
successes, and every body had q notion
that emancipation ought to come. Oae
day the Governor sent fnr me to Dome
up to the State House. l went up to
his room, and never shall forget how
l met him. He was signing some kind
OF bonds, standing at tail desk in ehe
counsel chamber, in his shirt sleeves
his fingers all covered with ink. h
said, " How do you do? want Won r.
go to Washington. Why, Governor"
said |, Il can't go to Washington on anv
such notice as this. am busy, and !,
is impossible for mo to 60" "Allm nv
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, somebodv
must go to Washington" "Well. gov.
ernor, don't see how can." Said he,
I" l command you to 60" Jewell. :" said
Governor put it that way. and shall
go, OF course. There is someting
going on" he remarked. "This is 3
momentous time" He turned suddenly
toward me and said, "You believe il
prayer, don't you ?" / said, "why. O,
course" Then lot 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 nv
life. l never was SO near the throne Of
God, except when my mother died. as
was then. l said to the Governor, ~
am profoundly impressed, and 1 will
start this afternoon for Washington" I
soon found out that emancipation was
in everybody's mouth, aud when l got
to Washington and called upon Sumser.
he began to talk emancipation. HI
asked me to 60 and see the President
and tell him how the people of Boston
and Now England regarded it, went
to the White House that evening au,.
met the President. We first talked
about everything but emancip alton.
told him what thought Of 1t, and said
Governor Andrew was 80 far interested
in it that l had no doubt he had sent
me to post the President in regard to
what the class OF people l met in Bos.
ton and New York thought of it, then
repeated to him, rs had previously to
Sumner, this prayer OF the Governor, as
we'll as could remember it. The
President said: When we have the
Governor OF Massachusetts, to send US
troops in the way he has, and when We
have him to utter such prayers for us,
l have no doubt that we shall succeed"
In September the Governor sent for
me. He had dispatch that emarci-
patton would DO proclaimed, and it was
done the next day. You remember the
President made II proclamation in Sep
TENDER to take effect in January. We'll.
he and l were together alone again il
the council chamber. Said he, You
remember when l wanted you to go to
Washington?' l saiA," yes, I remember
it very WELL" Well, j." said he, 81 didn't
know exactly what l wanted you to 60
for then. Now L will tell you what
let's dc; you sing Coronation and III
join with you" SO we sang together
the old tune, and elsc Praise God
from whom all blessings how." Then
| sang" Old John Brown" lie march
ing around and joining in the chorus
Of each verse. ''-BJst0n Transcript.