Daily Republican., 1884-04-14
FORT SUMTER.
SUNDAY THE TWENTY.rHIRD
ANNlVERSARY OF ATS.
CAPITULATION.

1
CAPITULATION.
Twenty-three years ago one ofthe mos
m0mentous events that had ever oc
curred In the history of this country
took place In South Carolina. Fol
many years secession had been threat
ened by Southern leaders, and had il
not been for the frmness of President
jackson in dealing with Cslhoun'i
Threatened notification act, when he u
tered those memorable words, "By the
preserved, there is little doubt but the
conflict which commenced in 1861
would have taken place during his ad-
ministrstiOn.
Secession was, however, only sub
dued for q time, and whenever the least
trouble would occur, that in anyway
threatened or interfered with the pecu
liar institution Of slavery, the people OF
the North would have the bugaboo Of
secession held before them, and the old
threat, the South will secede," was
sufficient to make them agree to any
measures demanded by the South.
Mr.. Lincoln, the rail splitter" had
been elected President by the Northern
States In defiance of the oft repeated
threat Of the South, and weak -knesd
men of the North tsemhied for the re-
suit. In December, 1850, business was
greatly depressed In Philadelphia and
other Northern cities, In consequence Of
the secession movements In the South,
and many large manufacturers agreed
to run on short time.
On the 18th ofthe month Target nion
meeting was held in Indedendence
Square, at which any attempt at seces-
sion was denounced In unmeasured
terms, and coercion endorsed, but on
January 8, a gathering, that was called
q Union meeting, was held at the Board
of Trade rooms iu Philadelphia, at
which resolutions against coercion were
adopted, ,and thetenor of the speeches was
10 let the South go, If she was determin-
ed to do 10. There was considerable
excitement at this meeting, and a riot
was only prevented by the interference
of the police, for the people, and not the
men who were only influenced by the
consideration of dollars and cents,
determined to have voice in this mat
ter.
On January 20 the working men held
a meeting in Independence Square, at
hich they pledged themselv yes to stand
by the principles of "Oid Hickory"
Jackson, and maintain the Union at
all hazards, and nobly did they stand
by those principles in the years that
followed.
No overt act had been committed
until April 2,when the news was fash
I'd from one end of this continent to the
other that the rebels had opened fire ON
Fort Sumter and crowds of men throng-
ed Chestnut street, Philadelphia, with
set features, and d look that plainly
showed that they knew the crisis had
come
Word Of the firing on the fort was
received on a Saturday, and until a
late hour that night the bulletin boards
of the different newspaper Offices were
surrounded by anxious crowds. Sun.
day morning dawned bright and clear,
and the sun had scarcely commenced
his journey across the horizon, ere
Chestnut street was moving mass of
excl ed men, and when the news came
and was made known that the gallant
Major Anderson had been compelled to
capitulate the excitement of the pe0-
pie knew no bounds.
That night the most intense excite
ment prevailed in Philadelphia that
eliminated on Monday morning, when
it was announced that the Palmetto
Flag" an advertising Journal publish
ed on Chestnut street below Fourth, in |
tended for circulation in the South, |
would display South Carolina State
flag, in honor of the reduction of Fort
Sumter.
The publication rooms were on the
third floor of the building and were
reached by means Of three flights Of
steps from the entrance, and the word
went through toe crowd to mount the
stairs, demOlish the furniture of the
office and hang the publisher.
The crowd attempted to force their
way up the stairs, but the editor stood
It the upper landing with q revolver in
ZACH hand, and swore he would shoot
he first man that attempted to ascend.
The threat had its desired effect, and
he crowd hesitated, and ere they had 1
to brave the consequences
Mayor Henry with a large force Of po- 8
ice appeared on the scene, and forcing !
he crowd back, made their way to the t
PIPER rooms and took the proprietor In f
ustOdy. t
The luckless publisher was finally q
rought out guarded with number Of
fficers, and after using their clubs t
efermined to punish vi.o III" ms.- seemeI eoar%
ng to their ideas OF the enormity Of THO =
fence, succeeded in lodging him in t
cell at the Central Station, Fifth and
;hestilut streets.
But the crowd was not satisfied, and a
Though Mayor Henry made a speech Il
rom an upper window, begging the J.
eople to disperse, and assuring them
hat 10 emblem of secession should be
isplayed in the city, where the Decla'
alton of Independence was signed,
1hile he was Mayor, they persisted In Fl
emandiug that the National flag should Il
9 displayed, and this was done by the @
favor before they would leave the
81
But even while the Mayor and part C
his police We're inthe publishingroom
part of the crowd had followed them "
ID, and in a few minutes threw the C
hole edition, that WAS ready for mail. A
ng, out of the upper windows, and
hestnut street was covered with t.
apers. d
There was quite brisk wind blow o
,g at the time, and some of the papers
ere carriedallnost down into the Della C
rare river. The type and everything S
se in the office would have followed v
10 papers, had IL not been tor tho a
Iayor and his officers. Il
The crowd then started cut, and dur fl
IL the day visited a number of govern
leut buildings, several newspaper b
ffices, and other places where the 10y. ri
lty Of persons was doubted, and COM o.
elled them to raise the stars and b
;ripes. That night it was reported n
lat certain Senator who had advoca- a
ID secessionism was in the city, and b.
10 crowd, which by this time had
rown very large, started with a rope tc
, hunt him, but his friends managed IL