The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-01-21

coln-we means all love and graft
tude," and then joining together ii
a ring, the negroes sang with melo
dious and touching voices only pos
sessed by the negroes of the South
Oh all ye people clap your hands
And with triumphant voices sing.
No force the mighty power withstands
OF God, the universal King.
He shall assaulting foes repel,
And with success our battle fight;
Shall d x the place where we must dwell,
The pride of Jacob, His delight
The President and all of us listen
ed in silence while the hymn wal
being sung.
A SCENE IN THE STREETS.
Four minutes, at most had passed
away since we first landed at poinr
where, as far as the eye could reach
the streets were entirely deserted
but now, what different scene ap
peared as that hymn went forth from
the negroes lips The streets seem
60 to be suddenly alive with the col
ored race; they seemed to spring
from the earth. They came tum.
bling and shouting from over the
hills and from the water side, where
no one was seen as we had passed
along.
The crowd Immediately became
very oppressive. We needed our
marines to keep them off l order.
ed twelve of the boats crew to fiz
bayonets on their rifles, and to sur
round the President, which was
done in a moment; but the crowd
poured in SO fearfully that / thought
We all stood chance of being crush.
ed to death.
| now realized the imprudence oi
landing without large body of ma
rines; and yet this seemed to me,
after all, the fittest way for Mr.. Lin
coin to come among the. people he
hal redeemed from bondage.
What an ovation he had, to be
sure, from those so-called ignorant
beings They all had their souls in
their eyes, and l don't think | ever
looked upon a scene where there
were SO many passionately happy
faces.
While some were rushing forward
10 try and touch the man they had
talked of and dreamed of for four
long years, others stood off a little
way, and looked on in awe and won
der. Others turned somersaults, and
many yelled for JOY. Half of them
acted as though demented, and could
find no way Of testifying their de
light.
The negroes, in their ecstacy could
not be made to understand that they
were detaining the President they
looked upon him as belonging to
them, and that he had come to
put the crowning act to the great
work ne had commenced. They
would not feel that they were free in
reality until they heard it from his
own lips,
At length he spoke he could not
move for the mass of people-he
had to do something. "My poor
friends" ne said. you are free-free
as air. You can cast off the name of
slave and tramp upon it; it will
come to you no more. Liberty is
your birthright. God gaveit to you
as he gave it to others, and i. is a
sin that you have been deprived of
it for so many years. But you must
try to deserve this priceless boon.
Let the world see that you merit it
and are able to maintain it by your
good works. Don't let your Joy car
ry you into excesses: learn the laws
and obey them +; harbor no ill-feel-
ing against those who held you in
bondage: obey Gods command
ments and thank Him for giving
you liberty, for to Him you owe all
things. There, now. let me pass on;
| have but little time to spare. Il
want to see the Capitol, and must
return at once to Washington to
secure to you that liberty which you
seem to prize SO highly"
The crowd shouted and screeched
as if they would split the armament,
though while the President was
speaking the silenc, was breatbless.
/ don't think any one could do
justice to that scene it would be
necessary to photograph it to under
stand il.
At length We were able to move
on; the crowd opened for US, shout !
ing. / got the twelve seamen, with |
fixed bay around the President
to keep him from being crushed. 1t |
never struck me that there was any
one iD that multitude who would |
lnjure him; it seemed to me that
be had an army ofsupporters there
who could, and would, defend him
against all the world.
But likely there was scowhng
eyes, not far off; men where, perhaps,
looking on with hatred in their
hearts, who were even then seeking
an opportunity TO slay him.
PASSING LIBBY PRISON.
Our progress was very slow, and
We did not move a mile an hour, and
he crowd was still increasing.
Many poor whites joined the num-
,ers, and sent up their shouts with
he rest. We were nearly half an
hour getting from abreast of Libby
Prison to the edge of the city. The
PRESIDENT stopped a moment to look
IN the horrible Bastile, where so
many Union soldiers had dragged
'ut a dreadful life.
I'VE will pull it down." cried the
:rowd, seeing where his look fell.
NO." he said, leave it as a mon
lnent,"
He did not say a monument to
vhat, but he meant, am sure, to
cave it as q monument to the loyal
y of our soldiers who would bear
il the horrors of Libby sooner than
lssert their flag and cause. I.
We struggled on, the great crowd
preceding US, and an equally dense
rowd of blacks following on behind
-allso packed together that some
4 them often san1 ont in rain. I'LL