The National tribune., 1886-04-22


| boys" moved out to the Stone estate and
! pitched their camp, Co. Lefferts taking for his
| headquarters the Stone mansion, now the home
| of Gen. Logan. On the afternoon of the 26th
of April the command was drawn up in Capitol
Square for mastering in. The regiment was
destined to taste something more of the rigors
and discomforts of real service before returning
home, and when the advance was made into
Virginia across the Long Bridge it had the
left of the line, acting as reserve force.
HOW AND WHY THEY CELEBRATE.
The colored people had the floor in Washing
ton last Friday. The 10th of April is 80 Man
| cipation Day"-a day which is more to them
than half dozen Fourth of Julys. 1t is fact,
however, that very few OF them know why they
! celebrate that day-what event of such inter-
est TO them they commemorate by yearly pa
rades and jubilees. Three or four Congress
men, as many Department officials, six or eight
| newspaper correspondents, aud a dozen colored
| men were asked and not one of them could tell
rightly. All the negroes said it was in honor
| OF I" Linkums Emancipation Proclamation" but
| the writer was confident they were mistaken.
| His memory told him that this was issued Jan.
| /, 1853, the preliminary one having been given
to the world in the previous September. His
recollection was aided by the words of the old
army song:
! "In eighteen hundred and sixty three
| Hurrahi Hurrahi
| In eighteen hundred and sixty three
| Hurrah! Hurrah!
| In eighteen hundred and sixty three,
| Abe Lincoln set the niggers free,
| And we'll all drink stone blind,
| Johnny fill up the bowl!''
which, however Objectionable may be the sem
timent of its closing lines, is correct as to the
! historical information conveyed. Happening
| to meet Fred Douglass, he asked him about it,
| and was at once started on the right track.
The 18th of April is the anniversary of the
abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia.
| This was done, not by proclamation, but by an
act of Congress, which took effect on that day
in the year 1s62-eight and half months be-
fore the Liberation of all the slaves in the coun
| try by the stroke Of Mr.. Lincoln's pen.
| Slavery never really fourished in the Dis
| trict. The number Of slaves owned therein
| in 1920 was 6,377. This number had de-
| creased by 1860 to 3,ls6, notwithstanding
| the general growth in population. Mean
| while the free negroes i'll the District
| had increased from about 1000 in 1890
to 11,131 in 1860. The act of Congress re-
ferred to liberated all persons of African descent
| held to service or labor within the District of
| Columbia, and forever prohibited slavery or
| involuntary seryitude therein, except as pun
ishment for crime. Mr.. Douglas spoke of this
act us the first brick in tho row. which, be-
ing toppled over, threw down successfully all
| the rest" The act provided for commission
to appraise the value of the slaves liberated,
| limiting the allowance in the aggregate to an
! amount equal to $500 per slave, and appropri
| ated 81 100000 to compensate loyal owners for
slaves SO liberated. 1t also appropriated $780,
| GOO to coloniZe such of the freed persons as
desired to emigrate to Hayti or Liberia But
few awaited themselves of this privilege, how
ever, and the colonization scheme proved q
failure. After $34, 600 had been spent i'm this
experiment it was abandoned, and this clause
of the act was repealed in 1864 The enlanci-
patton bill passed the Senate by 29 yeas to Ia
nays and the House by 81 yeas to 80 nays.
The negroes had two large parades this year.
Many thousands marched through the streets
and avenues, with bands and banners and
badges in great profuson 1t would have been
much more effective to unite in one grand
parade, but there are two factions, and they
could not agree After wrangling over it for
weeks, each party went ahead on its own hook
and had its own procession and speakers.
In this connection it is interesting to note
the growth of the emancipation idea, keeping
pace with the progress of the war; 1t is we'll
known that President Lincoln was much
disturbed by the orders and proclamations
issued from time to time by various Gen.
erals and department. commanders, upon their
own authority and in accordance with their
own ideas. May 26, 1851 Gen. Mcclellan as
sured the "Union men" of Western Virginia
that not only would the troops under his COM
mand abstain from any Interference with
their slaves, but Eve viii, on the con-
trrry, with an iron hand crush any at
tempt at instruction on their part" June
following, Gen. Patterson said in an order to
his army: I" Should the occasion offer, at once
suppress servile Instruction" Aug. 81, 1861
at st. Louis, Gen. Fremont issued his famous
order of emancipation and confiscation. This
order ELECTED a retaiatory one from Gen. JEFF
Thompson, commanding the Confederate forces
in Missouri, in which he proclaimed that for
every person ''who shall be put to death in
pursuance of the said order of Gen. Fremont,
I will hang draw nd uuarfpr mipion of i'll
Abraham Lincoln" Mr. Lincoln required an
immediate modification of Gen. Fremonts
proclamation, and its stings were drawn. But
Fremont was only getting ahead of the process
sion. A little more than year later the United
States Government toed the mark that Fremont
drew with his sword on the soil of Missouri.
Gen. Butler was the first to catch an idea that
was Immediately and almost universally accept
ed. 1t was set forth in his celebrated order de-
claring the slaves contraband of war;"
TWO PERENNIAL STATESMEN.
Senator Morrill, of Vermont, celebrated, last
Wednesday evening his 18th birthday, by in
viting to his house a company of friends, as has
been his custom for several years. Mr.. Morrill,
is the Oldest member of the Senate, having
been born April IA. 1910, although Mr.. Payne,
of Ohio, is but seven months younger. Both
are exceedingly well preserved, and singularly
hale and hearty for their years Mr.. Morrill,
very closely resembles the late Senator Sumner,
ana might almost DC taken MS
He has been continuously in Congress for more
than 30 years. He was for II years in the
House, and is now in his Goth year as Sem
ator. His hold upon life and upon his constit-
uents seems to be equally strong and CO.
existent. lie is marked illustration of physi-
cal and official longevity.
Representative Kelley, of Pennsylvania, re-
eeived last Tuesday, many congratulations on
his I'D birthday. On his desk was magnif-
cent bouquet of flowers sent in by friend.
Judge Kelley has for many years been known
as the Father Of the House, by reason Of being
the Oldest member in continuous service. With
the close of his present term he will have
served longer in that body than any other man
since the Government was organized
GEN. TURCHIN's LECTURES
Gen. John Il. Tnrchin was greeted on last
Thursday evening at Armory Hall by very
| intelligent audience, who listened with marked
| attention and interest to his very graphic de-
| scription of the battle of Cbickamauga. Gen.
Logan presided and introduced the speaker in
few felicitous remarks, as one who was there
and took an active and distinguished part in
the war of the rebellion. Among the d;stin-
guished comrades present OH the platform were
Generals w. S. R0secrans, James s. Negley, ii.
| V Boynton, S. S. Burdett, g. b. Raum aud
| others In the audience were a number Of
| those who participated more or less promi-
| nently in the great battle on either side. The
| speaker explained the positions and movements
| Of the troops Of both armies by carefully pre-