Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-15
How the News Was Received Here
in Washington.
DEVOTION OF COLORED MEN.
The Amicable Relations Retween
Slaves and Their Owners in This Dis
notwithstanding Stories OF James
WOrmley and Isaac N. Cary.
Written for The EVENING STAR.


which prevailed Throughout. the whole country.
The boldness of the design and the intrepid
reckless execution of it at first led to the
impression that q large force must be behind
this vanguard advancing into an enemy's
country, for SO it was considered by those whom
John Brown represented. 1t might be said
that this city was appalled,; for We could not
comprehend the desperate courage Of the small
band of fanatics, as we called them, who thus
rushed to certain destruction, casting their
lives upon the hazard of a die where there
was no chance Of winning. The boldness and
the answering directness of the blow they
aimed at slavery convinced us they were sup
ported by some powerful, unseen, unknown
element or force whose uncertain quantity
made 1t more formidable.
THE FIRST TELEGRAM.
Col. Berret was mayor, and on the morning
of October II he was at the Presidents house
to see Mr.. Buchanan on other business. when
the first telegram arrived announcing the cap
ture of the buildings at Harper's Ferry on the
preceding night. The President handed it to
the mayor, and while he was reading it an
other came from Capt. John Richie Of Fred
erlck. Md. offering his company OF volunteers
to the President, and in few minutes the Seq
rotary of War, Gov John b. Floyd, entered the
room with hand full of kilograms giving full
particulars of the raid. Col Robt. E. Lee was
summoned from the War Department and Or
dered to take what troops could be raised and
proceed at once toHarpers Ferry. The marines
l think under the command of Capt. Israel
Green and the troops, small body from the
arsenal, left imme diately and constituted for
the time Col. Lees force. The Secretary of
War showed the President and Col. Berret an
anonymous letter he had received. saying an
incursion would be made on Washington that
night. The mayor was asked ii he could defend
the city. He said h9 could. and an order for a
hundred stands of arms and ammunition for the
police force given him He charged
with the duty of protecting the city. The
Presidents Mounted Guard. Capt. Peck, was
ordered to report to the mayor. Capt John
II. Goddard, chief of the police, was sent for
the arms, and the hundred meu Of the police
force and some dozen citizens the mayor had
summoned to his Office remained all night await
ing report. The Presidents Mounted Guard,
under command of Lieut.. Robert Teel,
was ordered to picket the roads leading into
Washington. Mr.. VIM. Teel, now a merchant
on Pennsylvanla avenue, was sergeant Of the
mounted troops and was stationed at the Navy
Yard with dozen men to repel any invaders
who attempted to cross Anacostia bridge, and
a like detail was placed at the different roads.
1t rained very hard all night, and the invaders,
If any such ever existed, gave no evidence OF
their design on Washington.
THE CAPTURE OF JOHN BROWN.
In the meanwhile the marines under Capt
Green at Harper's Ferry improvised batter
ing ram from a convenient ladder, broke down
tho door of the building where John Brown
was located with his force and rushed in. Capt.
Green, armed only with walking cane, cap
tured John Brown and the force which had
come to liberate the slaves Of the south. The
rest is history.
That morning. Tuesday, the 18th, however,
Gov. Wise arrived, and was met at the steam.
W har Nv nf he ma air ha
Maj. W. III. Thomas. now of Louisville, and es-
corted to the mayors Office, where, after some
consultation and the knowledge of the stua-
ton had been conveyed, the governor left for
the scene Of action.
1t was known that John Brown had captured
Lewis Washington, prominent citizen of
Frederick county and relative of the immor-
tai George, and held him a hostage for the
safety of himself and band. Gov. Wise was
approached by some friends of Lewis Wash
ington, whom we all knew and asked to do
what he could to save Lewis by some conces-
sion and his reply was that il it was George
Washington himself they held as hostage he
would make no concession. ibis night, which
we can now look back upon with interest. was a
pretty anxious night. The unknown, the uD-
seen was what we dreaded. The next day the
excitement had abated, as there was no evil
dence of any attempt being made on Washing
ton.
GOV. AsHLEYs EMANCIPATION BILL.
Some few months ago l met in New York
Gen. James NJ Ashley of Ohio, who introduced
in .he House the bill abolishing slavery in the
District Of Columbia. The bill he introduced
provided simply for emancipation and created
a sensation throughout the country. He told
me he was sent for by Gov. Chase the day lie
introduced the bill, who suggested he should
provide for the compensation of '.loyal slave
owners by paying $500 for each slave lber-
ated, and said MIR. Lincoln was seriously con-
templating the practicabilty OF offering COM
pensatlon to the border states IL they would
take the initiative in emancipation. He saw
the President, he told me, and at his request
altered the bill that it might meet his approval
and to obtain the votes of the Representatives
of the border states, for which the President
was very anxious
The bill as amended passed Congress and was
approved by the President on the 1lth OF April,
1862. The passage of this bill created very
great commotion throughout the country,
while here it caused hardly a ripple in the pub
lie mind, where, indeed. its effects were antici-
pated by the relations already existing between
the slaves held here and their nominal owners.
Here they were slaves only in name, for there
was none of the hardships which marked that
condition in the more southerly portion OF the
country. In many instances they lived away
from their nominal owners, rearing families,
and to all intents free from any of tho re-
straints which marked that age of servitude.
speak of my own knowledge Of the relations
eAStlnS DeLWeen the owners ana their COlOreQ
charges, for SO feudal was that relation that
they were indeed charges against the es-
tates OF which they formed part In our own
case we hired servants, while those we owned
were living by themselves and not only was no
claim made on their wages or earnings, but for
ali their most pressing needs they called OH
their old mistress and they were Lever re-
fused, and even when slavery was abolished
they did not relinquish their claim on those to
whom they looked for care and protection all
their lives, and that protection was not with
drawn from them. They were part of the
family, and 80 regarded, and the same care was
taken of their moral and religious training as of
the other members of the family. am spOak-
ing now of what know and what witnessed
all the days OF my life until emancipation
came. and indeed for years after for that made
but little difference In the relations existing
between u.s. and which continued unchanged
until death separated US from those with whom
We were reared.
THE COMPENSATION TO OWNERS.
The act Of emancipation brought relief in
many cases to the owners; the small sum Con-
gress voted to those owners was in many
instances the first value they had really pro-
duced to those upon whom they relied in sick
ness and in health ana did not rely in vain
Our older citizens will remember the many
instances OF faithful devotion ON the one hand
and the care and attention and affection on
the other which marked the relations between
the two races at that period. Nowhere on the
face OF the earth did there exist q more excel
lent race Of men than the old colored citizens
OF Washington, and. as far az I know their
descendants have inherited their admirable
Il HaAl l..