The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-23
Platoon Of Police.
NH.f9kaRia nnRH

AlOuB Ine llue. II WIS IHhue up dS LOl-
lows:
Platoon Of Police.
Meister's Band
Chief Marshal 4; N. strnnge
Aides-Charles Early, Simon Pryor, W.lsen
Davis and w. n. Morris.
Evening Star Lodge No. 2. X. Of z.
Hod Carriers Union.
Speakers carriage.
Mayor Sweeney and Chief Clemans IN
Decorated float representing the sister
hood OF states, Is girls.
Escort Of young men and drum corps.
Citizens In carriages.
The march extended over the princi-
pal streets to the fair grounds. The
lioat was an attractive feature, and
there was an unusually large number
Of carriages. The exercises at the fair
grounds began at y. m. and were
opened with prayer by Rev. Mr. Bum
~. Owing to his being suddenly called
away, Mayor Sweeney was prevented
from delivering his address Of welcome.
Miss Annie Redman read Lincoln's I'M
mortal proclamation, and Benjamin
jackson, master of ceremonies, made u
neat address, preparatory to introduce
Ing the orator OF the day, Hon. ]. Will
fred Holmes, OF Pittsburgh. Meister's
band interspersed delightful music.
Lack Of entries cut down the races to
a bicycle race and catching the greasy
Dig. Andy Thornton won the bicycle
event, with Dave Howard, Of Wells
burg, second. Earl Jones and Charles
Dean were tied In getting hold Of the
elusive and creased porker, and they
divided the prize money
Mr.. Holmes address wns well receive
ed, and he spoke in part, as follows:
1--WE are gathered In this place to-day
to celebrate the thirty-seventh ami
yersary OF the emancipation proclama-
tIon, by means Of which nearly four
million slaves were made free; people
who had hitherto been mere chnttels,
became free to go and come as they
pleased without let or hlnarance; peo-
pie who had hitherto been bartered and
sold us mere articles Of commerce,
aWoke to the realization that they were
men and women who owned their own
bodies.
"The proclamation which gave lib
erty to the southern negro also gave
liberty to the northern white man, and
forever relieved him Of the thraldom Of
competition with the southern slave
power. This proclamation was heard
around the world and II Is through its
benehcent results that we are here to-
day to befttingly commemorate the
at is an exceedingly sad fact that
the celebration OF this glorious day is
not more general, 1t is n matter Of re-
greet that our own people are seemingly
Inclined to look upon the day with In
difference or unconcern; It has even
been suggested by some that we should
g3V3tNV aVsNFF NJ
nation Of the emancipation no longer,
and should allow the custom to die out,
] do not agree with these people, but
believe that as long as the EnBllshmen
celebrate the granting Of the Magma
Charter, by an unwilling and tyrannlcal
king, as long as the Scotch-Irishmen
celebrate the anniversary Of the Bat
tie Of the BOyne; as long ns Frenchmen
celebrate the anniversary OF the fall
ing OF the Bastlle. as long as the
American white man celebrates the
anniversary Of the Declaration OF INDIE
pendence. Just so long should the Amer.
lean Negro celebrate the anniversary OF
the Emancipation Proclamation.
Let us then from this time forth en-
ter upon these celebrations with re-
newed vigor: let the negro mothers sing
OF It TO their babies in the cradle and
tel VI ~ " bhSh NHidAuh Va $500
knees,
an speaking OF the emancipation of
the slaves. we are accustomed 10 give
oil credit for the proclamation TO Abru-
ham Lincoln, and. indeed. to him great
credit Is due. but the slave had to thank
Almighty God who, through the
agency OF Abraham Lincoln, struck the
shackles from the limbs Of nearly four
million souls.
III the rebellion could have been
suppressed and the union Of the states
preserved without freeing the slaves,
Abraham Lincoln would never have
proclaimed the emancipation, for he
frequently said 30. The war Ind been
raging for nearly two years. the news
Papers OF the north had begged. warned
and even threatened the president to
proclaim freedom TO the slave, delega-
tion after delegation OF liberty loving
men Of the north had gone TO the white
house and lmportuned the president to
set the negro free, two United States
senators had gone to the white house
to advise the president to strike a
death blow to the Confederacy by free
ing the slave, and when the president
fatty refused TO take any action In tho
matter, one OF them told him to his face
that he wished to God that he would re-
sign. SO
abraham Lincoln stlll hesitatcd and
chung tenaciOusly to the constitution.
Henry Ward Beecher Numbered from
his Brooklyn pulpit: "EmRncipnte the
alave!" Horace Greeley Numbered
through the columns Of the New York
Tribune: "EmRnclpate the alave!"
Wendell Phillips stood up In Fauniel
hall, the New England cradle of lib
erty, and shouted with clarion voice:
pEmhncipate the Blnvew Charles Sum-
Nor stood tn on the floor Of the United
states senate and proclaimed: "Emnn-
clpnte the siavel" From every section
OF the north, from pulpit, press and
platform came the universal cry.
EmancIpate the slave! Emunclpate the
slave!
"The President listened, he heard. he
acted. und on the END day Of septem-
her 1862, thlrty-seven years ago to-
day. ne issued the proclamation which
bn1 been read In your hearing to-day,
and lust one hundred days afterwards.
on the first day Of January. 1868, he Is
Rued his second proclamation, declar-
ing the slaves henceforth and forever
free. Then were answered the prayers
Of the boRdmen md women, which had
been ascending 10 heaven for nearly
TWO hundred and flfty years. Then, II
ever the morning stars sung together
and the sons Of God shouted for JOY.
"Tho philosophers tell Us that great