The National tribune., 1904-09-22

hunter, In which he said:
II am glad to see the account Of your
colored force at Jacksonville, Fla. | see
the enemy are driving at them fercely,
as is to be expected.
1T is important to the enemy that such
force shall not take shape, and grow
and thrive in the South; and, in precisely
the same proportion, it is important to us
that it shall. Hence the utmost caution
and vigilance is necessary on our part. The
enemy will make extra efforts to destroy
them! and we should do the same to pre-
| serve and increase them"
After the colored troops had won their
! reputation-when it was recognized that
their colors were guarded with as much
patriotic care as though talismanic virtues
clustered around them-he said that their
employment was one of the, greatest blows
dealt to the rebellion, and, in hoping that
peace would soon be permanent, added:
Then will there be some black men who
! can remember that they have helped to
this great consummatiOn." Commencing
with Milliken's Bend June Z, 1868, Gen.
Grant frequently complimented the colored
troops, much to the Presidents gratiica-
ton.
The President. on one occasion. in de-
fining the franchise. said that some of the
colored people might be let in"
they would probably help. in some trying
time to come, to keep the jewel of lib
|
In the humble cabin with it's three
legged stool; bedstead of poles, supported
by crotched sticks; log table; pot. kettle
and skillet, and few tin and pewter
dishes. his boyhood's ascent in life began
as he climbed at night to his bed of leaves
in the loft, by ladder of wooden pegs
driven into the logs" In latter years his
ascent was onward and upward. by the
ladder of fame, gaining at each round the
esteem and honor of his countrymen.
1t could not have been otherwise. when
we consider his eminent endowment witt,
the gifts and virtues of charity, humility,
meekness, patience. diligence, wisdom.
prudence, justice. and fortitude.
The beautiful devotion of the son to the
memory of his mother, through the serv-
ices over her grave several months after
her interment. has pointed to Lincoln's
faith in the unseen. hope in immortality.
and love of the beauty Of holiness"
IIallam, when writing of charlemasne
and the epoch made by that great En-
peror in the history Of the world. by adj
vancng civilization and regenerating
| Western Europe. used words which may
be applied to Lincoln: ''His sceptcr was rs
the bow of Ulysses. which could not be
drawn by weaker hand. He stood alone.
like beacon upon a waste. or a rock in
the broad ocean. His deeds have east n
luster around his head and testify the
greatness that has embodied itself in his
name."
THE CLOSING IIoURs.
April IA, 1865, / had, about 10 o'clock
p. m, returned from the War Department
to my house, and very soon thereafter was
inf ned by cousin of Mrs. Lincoln
DIR. Lyman Beecher Todd, Of Lexington,
ky.-that the President had been assassi-
mated. and the members of his Cabinet at
tackled. l at once hurried to the house of
the Secretary of War, and there found
the family greatly alarmed and excited
but the Secretary. just prior to my arrival,
had started for Mr.. Stewards residence. /
followed, and there learned that he had
gone to the scene of the tragedy, on 10th
street; on reaching the locality found
him at the house to which the President
had been taken from Ford's Theater |
remained there near the Secretary, and at
his request, during the night. He was
greatly saddened, and referred to the
change of scene from that at the Cabinet
meeting, few hours before, at which Gen
country and the prospect of speedy peace
were discussed. He stated that the Presi-
dent during the meeting was hopeful and
very cheerful, and had spoken kindly of
Gen. Lee and other officers of the Con-
federacy Particularly had his kindly feel
lngs gone out to the enlisted men of the
lConfederacy, and during the entire session
OF the Cabinet his manner and words mani
tested, emphatically, desire to restore a
satisfactory peace to the South, through
all due regard for her vanauished citizens.
Yet. whilst he was buoyant, on that Good
Friday. in his advocacy of "Peace on
earth to men of good will" he seemed de-
pressed, at times, in consequence of his
dream of the previous night, which had re-
Cured several times on the eve of some
important event-"a vague sense of float
| ing-hoatlng away, on some vast and in
distinct expanse, toward an unknown
shore ~
About 30 a. m. it was determined that
the wound was mortal. that the President
was then dying, and that it was not prob
able that he would live through the night,
The Secretary then informed me that il
would be necessary to stand prepared to
communicate the Presidents death to the
Vice President, and soon thereafter hand
ed me the rough draft of the formal mott
fication, from which l prepared a fair
copy, and held it until after the President,
death, which was officially announced nj
Z :55 a. m, April Is, by a telegram from
the Secretary to Maj.-Gen. Dix, as fol-
lows:
Abraham Lincoln died this morning at
22 minutes after o'clock"
The notification to the Vice-President
was duly signed and communicated, as re-
cited in subsequent telegram, as follows
"Official notice of the death of the late
President, Abraham Lincoln, was given
by the heads of Departments this morning
to Andrew Johnson, Vice-President, upon
whom the Constitution devolved the office
of President. Mr.. Johnson, upon receiv-
ing this notice, appeared before the Hon
orable Salmon p. Chase, Chief Justice of
the United States, and took~the oath of
office as President of the United States.
and assumed its duties and functions"
THE DEATH-BED SCENE.
| The death-bed scenes were narrowing
in the extreme. Surrounding and near
the ilustrious one, who was insensible
from the first in consequence of his mortal
wound, from which hiss life's blood was
oozing, were the sobbing, grief-stricken
wife. all the members Of the Cabinet save
Mr.. Seward, and others in civil and mill
tary circles. AS the sure approach of
death was noticed, the deep. sad gloom in
creased, and, at the solemn moment, if
seemed that it had extended to Heaven to
be from there promulgated back to earth
through the agency of deep sable clouds.
The attendant drops of rain seemed to
have been sent TO mingle, sorrowfully.
with the tears Of the Nation.
Soon after 8 o'clock the devoted War
Minister had ordered all to be arranged
for the removal of the body to the Execu-