Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-07

(Copyright, 1899, by the Chicago Tribune.)
- HEN I look back 1t seems to me
A that almost the first name /
wv learned, aside from those of the
- people who lived on or near
YEETy02t the Virginia plantation where 1
- was born, was that of Abraham
Lincoln, who, forty-six years ago last
month, signed the proclamation which set
my people free.
The circumstances under which 1 first
heard the name of the great emancipation
were these: When the war broke out 1
was a small boy on a plantation in Frank
lin county, in the southwestern corner of
Virginia We were living In q remote
part of the country and, although the
war was going on all around US, we saw
little Of 1t except when we saw them
brought back a~gain-as we did sometimes
dead. .
My mother was the cook on our planta-
ton and as l grew UP and was able to
make myself useful my work was to attend
my masters table at meal time In the
dining room there was an arrangement by
which a number OF fans that hung to the
rafters over the table could be moved
slowly back and forth by pdlling a string.
1t was my business to work these fans at
hiSaA hio anu ttdhI 90 L IoIucLlUeEg was
the first work 1 ever did. AS a result, how
ever, 1 was present at all the meals and
heard all the conversation that went on
there. Incidentally I heard a great deal
about the causes and progress Of the war,
and though 1 understood very little of what
1 heard there was one name that stuck fast
in my memory and that was the name of
Abraham Lincoln. The reason that 1 re-
membered this name more than the others
was because it was the one name that l
encountered at the big house." which
1 heard repeated in different tones and
with different significance in the cabins Of
the slaves.
Many a night before the dawn of day /
have been awakened to find the figure Of
my dear mother bending over me as l lay
huddled up in a corner of the kitchen,
praying that "Marse Lincoln might sue
coed and that some day I might be free.
Under these circumstances the name OF
Lincoln made a great impression upon me
and l never forgot the circumstances under
which I first heard It
Attracted by Lincoln.
Among the masses of the negro people
on the plantations during the war all their
dreams and hopes of freedom were in some
way or other coupled with the name of
Lincoln. When the slaves sang those rude
plantation hymns, in which thought of
heaven and salvation were mingled with
thoughts of freedom, / suspect they fire.
, quently confused the vision of the Savior
! with that Of the emancipation. and SO sal
, walton and freedom came to mean some
: times pretty much the same thing
There Is an old plantation hymn that
! runs something as follows;
Well soon be free,
4 Well soon be free,
When de Lord will call US homo
A My brudder, how long,
!, Ny brudder, how long,
Fore we done sufferin' heroS
] 1t won't be long,
A 1t won't be long,
Fore de Lord will call US home.
when that song was first sung the free
o dom OF which 1t speaks was the freedom
v that comes after death. and the home
= to which 1t referred was heaven. After the
. war broke out, however. the slaves be
: gan to sing these freedom songs with
greater v~ehenence. and they gained a new
and moro definite meaning, To such ar
4 extent was this the case that in George.
town. 8. c., It is said that negroes were
put in jail for singing the song which
Z have quoted.
When Lincoln. in April. 1865, entered
: HlcnmonQ lmmSolately AIteT u nad peeT
: evacuated by the confederate armies the
g colored people. to whom 1t seemed almos
a as II the last day had come, greeted the
: strange. kindly figure of the president al
. IL he had been their Savior instead Of
; merely their llberator.
o There Is a story Of one old aunty who hat
a a sick child In her arms when the president
| psssed through the city. The child wal
; alarmed at the surrounding riot, and wal
q crying TO come home. but the good woman
q kept trying to get the child to gaze at th'
= president. which she was afraid to do. anC
!, she would try TO turn the child's head II
n that direction, and would turn around her
self in order to accomplish the same OBJ
1 ject
! See. yeah. honey" she would say. lool
q at de Savior. an you will set we'll Toucl
n the hem Of his garment. honey. an yu
/, pain will be done gone"
Il How Much II Owes Him.
IT AZ the years have gone by we have al
r earned. white people and colorSd people
. north and south how much the country q