CHAPTER XV. PROCLAMATION OF FREEDOM
Emancipation Proclamation. – Copperhead View of It. – “Abraham Spare the South.” – The Contrabands Rejoicing. – The Songs. – Enthusiasm. – Faith in God. – Negro Wit. – “Forever Free.”
On the 22d of September, 1862, President Lincoln sent forth his proclamation, warning the rebel States that he would proclaim emancipation to their slaves if such States did not return to the Union before the first day of the following January. Loud were the denunciations of the copperheads of the country; and all the stale arguments against negro emancipation which had been used in the West Indies thirty years before, and since then in our country, were newly vamped, and put forward to frighten the President and his Cabinet.
The toleration of a great social wrong in any country is ever accompanied by blindness of vision, hardness of heart, and cowardice of mind, as well as moral deterioration and industrial impoverishment. Hence, whenever an earnest attempt is made for the removal of the wrong, those without eyes noisily declare that they see clearly that nothing but disastrous consequences will follow; those who are dead to all sensibility profess to be shocked beyond measure in contemplating the terrible scenes that must result from the change; and those who have no faith in justice are thrown into spasms at the mention of its impartial administration. For a whole generation, covering the period of the antislavery struggle in this country, have they not incessantly raised their senseless clamors and indignant outcries against the simplest claim of bleeding humanity to be released from its tortures, as though it were a proposition to destroy all order, inaugurate universal ruin, and “let chaos come again?”
“The proclamation won’t reach the slaves,” said one. “They wont heed it,” said another.
“This proclamation is an invitation to the blacks to murder their masters,” remarked a Boston copperhead newspaper. “The slaves will fight for their masters,” said the same journal, the following day.
“It will destroy the Union.” – “It is harmless and impotent.” – “It will excite slave insurrection.” – “The slaves will never hear of it.” – “It will excite the South to desperation.” – “The rebels will laugh it to scorn.” Delegation after delegation waited on the President, and urged a postponement of emancipation. The Kentucky Congressional delegation did all in their power to put back the glorious event. Conservative old-line Whigs and backsliding antislavery men were afraid to witness the coming day.
“Abraham, spare the South,
Touch not a single slave,
Nor e’en by word of mouth
Disturb the thing, we crave.
‘Twas our forefathers’ hand
That slavery begot:
There, Abraham, let it stand;
Thine acts shall harm it not,”
cried thousands who called at the White House. Washington, Alexandria, and Georgetown were crowded with “contrabands;” and hundreds were forwarded to the Sea Islands, to be occupied in cultivating the deserted plantations. As the day drew near, reports were circulated that the President would re-call the pledge. The friends of the negro were frightened; the negro himself trembled for fear that the cause would be lost. The blacks in all the Southern departments were behaving well, as if to deepen the already good impression made by them on the Government officials. Rejoicing meetings were advertised at the Tremont Temple, Boston, Cooper Institute, New York, and the largest hall in Philadelphia, and in nearly every-city and large town in the north. Great preparation was made at the “Contraband Camp,” in the District of Columbia. At the latter place, they met on the last night in December, 1862, in the camp, and waited patiently for’ the coming day, when they should become free. The fore part of the night was spent in singing and prayer, the following being sung several times: —
“Oh, go down, Moses,
Way down into Egypt’s land;
Tell king Pharaoh
To let my people go.
Oh, Pharaoh said he would go cross,
Let my people go.
But Pharaoh and his host was lost,
Let my people go.
Chorus– Oh, go down, Moses, &c.
O Moses, stretch your hands across,
Let my people go.
And don’t get lost in the wilderness,
Let my people go.
Chorus– Oh, go down, Moses, &c.
You may hinder me here, but you can’t up there,
Let my people go.
He sits in heaven, and answers prayer,
Let my people go.
Chorus– Oh, go down, Moses, &c.”
After this an old man struck up, in a clear and powerful voice, “I am a free man now: Jesus Christ has made me free!” the company gradually joining in; and, before the close, the whole assemblage was singing in chorus.
It was quite evident, through the exercises of the day and night, that the negroes regard the condition of the Israelites in Egypt as typical of their own condition in slavery; and the allusions to Moses, Pharaoh, the Egyptian task-masters, and the unhappy condition of the captive Israelites, were continuous; and any reference to the triumphant escape of the Israelites across the Red Sea, and the destruction of their pursuing masters, was certain to bring out a strong “Amen!”
An old colored preacher, who displays many of the most marked peculiarities of his race, calling himself “John de Baptis,” and known as such by his companions, – from his habit of always taking his text, as he expresses it, from the “regulations ob de 2d chapter of Matthew, ‘And in those days came John de Baptis,’” came forward, and, taking his usual text, went on to show the necessity of following good advice, and rebuked his hearers for being more lawless than they were in Dixie.
Then came another contraband brother, who said, —
“Onst, the time was dat I cried all night. What’s de matter? What’s de matter? Matter enough. De nex mornin’ my child was to be sold, an’ she was sold; an’ I neber spec to see her no more till de day ob judgment. Now, no more dat! no more dat! no more dat! Wid my hands agin my breast I was gwine to my work, when de overseer used to whip me along. Now, no more dat! no more dat! no more dat! When I tink what de Lord’s done for us, an’ brot us thro’ de trubbles, I feel dat I ought go inter his service. We’se free now, bress de Lord! (Amens! were vociferated all over the building.) Dey can’t sell my wife an’ child any more, bress de Lord! (Glory, glory! from the audience.) No more dat! no more dat! no more dat, now! (Glory!) Presurdund Lincum hav shot de gate! Dat’s what de matter!” and there was a prolonged response of Amens!
A woman on her knees exclaimed at the top of her voice, —
“If de Debble do not ketch
Jeff. Davis, dat infernal retch,
An roast and frigazee dat rebble,
Wat is de use ob any Debble?”
“Amen! amen! amen!” cried many voices.
At this juncture of the meeting, an intelligent contraband broke out in the following strain: —
“The first of January next, eighteen sixty-three, —
So says the Proclamation, – the slaves will all be free!
To every kindly heart ‘twill be the day of jubilee;
For the bond shall all go free!
John Brown, the dauntless hero, with joy is looking on;
From his home among the angels he sees the coming dawn;
Then up with Freedom’s banners, and hail the glorious mom
When the slaves shall all go free!
We’ve made a strike for liberty; the Lord is on our side;
And Christ, the friend of bondmen, shall ever be our guide;
And soon the cry will ring, throughout this glorious land so wide,
‘Let the bondmen all go free!’
No more from crushed and bleeding hearts we hear the broken sigh;
No more from brothers bound in chains we’ll hear the pleading cry;
For the happy day, the glorious day, is coming by and by,
When the slaves shall all go free!
We’re bound to make our glorious flag the banner of the free,
The first of January next, eighteen sixty-three;
Of every loyal Northern heart the glad cry then shall be,
‘Let the bondmen all go free!’
‘No Compromise with Slavery!’ we hear the cheering sound, The road to peace and happiness ‘Old Abe’ at last has found:
With earnest hearts and willing hands to stand by him we’re hound, While he sets the bondmen free!
The morning light is breaking: we see its cheering ray, —
The light of Truth and Justice, that can never fade away;
And soon the light will brighten to a great and glorious day,
When the slaves shall all go free!
And when we on the ‘other side’ do all together stand,
As children of one family we’ll clasp the friendly hand:
We’ll be a band of brothers in that brighter, better land, —
Where the bond shall all be free!
After several others had spoken, George Payne, another contraband, made a few sensible remarks, somewhat in these words: “Friends, don’t you see de han’ of God in dis? Haven’t we a right to rejoice? You all know you couldn’t have such a meetin’ as dis down in Dixie! Dat you all knows! have a right to rejoice; an’ so have you; for we shall be free in jus’ about five minutes. Dat’s a fact. I shall rejoice that God has placed Mr. Lincum in de president’s chair, and dat he wouldn’t let de rebels make peace until after dis new year. De Lord has heard de groans of de people, and has come down to deliver! You all knows dat in Dixie you worked de day long, an’ never got no satisfacshun. But here, what you make is yourn. I’ve worked six months; and what I’ve made is mine! Let me tell you, though, don’t be too free! De lazy man can’t go to heaven. You must be honest, an’ work, an’ show dat you is fit to be free; an’ de Lord will bless you an’ Abrum Lincum. Amen!”
A small black man, with a rather cracking voice, appearing by his jestures to be inwardly on fire, began jumping, and singing the following: —
“Massa gone, missy too;
Cry! niggers, cry!
Tink I’ll see de bressed Norf,
‘Fore de day I die..
Hi! hi! Yankee shot’im;
Now I tink dc debbil’s got’im.”
The whole company then joined in singing the annexed song, which made the welkin ring, and was heard far beyond the camp.
I
“Oh! we all longed for freedom,
Oh! we all longed for freedom,
Oh! we all longed for freedom,
Ah! we prayed to be free;
Yes, we prayed to be free,
Oh! we prayed to be free,
Though the day was long in coming,
Though the day was long in coming,
Though the day was long in coming,
That we so longed to see,
That we so longed to see,
That we so longed to see,
Though the day was long in coming
That we so longed to see.
II
But bless the great Jehovah,
But bless the great Jehovah,
But bless the great Jehovah,
At last the glad day’s come,
At last the glad day’s come,
At last the glad day’s come.
By fire and sword he brought us,
By fire and sword he brought us,
By fire and sword he brought us,
From slavery into freedom.
From slavery into freedom,
From slavery into Freedom;
By fire and sword he brought us
Front slavery into freedom.
III
We’ll bless the great Redeemer,
We’ll bless the great Redeemer,
We’ll bless the great Redeemer,
And glorify his name,
And glorify his name,
And glorify his name,
And all who helped to bring us,
And all who helped to bring us,
And all who helped to bring us
From sorrow, grief, and shame,
From sorrow, grief, and shame,
From sorrow, grief, and shame,
And all who helped to bring us
From sorrow, grief, and shame.
IV
And blessed be Abraham Lincoln,
And blessed be Abraham Lincoln,
And blessed be Abraham Lincoln,
And the Union army too,
And the Union army too.
May the choicest of earth’s blessings,
May the choicest of earth’s blessings,
May the choicest of earth’s blessings,
Their pathways ever strew,
Their pathways ever strew,
Their pathways ever strew!
May the choicest of earth’s blessings
Their pathways ever strew!
V
We’ll strive to learn our duty,
We’ll strive to learn our duty,
We’ll strive to learn our duty,
That all our friends may see,
That all our friends may see,
That all our friends may see,
Though so long oppressed in bondage,
Though so long oppressed in bondage,
Though so long oppressed in bondage,
We were worthy to be free,
We were worthy to be free,
We were worthy to be free:
Though so long oppressed in bondage,
We were worthy to be free.”
Just before midnight, Dr. Nichols requested all present to kneel, and to silently invoke the blessing of the Almighty. The silence was almost deadly when the clock announced the new year; and Dr. Nichols said, “Men and women (for you are this day to be declared free, and I can address you as men and women), I wish you a happy new year!” An eloquent prayer was then offered by an aged negro; after which, all rose, and joined in singing their version of “Glory! glory! hallelujah!” shaking each other by the hand, and indulging in joyous demonstrations. They then promenaded the grounds, singing hymns, and finally serenaded the superintendent, in whose honor a sable improvisatore carolled forth an original ode, the chorus of which was, “Free forever! Forever free!”
“Ring, ring! O Bell of Freedom, ring!
And to the ears of bondmen bring
Thy sweet and freeman-thrilling tone.
On Autumn’s blast, from zone to zone,
The joyful tidings go proclaim,
In Liberty’s hallowed name:
Emancipation to the slave,
The rights which his Creator gave,
To live with chains asunder riven,
To live free as the birds of heaven,
To live free as the air he breathes,
Entirely free from galling greaves;
The right to act, to know, to feel,
That bands of iron and links of steel
Were never wrought to chain the mind,
Nor human flesh in bondage bind;
That Heaven, in its generous plan,
Gave like and equal rights to man.
Go send thy notes from shore to shore,
Above the deep-voiced cannon’s roar;
Go send Emancipation’s peal
Where clashes North with Southern steel,
And nerve the Southern bondmen now
To rise and strike the final blow,
To lay Oppression’s minions low.
Oh! rouse the mind and nerve the arm
To brave the blast and face the storm;
And, ere the war-cloud passes by,
We’ll have a land of liberty.
Our God has said, “Let there be light
Where Error palls the land with night.”
Then send forth now, O Freedom’s bell,
Foul Slavery’s last and fatal knell!
Oh! speed the tidings o’er the land,
That tells that stern Oppression’s hand
Has yielded to the power of Right:
That Wrong is weak, that Truth is might!
Then Union shall again return,
And Freedom’s fires shall brightly burn;
And peace and jot, sweet guests, shall come,
And dwell in every heart and home.”
“Free forever! Forever free!”
No pen can fitly portray the scene that followed this announcement. Every heart seemed to leap for joy: some were singing, some praying, some weeping, some dancing, husbands embracing Wives, friends shaking hands, and appearing to feel that the Day of Jubilee had come. A sister broke out in the following strain, which was heartily joined in by the vast assembly: —
“Go down, Abraham, away down in Dixie’s land,
Tell Jeff. Davis to let my people go.
Our bitter tasks are ended, all onr unpaid labor done;
Our galling chains are broken, and our onward march begun:
Go down, Abraham, away down in Dixie’s land,
Tell Jeff. Davis to let my people go.
Down in the house of bondage we have watched and waited long;
The oppressor’s heel was heavy, the oppressor’s arm was strong:
Go down, Abraham, away down in Dixie’s land,
Tell Jeff. Davis to let my people go.
Not vainly have we waited through the long and darkened years;
Not vain the patient watching, ’mid our sweat and blood and tears:
Go down, Abraham, away down in Dixie’s land,
Tell Jeff. Davis to let my people go.
Now God is with Grant, and he’ll surely whip Lee;
For the Proclamation says that the niggers must be free:
Go down, Abraham, away down in Dixie’s land,
Tell Jeff. Davis to let my people go.”
Thus ended the last night of slavery in the contraband camp at Washington.
The morning of Jan. 1, 1863, was anxiously looked for by the friends of freedom throughout the United States; and, during the entire day, the telegraph offices in the various places were beset by crowds, waiting to hear the news from the Nation’s capital. Late in the day the following proclamation made its appearance: —
Washington, Jan. 1, 1863. – I Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, do issue this my Proclamation: —
Whereas, On the 22d day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit: —
“That, on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or any designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, henceforward, and forever, free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval force thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any effort they may make for their actual freedom; that the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any in which the people therein respectively shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State or people thereof shall on that day be in good faith represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto, at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such States shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State and the people thereof are not then in rebellion against the United States.
“Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested, as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States in times of actual rebellion against the authorities and Government of the United States, and as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing this rebellion, do on this, the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and in accordance with my purpose so to do, publicly proclaimed for the full period of one hundred days from the date of the first above-mentioned order, do designate as the States and parts of States wherein the people thereof respectively, are this day in rebellion against the United States. The following, to wit: —
“Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.
“Louisiana (except the parishes of St. Bernard, Placquemines, Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, St. James, Ascension, Assumption, Terre Bonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Orleans, including the city of New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, except the forty-eight counties designated as West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Anne, and Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, which excepted parts are for the present left precisely as if this proclamation were not made.
“And by virtue of the power, for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States and parts of States are, and henceforward shall be, free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons.
“And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence; and I recommend to them, that, in all cases where allowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable wages.
“And I further declare and make known, that such persons, if in suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States, to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service. And upon this, sincerely believed to be an act of justice warranted by the Constitution, and upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious favor of Almighty God.
“In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
“Done at the city of Washington, this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States of America the eighty-seventh.
[L. S.] (Signed) “ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
“By the President.
“Wm. H. Seward, Secretary of State.”
This was the beginning of a new era: the word had gone forth, and a policy was adopted.
“The deed is done. Millions have yearned
To see the spear of Freedom cast:
The dragon writhed and roared and burned;
You’ve smote him full and square at last.”
The proclamation gave new life and vigor to our men on the battle-field. The bondmen everywhere caught up the magic word, and went with it from farm to farm, and from town to town. Black men flocked to recruiting stations, and offered themselves for the war. Everybody saw light in the distance. What newspapers and orators had failed to do in months was done by the proclamation in a single week. Frances Ellen Harper, herself colored, cheered in the following strain: —
“It shall flash through coming ages;
It shall light the distant years;
And eyes now dim with sorrow
Shall be brighter through their tears.
It shall flush the mountain ranges,
And the valleys shall grow bright;
It shall bathe the hills in radiance,
And crown their brows with light.
It shall flood with golden splendor
All the huts of Caroline;
And the sun-kissed brow of labor
With lustre new shall shine.
It shall gild the gloomy prison,
Darkened with the age’s crime,
Where the dumb and patient millions
Wait the better coming time.
By the light that gilds their prison,
They shall seize its mouldering key;
And the bolts and bars shall vibrate
With the triumphs of the free.
Like the dim and ancient Chaos,
Shuddering at Creation’s light,
Oppression grim and hoary
Shall cower at the sight.
And her spawn of lies and malice
Shall grovel in the dust;
While joy shall thrill the bosoms
Of the merciful and just.
Though the morning seems to linger
O’er the hilltops far away,
The shadows bear the promise
Of the quickly coming day.
Soon the mists and murky shadows
Shall be fringed with crimson light,
And the glorious dawn of freedom
Break resplendent on the sight.”