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SAVANNAH DAILY HERALD.
VOL. I—NO. 84.
The Savannah Daily Herald
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TIIE GREAT MEETING YES
TERDAY.
Appropriate Decorations.
Speeches by Gen. Littlefield,
Gen. Wnshburne, Col. Wood
ford, Mr. A, D, Brown and
Others, , '
ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS.
The great meeting in Johnson Square yes
terday afternoon was one of tie largest,most
successful and most important meetings of
the kind yet held in this, or we venture to
say, in any other Southern city,. returned
into tne possession of the. National forces.
The meeting was called for the purpose of
giving to the loyal citizens of the United
Slates an opportunity to express their pro
found grief at the death of President Lincoln
in an adequate and ftjng manner. The
affair was taken in hand by committees of
.energetic and public-spirited'gentlemen, who
spared uo effort to make the occasion one of
marked impressiveness. A number of ear
nest and eloquent speeches were made,suited
to the occasion, and producing a telling
effect, a report of which we give below.
_ • THE STAND DECORATIONS.
. A capacious stand was erected east of the
Greene Monument in Johnson Square, whieh
was carpeted and furnished with seats for
about fifty persons. The stand was appro
priately draped in festoons' of black and
white, and decked with a profusion of flow
ers ; and upon tho corners were fixed regi
mental colors, furled and muffled in black.
Overhead the trees were festooned with ths
sable tokens of grief, and the following ap
propriate mottoes upon white bands were
stretched from branch to branch:
“How are the Mighty “He died,
but his work still lives.” “The memory of
the past is blessed.” “ Lincoln—lover of his
country, lover of kisrace.”
. The monumeht was also decked in flags
and mourniDg, and in the fear of the stand
waved a large flag striped with black.
It was through: the exertions of the follow
ing named ladies and gentlemen that the
' stand was thus tastefully and appropriately
decorated.
Rev S W Magill, of Conn.; Chaplain B F
Rogers, III,; Mis J. B Cahill, III.; Mrs Ives,
Penn ; Mrs Wiley, Mass ; Miss H C Bullard,
Miss L A Capron, Miss JA-J Armstrong,N Y;
Miss S A Jenness, NH; Miss FE Miner,
Vtrmont.
• Among the distinguished guests upon the
platform was Maj.-Geu. Grover.
COMMITTEE BY WHICH THE MEETING WAS
- - CALLED. •'
C. P. Leslie, Chairman, J B Cahill, John
M Glidtler, S D Waddell, Thos T Wright,
Capt S S Starr, Lieut Col R P York, Lt Col
Alfred Neafie, L A Dodge.
v ' Mr. C. P. Leslie called the meeting to or
der, and announced the following as
TUB ORGANIZATION.
• President —Robert P- York, Lieut. Col.
75th N. Y. Yols. and Provost Marshal.
Vick Presidents— Sidney S. Starr, Post Q.
M.; 9. B. Luce, Lieut. Com.; Hon. R. D. Ar
nold, Mayor; Edward Padelford, Lieut. £. B.
Webster, Henry D. Weed, Dr. A*. W.
vost, Dr T T WilUs, Dr -F Y Clark, A H Hol
way, C K Osgood, John S.Rogers,.Lt Wil
cox, A B Marvin, E P Tunison,. Sheldon
Wight, TbomaCs Pepper,Piiymasie |H T Skel
ding, Lt J H Chariot,T T Wright,C.P Leslie,
Capt J P Baker, Lieut T C Otis, John Sedg
wick, J#hn M Qlidden, Maj R F Wilkinson,
James G Mills, Col A L Harris, L S Bennett,
Liet Geo A Niles, Noble A Hardee, Capt JE
Thorndike, A W.Stone, Capt C H Cox, Col
J B -Cahill, Acting Master-Geo F Winslow,
S M Kranson, Lieut A P Ketchum, Dudley
Baldwin, D Wadley, H Brigham, Wm H
Stark, Edward Lovell, Capt O.iver Matthews,
George Gott, J H I-Uain, Eben Parsons, Jr.,
Provost Judge, W R' Dowling, J R Fay,
Secretaries— F-D Jordan, Henry Isham,
Dr E Henry. Simon Gerstman.W F Holland,
H A Richmond,'W P Means,. T M Mason, J
E. Hernandez, Alexander Fawcett, A Backer,
J M Prentiss, Major C F Allen, Major J B
Lockwood, U S A, Major Wm F Fleming,
tT S A, Capt A Stearns, Capt D Lord, Capt
N H Oglesbee, C N Bellows, F P Halsey.
prayer
was offered by Rev. Mr. Fowler, chaplain,
at the re ,uest of the President.
M. Ltsl e reported the following from the
Committee. They were read is a very die
tinct manner by Capt. S. S. Starr, Clret
Quartermaster.
THE RESOLUTIONS.
Whereas, the people in, and of Savannah,
and throughout this laud, have learned with
deep sorrow and profound regret that the
President of the United States was cruelly
assassinated on the evening of the 14th inst.,
and that at about the same hour the assas
sins attempted the lives of the Secretary of
State and of his assistant; and whereas, for
the purpose of expressing our horror and de
testation of these cruel, barbarous and un
paralleled atrocities, both on account of the
heinousness of the crime and of the irrepar
able loss sustained by the nation, of his ser
vices, advice, and counsel at this crisis, when
our country is passing from War to Peace, we
have met here to denounce the perpetrated
crime; and it is ala<7 most fit and proper that
the people here assembled should in a becom
ing maimer acknowledge the magnitude and
importance of his public services rendered
in the past few eventful years; therefore, be
it ...» s'
Resolved, That in the death of the President
of the United States the people not only
mourn the loss of a great, wise and good
man, but they feel it to be a great national
bereavement, sensibly felt by the country to
which the best years of his life were devoted,
and that .hia administration of public affairs,
both foreign and domestic, has won credit
from the one and done justice to the other.—
First, a member of tbe Legislature of Illinois,
then its Representative in Congress, subse
quently the Chief Magistrate of the nation,
again elected to that highest position in the
gift of the American people, Abraham Lin
coln discharged the duties of these several
stations with a readiness and ability which
few may expect to equal; in all of these
maintaining the honor and best iuterests of
the nation.
' Resolved, That from tbe depths of our
hearts we regret that our Chief Magistrate
could not have lived to realize the consum
mation of his labors, the earnest wish of
bis heart—the restoration, reunion and per
fect harmony of all the States—one flag, one
country, one pfrople.
Resolved, That words cannot express our
execration of the spirit that suggested the
conspiracy for this brutal and cowardly assas
sination. We tee in it the culmination of trea
son and not only brand the perpetrator and
his immediate aiders and abettors with in
famy, as the enemies of maukind; but we go
fartber, and lay the foul crime at the door of
those Inglorious authors of treason, secesssion
and rebellion, who by their teachings, edu
cated the villian who perpetrated the act.—
And tbit in the perpetration of this crime
against the lives of two of- its statesmen,
we recognize a blow struck not only at the
Liberty and Union of the Nation, but at its
Honor.
Resolved, That while we lament, most
deeply, the loss of the Head of the Nation,
we feel it our duty to pledge ourselves anew
to the great cause for which he lived, and
worked, and died, and to tender our hearty
and unqualified support, in this trying emer
gency, to the Ruler who has been Constitu
tionally elevated to the vacant chair.
Resolved, That for the benefit of the coun
try we earnestly pray that Providenee will
spare the life of the • Secretary of State, and
that to the bereaved family of the deceased
we extend our most sincere and heartfelt
sympathy: their loss is only exceeded by the
loss of the Nation.
Rtsolved, That the thanks of this meeting
are due and are herereby tendered to Brig
adier Gen. M. 9. Littlefield and Brg Gen
W asbburh and Col. Woodford for the hon
noring this meeting with their presence an
for their patriotic addresses on this occasion.^
That the thanks of this meeting are also
due to Col, York and Capt. Starr for the
zeal and energy which they have contributed
towards assisting the Committee of Ar
range mutes—in the preparation of suitable
means for holding their meeting .
Resolved, That the Chairman of thL meet
ing be requested to send to-the afflicted
Family a copy of these resolutions.
The Resolutions were unanimously adopted.
Col. York then, ‘fffter the performance o f
the National Hymn, by the 14th Me. Band,
mtroduced Brig.-Gen. Littlefield.
ADDRESS OF Brio. GEN. LITTLEFIELD.
We have met together this afternoon to
pay an humble tribute of respect to the mem
ory of the purest Patriot and noblest man of
modern times. Abraham Lincoln, President
of the United States, is Dead! he has been
stricken down in the full bloom of manhood,
in the prime of life, when he was full high
advanced npon the proudest monument of
fame, by the cruel hand of an assassin.
Scarce had the glad tidings which filled
every loyal heart from the Apfcntic to the
Pacific, from, the Lakes to the Gu!f of Mexi
co with joy and gladness died away, when
the mournful intelligence fell upon our ears
that our chosen leader and honored chieftain
had gone forever.
Yesterday we inscribed Victory upon our
banners, to-day we write President on the
President’s grave.
SAVANNAH, GA., SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 1865.
Oh! the terrible grief of this hour! we
mourn a loss irreparable. The soldier hrs
left the ranks, the sailor has dropped fcis
anchor, the trader has cleared his mart, (he
farther has stopped his plough, the merry
ring of the anvil and the hum of business are
hushed and still, that allgsay prostrate them
selves around his band in hand
and eye suffused, bathe «ar land in tears.—
When after a few brief moments to rise from
our bed of sorrow to swear before God and
high heaven to meet out to unrepenting trai
tors deatii, and to the assassin the assassin s
doom. A crime has been committed which
has no parallel in the annals of Republican
history.
Humanity has been outraged, aud the
great soul of the Nation is shocked with
emotion from centre to circumference.
Four years ago the political leaders, those
in the councils of the Nation, sought to de
stroy the Government for the single reason
that they refused, in the great election of
1860, to keep them longer in power. It was
their determination, as they could rule no
longer, to destroy this couutry and erect
upon the ruin 9 a despotic government, that
they could rule or ruin, according to their
caprice or fancy. There was in the contest
of 1860 no.more than there had been in the
various elections that had preceded it—party
lines were drawn tight, but had they not
been so before ? The war was no revolution,
as the people had no right to contend for, but
what they all received-under the old flag, nor
had they any grievance to redress.
The first great cause of all this war can be
found in the ungratified ambition of a few.
partizan leaders. All other interests were
lqgt sight of, it was such a cause for war, that,
had the people of the North said to them,
“ Come and rule us," they would have been
satisfied.
When the Democratic Convention met in
the city of Charleston, S. C., 1860, William
L. Yancey, of Alabama, was regarded tbe
leader of the “fire eaters.” Col. J. Knox
Walker, of Tennessee, represented the inter
ests of Stephen A. Douglass. • After con
tinual battling, the friends of Senator Doug
lass became convinced that he could not be
nominated, and telegraphed him to that ef
fect. Senator Douglass replied: “If they
will adopt the Clnoinnatti platform, or the
principles therein endorsed, you may with
draw my name from the convention and
pledge my hearty purport for any man they
might Walker, when he re
ceived this, sought Mr. Yancey, and showed
him the despatch. Mr. Yancey replied, :‘I
may as well be frank with you first as last,
and I tell you that any proposition that will
be acceptable to Senator Douglass or his
friends, is thereby in itself unacceptable to us
—I mean disunion. Twice have I beeu before
my constituency advocating it ; twice have I
been defeated,but now I shall succeed.” And
let the people and parties go as they wish,
we care not; our organization is such that
we will drag out all who will not go peace
ably. Thus, as we lift the veil of the past
four years, we can find the real cause of this
war. I ask you, people of the South, what
was the cause as stated by them to you ?
what means did these heartless leaders take
to arouse the passions and prejudices of the
inhabitants ? Did they, its men and patriots,
state to you the facts upon which they based
all their resistance to the established author
ity? Was it not rather by traducing Abra
ham Lincoln, by arraigning him before the
people as one of the vilest of the vile, and
actually charging him of committing nearly
every crime tn the criminal calendar?
Now let us follow briefly the pathway of
the great man, to hear the verdict of his
neighbors and friends and see what- truth
there is in this ridiculous statement.
Bom in Harden county, Kentucky, in the
12th day of Februa.y, 1809. He was of
humble and lowly birth, away from schools
and the benefits of an early education, yet
like the' great Father of our Country the
seeds of future greatness were soon sown in
bis mind bv a Christian mother; the oft re
peated and never to be forgotten story of
Washington and the “Hatchet” was readjo
him, leaving a deep impression and strange
to say. History has fonud, in the early life
of our late President, its counteract. A Mr.
Crawford, one of the early settlers in the
ueigbeorbood where young Lincoln resided,
opened a school in his log cabin; with a
raccoon cap and a buckskin suit and an old
arithmetic found for him, he commenced his
studies for the “Higher Branches.” Mr.
Crawford ient him a copy of Ramsey’s Life
of Washington. During, a severe storm
Abraham improved his leisure by reading his
book. One night he laid it down carefully,
as he thought,'' and the next morning be
found it soaked through. TbA wind had
changed ; the storm had beaten in through a
crack in the logs and the appearance of the
book was ruined.
How could he face the owner under such
circumstances? He had no money to offer
as a return, but heUook the book, went di
rectly to Mr. Crawford, showed him the irre
parable injury, and frankly and honestly
offered to work for him until he should be
satisfied.
Mr. Crawford accepted the offer aud gave
Abraham the book for his own in return for
three days labor in pulling fodder.” Thus
we find .the first recorded act of the illustrious
maa, winning by his manliness and straight
forwardness, the love and esteem of all his
neighbors, thus the incidents of his boyhood,
all foreshadowing the Interest and integrity
which has characterised him so in later life.
Little else took place in his career till 1830.
when Thomas Lincoln, his father, moved to
Decatur, Illinois- Mr. .Lincoln was now
twenty-one years of age, but did not go from
home to act independently until he had help
ed his father locate his family, break the
ground for corn, and make a rail fence round
the farm. We next hear of him as a volun
teer in a company raised in Manard county,
Illinois, for the Black Hawk war, he was
was made a Captain. He served out hia en
listment with houor and distinction. His
courage and patriotism shrunk from no dan
ger or hardship. From hia kindness of heart,
honesty of purpose, and most excellent judg
ment, he became the Mend of all who knew
him ; and the judge, to whom was referred
all difficulties and disputes arising between
the soldiers,and he here received his historical
name of “Honest Abe.” At the close of the
war he returned to civil life, and studied and
practised surveying.
In 1834 he wa9 sent to the legislature of
Illinois, where he laid the foundation of his
future career as a statesman. In April,
he removed to Springfield, Illinois, and com
menced the practice of law. With the ex
ception of two terms in the Illinois Legisla
ture aud one term In Congress, he lived as an
humble citizen with the people, loved and
honored by all who were favored with bis
acquaintance.
The children all speak his name with rev
erence, the aged find much in him to love
and cherish, but nothing to condemn.
It has been my good fortune to share the
friendship, to mingle with him in private
life, I have seen him under all circumstances,
and never have I heard his name mentioned,
as a man, but in terms of praise and respect.
Os his public career I will not speak.
There his record stands, and there it will
stand, while the sun winds her course thro’
the Heavens, as an illustrious example of
purity and patriotism.
No ruler ever met more fully the highest
hopes of the People ; those who at first tho’t
him Blow, found in good time that he best
comprehended the great issue. His own
party met but to record iu convention the
popular verdict of the man for the hour, and
all lovers of their country acknowledge the
wisdom of his re-election.
Feeling these high expectations, Sherman
marched triumphantly through the Confeder
acy. Gillmore raised the old flag over the
shattered cradle of secession, and Grant in a
single grasp compressed the Capital and vet
eran army of the rebellion. The country is
tumultuous with joy and every heart over
flows with gratitude the brave offleers and
soldiers and the
chief; mingled love I 'ana reverence are his as
the savior of his country, more heartily ac?
corded because he declines it for himself.—
To the army he gives the praise, to God the
glory! Proudly the old ship of State in all
her magnificent proportions enters the haven
of peace with Lincoln at the helm. In the
fury of the storm the great Captain cut away
slavery, making the Constitution what our
Fathers intended—the Charter of Liberty.—
When bad mortal more reason to be proud of
success? When had any people greater
motives to embalm In their hearts a Chief
Magistrate ? In Such an hour the assassin
strikes down this great and good man, pierc
ing every heart with grief. As we recover
from the shock we seek some motive for the
atrocious crime. It was not to tarnish his
proud fame, for that was secured beyond
mortal power to harm. It wa9 not to de
stroy the country, for his counsels had se
cured that also. But it was that spirit of
hell conceived in the interest of slavery,
born in the peijured bath to support the con
stitution nurtured in the fiendish torture of
Union prisoners christened in this lust mur
derous crime, that should appal our hearts
and paralize our conquering armies. Shall
it succeed ? No! a thousand times no!!
1 appeal to you who met these men at the
ballot-box—who roused them on the battle
field-risking your lives, not that traitors
might die, but that your Country might live.
If they retreat to the lurking place of the'
assassin, shall not: these same bands, tri
umphant in honorable warfare, prove God’s
swift messengers vengeance.
We have sworn to obey the President of
the United States* against all enemies whom
soever, and over his crimson bier we renew
that oath. By the holy reverence we bear
his name— by our love for our Country—by
all that is sacred to Liberty, we will main
tain that oath. This we do swear, lamented
chieftain, in reverence to thee, to preserve
our Country the proudest monument of your
wisdom and glory.
PRICE. 5 CENTS
Our father, our leader, our friend,‘has gone
to rest. It is well for us that his destroyer
did not complete his work before. He has
been spared by an All-Wise Providence, to
carry us thro jgh the darkest hours of our
Country's gloom; and with one voice we
accord to him tbe welcome plaudit of “Well
done good and faithful servant.” Spirit of
the Patriots bid him welcome, as he comes
fresh from the fields of glory; Pilgrims, in
your dusty beds make room for him, our
Country’s idol.
REMARKS OF 8810.-OEN. WASHBURN.
Gen. Washburn was then introduced. He
said he came there to join his tears with
those of the audience at the sad news of the
President's death, but he felt like rejoicing
also, on account of the glorious news of vic
tory upon victory, and coming peace. He
reviewed the condition of affairs briefly, and
indicated the heelings of the army as favorable
of kindness and mercy for those who repent,
but death to all traitors hereafter. He said
we all had many things to learn, aud the
Southern people had one important thing to
learn; that was that the colored chattel of
yesterday is the human being of to-day.
(Cheers.) The colored people
also had one important thing to lesm— that
was, that freedom does not mean laziness
They also had another lesson to learn, jvhicb.
was, that freedom does not necessarily mean
social equality. (Applause.) He would
charge them, it they wished (o be respected,
to earu by industry that respect which by
somebody’s fault they had lost. He closed
by saying that when the goddess of liberty
crowns herself with a coronal of stars, tho
brightest of the diamonds will be the names
of Washington and Lincoln the Father and
9avior of their country. (Applause )
The speech wa9 one of the best of the day,
but being given in that spontaneous style of
Western eloquence, was so difficult to report
with-justice that we have given a brief ab
stract. (
The band then played the Star Spangled
Banner. ,
REMARKS OF A. W. STONE.
An unexpected and terrible calamity has
fallen upon the nation. Our. rejoicing Is
turned into mourning, and the whole nation
is “contracted in one brow of woe.” ‘ But
yesterday the loyal heart of the people re
joiced at tho surrender of General Lee and
his army in the hope of a speedy peace: to
day our rejoicing U turned into mourning,
and a nation is in tears. The Chief Magis
trate of the nation is stricken down by tho
hand of an assassin, and we have met here
to give public expression to qur feelings upon
this-dreadful event. Who is equsl' to' tho
task ? . .. '
Called to preside over the nation, when
the sky was dark,and threatening andgather
ing blackness.ovp'- "very brow.eveq to reach
Capital of the nation he was forced to
disguise'himself for protection againstjhreat
eifed assassination. A reckless mob of agsas*
sins paraded the streets of Baltimore, thirst
ing for his blood, aided and encouraged by
the influential secessionists of that dty. It
was said by the rebels all over the South that
he should never be inaugurated.
“ And threats'against his life have even |ineo
been made, and the Press of the South have
even advertised and offered a reward for tho
coward who would undertake' the task of
assassination.
Evcfn here in the city of Savannah; per
haps on this veiy ttfee, under whose shadows
I am now speaking, he was hung in efflgy.
But the Providence of God preserved him,
and for four years he succeSsfttlly guided our
Ship of State amid the whirlpool of secession
and rebellion. His honest heart and conser
vative policy, have endeared him to the peo
ple, and by their almost unanimous volte ha
was called to fill a secoud tertn; which ha
had just entered upon, and as that old Ship
he had so successfully guided was just .reach
ing the haven of peace, he " was cruelly *
snatched from the helm. ' /
We all anxiously ask; Who shall fill bis
place "In the hearts of the people and in tba
administration of the' affairs of this nation t
He seemed raised up by Providence, from
‘the common ranks of life, to lead us through
this unnatural and bloody conflict. What
Moses was to the children of Israel, Abraham
Lincoln wire to this people, and they had
learned to think of him as Hamlet of bis
father—He was a man, take him for all ia
U** wo shall not look upon his like again.”
He bad a proper appreciation of the great
issues at stake, and os the breakers of rebel
lion lathed with fury by the tempest of
secession were receding, he was the man
above all others that who looked to as able to
control the spirit o! radicalism, and temper
mercy with justice to the deluded victims of
rebellion, who had been seduced and dragged
into the whirlpool of revolution; and’fe'hl*
death the people of the South have lost their
best friend, and the whole people have sue
tained a loss irreparable.
Those sires of ruin who inaugurated re
bellion in seeking the destruction of those
whose only offense waa a love for the btora
and Stripes, thereby destroyed their best
friends.