_Joyful Demonstrations Over the Fifteenth Amendment--Processions in all
the Cities of the Land--Departure for Louisville, Ky.--The Journey
Thither--The River Ohio--Great Celebration--The Week at Louisville--The
Return to Buffalo._
My dear, kind reader, as I have already indicated, the eventful year of
1870 had come, and the Fifteenth Amendment had become the law of the
land. From Maine to Texas, from the wild Atlantic waves to the Coast of
the Pacific Ocean, the entire colored race abandoned themselves to the
most unbounded demonstration of joy and delight. I never saw the tide of
delight running so high either before or since, as upon this most august
occasion. Great mass-meetings, immense processions, music, dancing,
religious meetings for sacred song, prayer and praise were the order of
the night and of the day. Indeed, there was no outward form of joy and
rejoicing that can either be conceived or described, that was not
observed upon this glorious occasion. We read in the Book of Esther
about the joy of the whole Jewish nation, when they were all saved by
the Lord from the wicked plots and schemes of the evil-minded Haman--the
Jew's enemy. So great, indeed, was the impression produced upon the
heart of God's ancient people that the feast of Purim is still kept up
in commemoration of that terrible crisis through which all Israel had to
pass. We ourselves--the colored race in America--had had our experiences
in times past, as bad or worse than the Israelites of old. It was now
five full years since the close of the war; we had had five years of
national freedom; slavery here had lost the day; we could now vote like
any other race, and therefore the free exercise of the self-same power
was placed in our hands; the spring of 1870 was come, when the entire
colored race abandoned themselves to singing, dancing and rejoicing in
all ways in general; and, indeed, they had good cause and the right to
rejoice, for they had waited a long time for it, and their patience had
been sorely tried. Justice was long in coming, but it came at last.
In all the larger towns and cities of the United States, both North and
South, immense processions were organized and carried out in the
greatest and grandest perfection. It struck me as a truly wonderful
thing at the time that the Democratic and rebel element that were so
rank and strong even in former days in the North did not take mortal
offense at such out-and-out demonstrations, carried out with such a high
hand before the noon-day sun!
But our people were discreet, and neither said nor did anything
purposely to cause any reasonable person to take offense. Of course,
they stood upon their rights, and they claimed their rights of way as
much as others, but all the same their lawful demonstration of joy and
rejoicing went with a most tremendous swing, and nothing was done by
anybody to mar the exultation of the grand occasion. So far as the
Republicans were concerned, and all the brave old Abolition school, and
every one of that ilk, they were well pleased to see the happy
consummation of all their labors and toils.
I do not wonder so much that this tremendous colored demonstration
passed off without opposition in the North, but what was really
surprising was that the processions and other demonstrations of joy in
the cities of the South, in honor of the Fifteenth Amendment, should not
have brought on opposition, conflicts and riots. In brief, the entire
white race, over all the land, submitted to the inevitable; they
submitted to the results of the war. Their consciences at least bore
witness that neither race nor color, nor previous condition make men nor
unmake them; that one man is as much of a man as another in a general
sense, and that the colored race had fought for their equal rights, and
deserved them, and all seemed now willing to live in peace.
As we heard that a very great demonstration was to be made at
Louisville, Ky., in honor of the Fifteenth Amendment, and as my beloved
mother, Tom and myself had been longing for a long time past for a sight
of the dear old place upon the Kentucky shore, where we had all been
born and brought up, we determined to take the girls and go along to the
celebration, and Mr. Sutherland also consented to accompany us. He had
never been in Kentucky, and so anticipated that it would be a great
treat to him.
It was a fine morning in the spring when we took the road for the
railway station, and soon we found ourselves all seated in the train.
Mr. Sutherland and the girls were in a great way about going to
Kentucky, and the girls had so long desired to see it once more. Ever
since they awoke in the morning they had been humming and singing "The
Old Kentucky Shore!" Nay, they even played it on the piano, and sang to
their own accompaniments. Thus the whole house was ringing that early
morning with the sounds of music. But to those of us who were older the
children's hilarity, music and song brought other thoughts, for we were
no longer children. Many dear old slave ditties had been sung about
Kentucky, which was a slave State, as the dear reader knows very well.
Thousands of fugitives had escaped over the river Ohio, which bounds all
her northern line. Indeed, runaway slaves from States further south
usually made for this river, and made their escapes into the free States
of the North. Even my own dear Tom and I had made our escape over this
river, and my own dear mother had been carried down and over its waters
on her way to the Sunny South.
[Illustration: _IN DANGER OF THE OVERSEER'S LASH._]
Thus our feelings that morning were rather conflicting. Mr. Sutherland
and the girls seemed best off, for there were no dark shadows in the
immediate past to cloud their brows, like mother, Tom and myself. But
all clouds passed away sooner or later, and we happily forgot our
old-time experiences in the pleasantness of the new day, the bright and
warming sunlight, and even the joyous surroundings that were all around
about us on our happy way. The girls having bought a couple of bright
new picture books from the book-stand at the depot while we were
securing our tickets, all things were now in readiness for our
departure. We took our seats in a very contented and flowery state of
mind at last, and our brave iron horse set out for the open road along
the shores of Lake Erie, and soon we had left the city of Buffalo behind
us. The dark shadows of the early morning had indeed departed
altogether, and our eyes and thoughts were fixed upon the beautiful
country as we flew past, and on the shining waters of Lake Erie, till we
came to Cleveland, Ohio. Here we left the lake, and switched away
towards the southwest of Columbus, the capital of this State. The rest
of us had been over this ground before, as the dear reader will
remember; but all was new ground to mother and Mr. Sutherland, who now
greatly admired the beauties of the State of Ohio, adorned in all the
charms of spring, and with all its fine woods and forests arrayed in
their new mantle of green, that set off the beauties of the hills and
dales in great perfection. And whatever our thoughts and feelings might
otherwise have been, on one point we were all united--we were going back
to our dear old Kentucky shore, and the city of Louisville, to behold
the glorious celebration of the Fifteenth Amendment to the American
Constitution, and to such an outpouring of the colored race as had never
been seen in Kentucky. That, indeed, made our hearts light; that was joy
enough for all.
In due time we reached Columbus, the capital of the State, as nice a
little country city as ever I saw. Here a small contingent of our own
beloved people came on board the train for Cincinnati and Louisville.
They were in a state of high excitement over the forthcoming events.
Some of them, no doubt, had fled away from the curse and chains of
slavery in Kentucky, and more remote States; but now they could return
without fear. "Slavery there had lost the day!"
Continuing our journey, we all reached Cincinnati in safety, a fine
city, of which Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland often heard, but had never seen;
and they were quite captivated with its beauty, reposing so sweetly on
the hills that line the northern banks of the "beautiful river," as the
French discoverers delighted to call it. With what wonder and delight
did Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland behold the beautiful hills and dells of
Kentucky, just across the mighty stream! Mrs. Sutherland had of course
seen the Ohio at Riverside, and all the way down to the Mississippi, but
it was the first time her husband had seen the beautiful river of the
Frenchmen, or even slave land, and it produced in his mind mingled
feelings of pain and pleasure to behold it, for though born free
himself, his forefathers had fled across the Ohio river as they made
their escape from the South.
We decided to spend a night at sweet Cincinnati, where we paid a visit
to A. M. E. Church parsonage, where my beloved Tom and I put up when we
were married at the church there, and what was our surprise and joy to
find the very same family there, the self-same reverend gentleman having
been called back for a second time. What kissing, embracing and joy
there was between the two families upon this happy, happy reunion!
Heaven alone can tell, my dear reader, how very much good this meeting
did us all. My goodness! this poor pen of mine is altogether unequal to
the task. It was indeed a heavenly union!
There being a class that night at the dear, dear church, after tea, we
all went along with the pastor and his family and had a glorious time,
where we praised the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth
forever. Many old friends remembered us still, and gave us a warm
welcome. O Christianity! Christianity! What joys has this world like
them?
After this grand meeting was over, we all made our way to the private
quarters, which we had engaged for the night, and where we had a most
refreshing sleep. We were all quite amused with the girls, for they were
worse than wild birds for sheer delight. The fine weather and the great
events in the immediate future were mighty stimulants. Indeed the whole
of us were completely carried away by our feelings, and we ran the city
and suburbs of Cincinnati in all directions, our private boarding-house
being our rendezvous at three o'clock in the afternoon, so that we could
all start together for the boat that was to leave an hour or two later
for Louisville.
It is a remarkable thing how rapidly some people become acquainted. By
the time we had spent some twenty-four hours with the kind people at the
boarding-house, we were almost as fond of one another as if we had been
brought up together. Some of them even accompanied us to the Public
Landing, where we were to embark for Louisville. I don't know what the
neighbors along the street thought of us, for we were more excited and
exultant and louder than a lot of barn-yard fowl, with laughing and one
thing and another! Well, it was a time for laughing, I think, and after
two hundred and fifty years of slavery, I also think we had a right to
laugh, and to laugh with all our might and main!
At last we reached the Public Landing, marched on board, secured our
cabins, and settled ourselves down for our passage to Louisville,
greatly admiring the scenery and traffic of "The Beautiful River."
A great many passengers came on board at Cincinnati, all bound for the
great celebration. All eyes were bright with animation, and high-beating
hope swelled in every human heart. The rush to the colossal exhibition
at Louisville reminded me of the tides of people on the grand march to
see a circus; but this was a circus of a most unusual kind. From the
grand reports that had been circulated all over the country for weeks,
we all expected a high old time, we expected the colored race and their
friends at Louisville to make a mighty effort to place a great show
before the whole State, and also expected to swell the mighty chorus and
throng by our own presence. Many persons on board had never been back to
Louisville since they took French leave of the same place; whilst others
had numerous friends and relations whom they greatly desired to see. But
all wished to behold the old Kentucky shore again, for who does not love
the scenes of their youth?
We were now fairly launched out upon the great river. The sweet spring
winds blew over us, and seemed to accompany and cheer us upon our way.
At such times the imagination gives play to all sorts of sweet things,
and the very surges of the Ohio river seemed to rejoice as they bore us
along on their downward course to the Mississippi and the Gulf States.
The sun went down, and the moon arose upon the fleeting scene. The night
was now upon us, and all the hills and dells that lined both sides of
the beautiful river enchanted the eyes and hearts of all beholders. A
sweet peace stole into our hearts that came down from heaven.
With what interest did we view the little wooden cabins that lay along
the shores of the river on the Kentucky side, and along the slopes of
her hills! What tales of grief and joy those dear little homes could
have told if they had been able to speak. My two dear children were awed
into silence as they looked upon the passing scenes, for they had both
read "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and many other plaintive books besides; and
heard from us and from others a thousand tales of slavery in days gone
by. Many eyes besides our own were wet with tears of love, sorrow and
emotion, as we viewed those little cabin homes, and saw the lights that
night on the "Old Kentucky Shore" of the poet, and in our hearts we
thanked the Lord that slavery here had indeed passed away forever. It
has been often a wonder to me that the Lord allowed the curse to
continue so long; but then He knows what is for the best, and I am
always willing to take things on trust that I cannot understand. "The
Lord is good; a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them
who put their trust in Him." How true, how very true, indeed!
We called at no place on our way, but at the beautiful little city of
Madison, Indiana, that lies so sweet-looking in the edge of the Ohio
river. Quite a goodly number of our own beloved people came on board
here, whom we rejoiced to see. It was the same old, old story that I
have told before. They were going to Louisville to swell the mighty
throng, and help sing the songs of the ransomed of the Lord during the
forthcoming celebration at that city.
After we left Madison, we all retired to bed for the night, and we were
not long in falling into a sound sleep. The night passed away, on flew
the waves of the beautiful river with our fleet boat on their bosom,
rushing on for the general rendezvous, and about four o'clock in the
morning our gallant craft tied up at the landing-place at Louisville,
the metropolis of Kentucky.
All up once more, and in good time! We were careful this morning to give
ourselves a thorough, good washing, and lay in a solid, substantial
breakfast in preparation for the events of the coming day. All on board,
bent on the same happy journey as ourselves, were in a high key of
excitement. Indeed we could snuff excitement in the very air before we
left the boat. But at last we got away, and came up the bank from the
beautiful river, and entered the city before seven o'clock, where we
found the whole place astir with great numbers of excited people,
rushing and sweeping along in all directions--men on horseback riding
rapidly up and down the streets; great crowds of men, women and children
arriving by rail from different parts of the State, while men in
uniforms, bands of music, with the town boys and girls scurrying along
in all directions like the wild waves of the sea; flags, banners,
streamers and ribands seen fluttering in the breeze in all
directions--such was our introduction to Louisville, when we came up
from the river, and looked up and down Market, Jefferson and Green
streets, and made our early way to a place on Walnut street, where we
had arranged previously by letter to take up our quarters for the week
that we were to spend in the city. Here our dear old acquaintances of
ante bellum days received us gladly. We were all much altered now, had
grown older, were married and had children of our own; were now free,
whereas formerly we were called "goods and chattels" in defiance of the
truth of the Eternal Jehovah that we had all the same rights as others,
but for the time being were held down by sheer physical force.
So much talk about a "Fifteenth Amendment" we had never heard in our
lives, and it made us laugh to hear even the little children lisp "The
Fifteenth Amendment!" Poor, dear little things! Theirs was a happy lot.
They were all free, and had not come up by the rough side of the
mountain like their oppressed parents. The glorious weather was
immensely in our favor. We blessed God for that, and we blessed Him for
all things. The sun was shining in all his beauty; the mocking-birds
sang in the parks, and the light winds blew over the fair and
garden-like city on the Ohio. Thousands upon thousands of people still
continued to arrive upon boats that came up and down the river, by the
ferry-boats, and on all the heavily-laden incoming trains that arrived
thick and fast. Even the old inhabitant was astonished at the tremendous
crowds that at last packed all the main streets along which the
procession was to pass, because we were now getting well into line, just
as is done at a Presidential inauguration at Washington. Uniformed
riders and fast messengers, ex-soldiers dressed in Uncle Sam's
conventional blue, the fair sex as thick as the leaves of the forest,
boys in the trees, all the windows full of sight-seers, and men and boys
on the roofs of the houses--well, indeed, might the oldest inhabitant
ask where all the people came from! Nobody could have given a complete
answer to that question, for there were tens of thousands of people here
this day who had never been to Louisville before. All had heard of
Louisville, the beautiful metropolis of the State, but they were slaves
then, and had no hope of ever beholding its beauties; but God is
good--here came the war, here came victory and freedom, here came new
laws and the Fifteenth Amendment, and here came they themselves at last
to help on the good cause with loud shouts of joy.
Flags fluttered from thousands of windows, and the indications of joy
were universal. And not only did the colored, but the white population
packed the streets in thousands and tens of thousands; the crowds were
good-humored to the last degree, and there was nothing but joy and
rejoicing on every side all day long.
The outriders now began to move in advance of the procession; the first
men in line followed next with a band of music, and these again were
followed by a tasteful and beautiful float that promised mighty things
in the rear! Bands of music at intervals, all the different societies,
another wonderful and beautiful float came sailing on laden with
rejoicing citizens, young and old, and a thousand other strange and
wonderful features and devices of the triumphal march called forth loud
shouts of joy, great outbursts of laughter and general applause. A
beautiful colored maiden of sixteen or seventeen summers, named Miss
Laura Claggett, stood up in a chariot during the entire procession, and
she made a splendid living representation of the "Goddess of Liberty."
It was said of her, as of the beauty of ancient Tyre, "Thou hast made
thy beauty perfect." The interest that we all took in the long, splendid
and varied procession was most intense. So much pains had been taken
with all the necessary preparations that every part of it was complete,
and the warmest approbation was bestowed upon all the preliminary
arrangements, and the way in which they were carried out. Here was a
true object lesson, indeed, that we were as fit for the highest
civilization as the whites. This was freely admitted on all hands, with
the exception, of course, of those blind persons who did not wish to
see. We find them everywhere, and the best thing to do is simply to
ignore them altogether. It was wonderful, thrice wonderful, to look
around, and see the people who had come from the remotest parts of the
State to see Louisville and the great celebration. It was most pathetic
to look at some of them--bent down in some cases with hard work, labor
and toil of half a century. There was a feeling of unutterable
thankfulness that was apparent to all observers--thankfulness that they
could yet enjoy a few years of freedom before they went home to be with
the Lord, and thankfulness that their children should be free for all
coming time. "No more auction blocks for me!" was the sentiment.
Thus the whole glorious procession marched and counter-marched over the
principal streets of the beautiful garden-like city of Louisville, and
at last broke up and scattered like all other famous processions of the
kind, whether at Washington or anywhere else. The whole city press were
loud in their praises of the universal good conduct and splendid
management of the new citizens, and of course the Republican organ
brought out the whole truth flat-footed, and cast all its glories to the
breeze without stint. It was a downright triumph in the interest of law
and order, for the police authorities had little or nothing to do. The
pastors of all the churches, and other leaders, had impressed it upon
the hearts and minds of all the people to be good, and to act as
citizens, and give the enemy no just reason to throw stones. For my own
part, though I had by this time seen a hundred processions, at least, in
my time, I am bound to confess that the procession and day's doings at
Louisville were as good as the best in regard to law and order, and I
understand that other cities behaved quite as well as they did in
Kentucky, throughout the Union.
For a week or so the entire colored population at Louisville were en
fete, and a high old time of it they did have, indeed. It was a perfect
carnival--a general jollification along the whole line. Music and
dancing, and grand tea parties, both in public and private, were all the
go, and as our presence in town was soon well known, we were invited to
lend a hand in the general festivities along with others. There was a
good time all over the metropolis of Kentucky, and don't you forget it.
There is a poem that says in one place, "Joy's image may vanish, and
griefs die away; but the scenes of our youth are recorded for
aye,"--which leads me on to say that Tom, mother and myself had a great
and yearning desire to revisit all those dear scenes and places round
about the beautiful river that had been so deeply stamped into our
hearts and memories in the glorious, youthful spring-time of life. Mr.
Sutherland had no such longing to satisfy, and the two girls were not
then born. The latter three, indeed, were born at Buffalo, on the
Niagara river, in the great Empire State of New York. So Tom, mother and
myself made calls on all those dear, dear friends of our earliest days
who still remained alive, or still dwelt in Louisville. But many changes
had taken place. Some had grown old and almost past recognition; the
children of others received us kindly, for their parents were gone to a
better land, and there were other changes all around, too numerous to
mention. With the exception of God Himself, and the course of nature,
all things seemed to be altered, and it was a source of thankfulness to
us all that something remained that could not be shaken.
When we had thus ransacked the whole city in search of old friends (Mr.
Sutherland and the girls coming bravely along with us), we crossed the
river to Jeffersonville, Indiana, where we made two or three calls, and
then went down to New Albany, on the Indiana side, where we had grand
welcomes from all whom we knew there. It was really astonishing to
behold our mutual joy, and to tell our true tales of joys and sorrows,
and hear theirs in return. Praise ye the Lord!
We now hired a boat, and had a glorious sail up the Ohio, and showed Mr.
Sutherland and the children all the old familiar places up the stream
where we had formerly been. Then we went down the river, passed through
the canal at Portland, below the city, and came out upon the Ohio once
more. There were six of us in the boat besides the two rowers. We had
taken the precaution to borrow a variety of loud-sounding musical
instruments; we kept close to the Kentucky side of the Ohio, and when we
drew near to the place of our birth, that is, Riverside Hall, we struck
up "The Old Kentucky Shore," which we both played and sang with
tremendous force, raising more excitement than the Salvation Army! This
brought out Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, and all the old retainers who chose to
remain after the fall of slavery. There were new faces there, also. My
father recognized us at once, and invited us in to receive the
hospitalities of the house. Here we remained all day, saw everything
once more, and returned to Louisville at set of sun. But we afterwards
returned to Riverside, and spent another whole day in perfect love and
harmony. It was a sweet time.
We were now all far, far more than satisfied. All things had gone well
with us, and we returned home to Buffalo more thankful and gladsome than
ever. Oh, what shall we render unto the Lord for all his goodness!
Because His mercy endureth forever!