Mr. Lincoln met them with one of his sweetest smiles, and encouraged them to take his hand. Their joy was unbounded, and they gave vent to their feelings in the wildest manner. An eye-witness says, "They laughed and wept, and wept and laughed,—exclaiming through their blinding tears, God bless you!' 'God bless Abraham Lincoln!' 'God bless Massa Linkum.'"

Miss Canedy, of Fall River, Mass., was teaching the coloured people at Norfolk, Va., and in her schoolroom was a plaster bust of Mr. Lincoln. One day she showed it to some coloured men who were at work around the building, remarking about their benefactor. Their exclamations were as follows:

"He's brought us safe through the Red Sea." "He looks as deep as the sea himself."

"He's king of the United States."

"He ought to be king of the world."

"We must all pray to the Lord to carry him safe through, for it 'pears like he's got everything hitched to him."

"There has been a right smart praying for him, and it mustn't stop now."

President Lincoln's entrance into Richmond, after the rebel forces were driven out, was the signal for great rejoicing among the coloured people. He entered the conquered city on foot, attended only by "Tad and the sailors who rowed him up the James river. So quiet and unpretentious was his advent, that the negroes were taken by surprise; and, when they found that the "Great Emancipator" was actually there, their joy knew no bounds. Some of them shouted; many of them cried; all of them were frantic with delight. "Glory to God!" "Glory!" "Glory!" "Glory!" was the hearty tribute of the liberated slaves.

"I thank you, dear Jesus, that I behold President

Linkum," exclaimed a woman on the street, crying like a child.

"Bless de Lord! Bless de Lord! Bless de Lord!" exclaimed several, jumping up and down as if bereft of their reason.

An eye-witness says, "An old negro cried out, 'May de good Lord bless you, President Linkum!' while he removed his hat, and the tears of joy rolled down his cheeks. The President removed his own hat, and bowed in silence;. but it was a bow which upset the forms, laws, customs, and ceremonies of centuries. It was a death shock to 'chivalry,' and a mortal wound to caste."

Colonel McKaye, Robert Dale Owen, and one or two other gentlemen, were appointed by President Lincoln to investigate the condition of the freedmen on the coast of North Carolina. When they reported to Mr. Lincoln, Colonel McKaye related the following incident, as given by Mr. Carpenter:

"He had been speaking of the ideas of power entertained by these people. He said they had an idea of God as the Almighty, and they had realized in their former condition the power of their masters. Up to the time of the arrival among them of the Union forces, they had no knowledge of any other power. Their masters fled upon the approach of our soldiers, and this gave the slaves a conception of a power greater than that exercised by them. This power they called 'Massa Linkum.'

'Colonel McKaye said that their place of worship was a large building which they called 'the praise house; and the leader of the meeting, a venerable black man, was known as 'the praise man.' On a certain day, when there was quite a large gathering of people, considerable confusion was created by different persons

attempting to tell who and what 'Massa Linkum' was. In the midst of the excitement the white-headed leader commanded silence. 'Brederin,' said he, 'you don't know nosen' what you'se talkin' 'bout. Now, you just listen to me. Massa Linkum, he eberywhar. He know eberyting.' Then, solemnly looking up, he added, 'He walk de earf like de Lord!'

"Colonel McKaye told me that Mr. Lincoln seemed much affected by this account. He did not smile, as another man might have done, but got up from his chair, and walked in silence two or three times across the floor. As he resumed his seat, he said, very impressively: 'It is a momentous thing to be the instrument, under Providence, of the liberation of a race.'"

The coloured people of Baltimore presented the President with a very costly and beautiful copy of the Bible. Three coloured clergymen and two laymen were the committee to present it. The address accompanying the gift was tender and reverential, to which President Lincoln replied in a characteristic speech, in which he said of the Bible :

"It is the best gift which God has ever given to man. All the good from the Saviour of the world is communicated to us through this book. But for that book we could not know right from wrong. All those truths desirable for men are contained in it. I return you my sincere thanks for the very elegant copy of the great Book of God which you present."

The Bible bore the following inscription :—

"TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States, the friend of Universal Freedom. From the loyal coloured people of Baltimore, as a token of respect and gratitude. Baltimore, July 4th, 1864."

A coloured woman of Philadelphia presented him

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a collection of wax-fruits, with an ornamented stemtable-an elegant affair. Her pastor, Mr. Hamilton, made the presentation address, but closed by saying, Perhaps Mrs. Johnson would like to say a few words." What Mrs. Johnson did is best told in her own words: "I looked down to the floor, and felt that I had not a word to say, but after a moment or two, the fire began to burn" (laying her hand on her breast), "and it burned and burned till it went all over me. I think it was the Spirit, and I looked up to him and said: 'Mr. President, I believe God has hewn you out of a rock, for this great and mighty purpose. Many have been led away by bribes of gold, of silver, of presents; but you have stood firm, because God was with you, and if you are faithful to the end, He will be with you.' With his eyes full of tears, he walked round and examined the present, pronounced it beautiful, thanked me kindly, but said: 'You must not give me the praise-it belongs to God."

Some public men desired Mr. Lincoln to issue his Proclamation of Emancipation long before he did. Delegations waited upon him to express their wishes in that direction. To a delegation of clergymen from Chicago, who urged the measure upon him, he replied :

I do not want to issue a document that the whole world will see must necessarily be inoperative, like the Pope's bull against the comet."

After some discussion, however, he assured them that "the subject was upon his mind night and day, more than any other;" and he added, "Whatever shall appear to be God's will, I will do."

He called a special Cabinet meeting two or three weeks before the battle of Antietam, and announced to the members :

"I have prepared a proclamation of emancipation, believing that the time has come to issue it. I have

not called you together for advice on the general subject, for I have settled that; I simply desire to inform you of my purpose, and receive such suggestions as you may make."

The members were somewhat surprised, but expressed a strong desire to hear it read. The President proceeded to read it in a slow, clear voice, evidently impressed with the grave responsibility he was taking upon himself. When he had finished reading the document, and opened the way for suggestions, Secretary Chase remarked:

"I would like to have the language stronger with reference to arming the blacks."

"I think it is bad policy to issue it now," said the Attorney-General. "It will cost the administration the fall elections." It was then about the first of September, 1862.

"All these questions I have carefully considered, gentlemen," was Mr. Lincoln's response.

Secretary Seward remarked, at this point :

"Mr. President, I approve of the proclamation, but I question the expediency of its issue at this juncture. The depression of the public mind consequent upon our repeated reverses is so great that I fear the effect of so important a step. It may be viewed as the last measure of an exhausted government-a cry for help-the government stretching forth its hand to Ethiopia, instead of Ethiopia stretching forth its hand to the governmentour last shriek on the retreat. I think it would be best to delay it until it can be given to the country supported by military success, rather than after the greatest disasters of the war."

"That is a thought that has not occurred to me," immediately replied the President, "I shall adopt the suggestion at once, and await a signal victory."