Fall Of Richmond

( Originally Published 1885 )

NOTE.—Richmond was evacuated by the Confederates on Sunday, April 2, 1865. The next day, Monday, the Union troops took possession of the city. Some time before, my pupils had asked for a holiday to celebrate some minor Federal victory. I told them that that victory hardly warranted a holiday for the school, but when Richmond was captured they should celebrate it by a holiday. On Monday morning, therefore, April 8, 1865, the boys, en masse, asked for a holiday. The request was granted ; but as we were already assembled, it was thought best to have a short session, with brief exercises, appropriate to the occasion. It was at that time and under those circumstances that the following talk was given to the boys.

THE newspapers inform us that the Federal army is now in possession of Richmond, the capitol of the Confederate States of America. Practically this must prove to be the beginning of the end. The close of this civil war is at hand. Thank God for that. It is high time the fratricidal contest was terminated. So far as it has been a contest between free labor and slave labor, the South will lose ; for slavery will not survive the overthrow of the Confederacy. And to a large extent slavery is at the bottom of the whole difficulty. Ever since the beginning of the Federal government the balance of power has been carefully guarded in the United States senate. Prior to 1800 three new states had been added to the original thirteen, — Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee. This made eight free states and eight slave states. Then Ohio and Louisiana being admitted left the condition the same, nine states on each side. Then Indiana and Mississippi were admitted, then Illinois and Alabama, then Maine and Missouri. But not till after the vigorous strife which resulted in the Missouri Compromise.

Then followed Arkansas and Michigan, Florida and Iowa, Texas and Wisconsin, and the spell was broken in 1850 by California choosing for herself a free constitution, when, from her latitude, it had been sup-posed she would make a slave state.

Even the annexation of Texas, and the conquest and purchase of Northern Mexico, failed to help the slave power. It was doomed.

When the war broke out four years ago, no one dreamed what was before this nation. I well remember dismissing school and going down to the wharf to see the first Rhode Island regiment embark upon the boat that took them to the scene of conflict. On my return a friend said to me, " When do you propose to enlist?" I replied, "Oh, I don't know, I think I shall go in the fifth regiment." Little did any one that day suppose that this little State would be called upon to send five regiments into the field, not to say ten regiments of infantry, a regiment of light batteries and two or three regiments of cavalry. Even Secretary of State Seward thought that ninety days would finish the war. But his former utterance was the true one, when he characterized the anti-slavery struggle as " The irrepressible conflict." Slowly but steadily the slave power had become more and more aggressive, and more and more determined to rule the nation or to destroy it. That power culminated in the administration of President Buchanan, and upon the election of Abraham Lincoln the moment had come for the blow to be struck. But the change of administration had brought with it an entire change of policy for the nation.

During Mr. Buchanan's term, the mint issued that small copper cent alloyed with nickel, with the hideous looking flying bird on one side of it. It was this coin that Theodore Parker characterized as follows : " The government has become so corrupt that it has erased the word liberty from the coins of the country, taken away the eagle, the emblem of freedom, and substituted instead thereof an ill-looking, ravenous vulture." But one of the first coins issued by Secretary Chase, under President Lincoln, was the two-cent piece, which bore as a motto, " In God we Trust." It is believed that this was the first time in the history of our land that a religious motto appeared upon any coin issued by the national mint. This change seemed to be an agreeable augury of the altered character of the nation in its aims and its aspirations.

The war is now, in all probability, substantially ended. For four years the cry has been, " On to Richmond " ; but there seemed to be a fatality preventing Union soldiers from getting into that city, except as prisoners of war. Now that the capital of the Confederacy which established itself upon the corner-stone of human slavery has fallen, the army will not long withstand the steady march of Sherman, and the heavy poundings of Grant.

The abolition of slavery, which was a war measure, by proclamation of the President, must be enforced by a constitutional amendment. Surely, the conflict was " irrepressible," and the two systems of free labor and slave service could not abide under one government. The one or the other must give way. Thank God, it was not the former. Well may we say with the great poet, —

"Let truth and falsehood grapple;
Who ever knew truth put to the worse
In fair and open conflict."

But what next ? First a breathing spell ; then recuperation and mutual forbearance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. And then, what? Then progress, progress, progress, more rapid than the nation has ever yet seen. The upbuilding of the impoverished South, the education and elevation of the freedmen, the introduction of manufacturing into that section ; the pushing of the western frontier farther and farther till it meets the " Great South Sea," and there the great Republic will find its western limit.

If this gigantic attempt to divide the nation upon lines of latitude, with the rebellious section upheld by such a powerful motive as the retention and propagation of slavery ; if this great rebellion with its immense strength has failed, we may well feel assured that, hereafter, no attempt will be made to divide the nation either by lines latitudinal or longitudinal, and the prophecy of that famous Rhode-Islander will be quite likely to prove true, that the stars and stripes will yet float from sea to sea, and from the gulf to the pole.

And now, my young friends, I heartily congratulate you upon your good fortune in "coming to the kingdom at such a time as this " ; that you are just about to enter the arena of active life at a time when the nation is evidently establishing itself upon a firmer foundation than ever before, and commanding a higher respect from all nations than hitherto. Republican institutions will take a new lease of life, the speedy downfall of monarchies and oligarchies may be predicted, and the "glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together."

And now I counsel you to rise to the dignity of the situation. Remember the direction of the great apostle, when he encouraged his brethren, " Quit you like men ; be strong.* So I say to you, " Quit you like men, be strong " ; see to it " that the Republic receives no detriment." The next generation will see wondrous things ; a more rapid development of the arts and sciences by this nation than has ever before been witnessed by any people on earth.

I hope you will heartily enjoy your holiday today, and may it be a day you will have occasion to remember as long as you live.