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Franklin Repository: September 04, 1867 Go To Page : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

Sheridan.
(Column 6)

Summary: Contains an ode to Gen. Sheridan, who was recently relieved of his command and placed in charge of the military department of the Missouri.

A Tour Through the Rocky Mountains
(Column 6)

Summary: McClure's journey has brought him to Montana for this installment in the series. The focus of the article is the mining industry, which is more successful than its counterpart in Colorado. McClure claims the mines "teem with boundless and available wealth," thus, he argues, the failure of mining companies here can only be blamed on the ineptitude of their managers.

Trailer: A. K. M.

The Coming Contest
(Column 1)

Summary: The editorial argues that the Democrats have nothing of substance to offer the voters in the upcoming election.

[No Title]
(Column 2)

Summary: The article notes that, contrary to popular perceptions, the reconstruction bill does not confer upon the General-in-Chief the power to direct the district commanders. Thus Gen. Grant had to follow the President's order to remove Gen. Sheridan from his post.

[No Title]
(Column 3)

Summary: As tension builds between the President and Gen. Grant, the question has arisen, "Does the President have the power to remove Grant?," to which the article responds with an unequivocal no.

[No Title]
(Column 3)

Summary: Johnson has replaced another district commander, Gen. Sickles, with an appointee more to his liking, says the article. The President selected Gen. E. R. Canby to take command of the Second (Charleston) District, and mustered out Gen. Sickles and "reduced his rank to Colonel in the Regular Army."

Far Off Chats With Old Friends
(Column 3)

Summary: In his piece this week, McClure discusses daily life in the mining districts of the Montana Territory.

Trailer: A. K. M.

The Colored Celebration at Greencastle
(Column 5)

Summary: In his letter, "W." gives a glowing account of the celebration held by blacks in Greencastle. He reports that there were delegations from the surrounding communities present for the festivities, which included a speech by Rev. Henry Highland, "a colored man of great prominence among his people." Indeed, says W., Highland was so impressive that he was asked to preach at the German Reformed Church the following day. And contrary to the "exaggerated" reports in the Valley Spirit, his sermon was well-received by the white audience, even by Democrats in the flock.

Full Text of Article:

To the Editors of the Franklin Repository.

On Saturday week the colored men of the county had a great celebration at Moss Spring, near Greencastle, in which they were joined by many of their brethren from a distance. Hagerstown had many representatives, and furnished a brass band. Mercersburg, with its colored military company, in black and red, was prominent. Chambersburg sent quite a delegation. New York and Philadelphia furnished the speakers. Greencastle, of course, provided eatables for all in great variety and profusion, and also gave to the occasion a military company, uniformed in white and blue. From early morn till high noon, the dark faces came from every direction to the pic-nic--men and women, youth and babies, and not a few old white-haired uncles, some of whom were beat and bowed with three score years of slavery. All were dressed for a gala day; garments in high colors, countenances in smiles. The blue sashes of the Marshals were prodigious. In short, every thing gave color to the anticipations of a high day.

Towards eleven o'clock there was a parade of the military through the streets, and then the procession--band, speakers, guests, drum corps, military companies, colored league, &c., in due order, marched to the grove at Moss Spring. After a capital speech by Rev. Henry Highland Garnett, a colored man of great prominence among his people, dinner was called for the children of Ham, and, an hour after, Wm. Forten, of Philadelphia, a colored man of education and intelligence, was introduced to the audience, and spoke for two hours. These, with music, fun and frolic in plenty, finished out the programme and closed the pic-nic with the day.

It was a joyous occasion for them all, but never, under the sun, were mortals happier than the old Virginia slaves who, at the pic-nic, looked and heard with countenances where a broad grin but partially concealed an expression of doubt and admiration. At night Garnett and Forten addressed the people of the town, on the public square, in behalf of their race, oppressed and wronged for two hundred and fifty years. On Sunday afternoon the former, a Presbyterian preacher, delivered a sermon in the grove at the spring, to a large audience, on the queer text, "Run and speak to that young man." The same evening he preached, by invitation, in the German Reformed Church, to a full house.

The noticeable feature about this demonstration, from beginning to end, was the course of the Democrats. If they did not, Saturday and Sunday, day and night, compose a majority of the whites present, they were, at least, present in very respectable numbers, to their credit be it said. Nor did I hear any of them that were present, find fault with anything said or done; for indeed the conduct of the blacks was exemplary and the speakers were careful in their utterances and modest in their behavior, and no one could reasonably be offended. And besides all seemed to agree that it was both natural and proper for a people that had been for so long a time groaning in chains, to express their emotions of joy and gratitude at their deliverance in some such public way, nor was there any question of the propriety of a colored man (however it might be with a white) standing up to plead for the rights of the colored race.

You will not be surprised then, that the Democracy of Antrim were not at all obliged to the Valley Spirit for its perverted and jaundiced account of this affair; that on the contrary, they were very much mortified at it. In fact, they manifested their displeasure at the conduct of the ardent young man who hastened to head-quarter at Chambersburg with a wild exaggerated story about it, in a very marked and disagreeable way at the late delegate elections. The story as told in the Spirit, though palpably false in some particulars only, gives as a while such a distorted and perverted view of what took place as to be a sort of compound lie; which being perceived by all the Democrats of the township, it was to be feared their belief in the veracity of their organ's statements generally and in other more important matters might be shaken. And then the particulars wholly false and unfounded were so unfortunate and cutting, that they could not forgive the goose that inserted them to the injury of his own friends. Thus, when he said the Chief Marshal, "an exalted darkey on horseback, wore a Lieutenant Colonel's uniform, borrowed from the President of the late Union County Convention," when it was a notorious fact that the said exalted darkey was clothed in a black dress, and the Union men laughing, said: "It is a pardonable mistake, these Democrats knew little and cared less for the blue uniform of the Union soldier, but had a sharp eye for rebel grey," they felt it keenly. It was still worse to charge Mr. A. B. Wingerd, a Republican, with having invited Mr. Garnett into the German Reformed pulpit, whereas the responsibility for that rests with Mr. Augustus Shirey, a life-long Democrat until the breaking out of the rebellion, who then joined himself to the supporters of the war--sent his two sons to the front, one of whom fills a soldier's grave on the heights of Fredericksburg; then, the war ended, exercising a patriotic, at least, if any one should think an erroneous judgment, united himself again with the Democratic party and remains there, voting their ticket. And this was perfectly well known to everybody, for Mr. Shirey, has not at any time since attempted to shift the responsibility, and does not now (I speak by authority) desire to do so. It was very unfortunate for the Spirit to broad this subject. It is a sore one to the Democrats. For they are not all of one mind about it. Some of the best of them surmising that good pious colored ministers may be invited by God into Heaven itself--than which hardly any pulpit or place is more sacred.

Lastly, a large portion of the audience at all times, as I said before, were Democrats, yet the Spirit speaks of the audience as a whole as composed of "black and white niggers," which is excruciatingly painful to those of its friends who were present--in short and not to put too fine a whole matter is, that the colored folks had a jolly old time, and the Democrats who went out for wool came home shorn.

W.

P. S.--If the Spirit's man seems to cast ridicule on the colored military, it is to be noted that almost all of them had been in the Union army and fought there."

Trailer: W.

Salary of the County Superintendent of Common Schools
(Column 5)

Summary: The letter challenges the assumptions underlying a letter that appeared in the last issue of the Repository demanding a freeze in the Superintendent's salary. "A Friend" notes that the superintendent earns less than his counterparts in the surrounding counties, a fact that prompted "the enlightened progressive portion" to take a stand in favor of boosting his pay to achieve a semblance of parity.

Trailer: A Friend of Common Schools

Address of the Union Republican State Central Committee
(Column 7)

Summary: The article contains a copy of the speech delivered by F. Jordan, the Chairman of the Republican State Committee. The subject of the address: the weaknesses of the Democrats.

Local Items--Personal
(Column 1)

Summary: The article notes that A. K. McClure has accepted an invitation to speak before the people of the Montana Territorial, and says he and his family will probably not return until next spring because the Missouri River is too low to sail and he refuses to make the trip overland because of the continued hostilities with the Indians.

Local Items--Fatal Accident
(Column 1)

Summary: John Kremer, of Cumberland county, was killed in an accident last week at Foreman's mill. Kremer suffered a fatal wound to the head when he was struck by a piece of the threshing machine, which burst while he was using it. Kremer, 29, was a veteran who served "faithfully and gallantly" with the cavalry regiments from the state.

Local Items--Delegates to Synod
(Column 1)

Summary: The article contains a list of the delegates from the Mercersburg Chassis of the German Reformed Church who were selected to attend the Synod, which convenes in Baltimore on October 16th.
(Names in announcement: Rev. T. Fouse, Rev. A. C. Whitmer, Rev. H. Harbaugh, Rev. E. E. Higbee, Rev. S. N. Callender, Rev. T. G. Apple, Rev. P. S. Davis, Rev. W. E. Krebs, Rev. F. A. Gast, Rev. W. M. Deatrick, Rev. D. Dunn, Rev. A. B. Wingerd, Rev. F. Hyle, Rev. D. Aurandt, Rev. D. B. Martin, Rev. J. Bowman, Rev. A. Weisel, Rev. S. Eisenburg, Rev. J. Fink, Rev. J. Walter)

Local Items--The Odd Fellows
(Column 1)

Summary: Reports that the scheduled Odd Fellows' picnic did not come off because of the weather; consequently, the much-anticipated address by Dr. Daugherty, of Carlisle, was presented in the Hall.
(Names in announcement: Dr. Daugherty)

Origin of Article: Record

Local Items--The Greencastle Pilot
(Column 1)

Summary: Relates that the Greencastle Pilot will henceforth be known as the Valley Echo and will contain an additional four columns of print.

Local Items--Democratic Convention
(Column 1)

Summary: At the Democratic County Convention held yesterday, Capt. George W. Skinner was named the party's candidate for Treasurer, Col. B. Frank Wigner for Assembly, and Jon Armstrong for Associate Judge.
(Names in announcement: Col. B. Frank Wigner, Capt. George W. Skinner, John Armstrong, William McLellan)

Local Items--Meeting of Synod
(Column 1)

Summary: Reports that the West Pennsylvania Synod of the Evan. Lutheran Church will be held at the Lutheran Church in Chambersburg on September 12th. The event is expected to draw over one hundred attendees.

Local Items--Off on a Tramp
(Column 2)

Summary: The Chambersburg Silver Cornet Band has left for Antietam, says the article, where they will participate in a dedicatory ceremony on the 17th.

Local Items--Broke Jail
(Column 2)

Summary: Joseph Spindle, Gotlieb Miller, and Jacob Davis reportedly broke out of the jail in Hagerstown last Wednesday. A reward of $75 is offered for their arrest.

Local Items--Camp Meeting
(Column 2)

Summary: Notes that a camp meeting, "under the control of the Church of God," will be held on land owned by John Kohler, near Monterey Springs, next Friday.
(Names in announcement: John Kohler)

Local Items--Change of Proprietor
(Column 2)

Summary: The article relates that ownership of the rival newspaper, the Valley Spirit, has changed hands. Messrs. Cooper, Stenger, and Duncan took possession of the Democratic journal on the 1st.

Died
(Column 3)

Summary: On August 28th, Anna Coble, consort of Daniel Coble, died at the residence of Samuel Coble. She was 81 years old.
(Names in announcement: Anna Coble, Daniel Coble, Samuel Coble)

Died
(Column 3)

Summary: On August 5th, Annie McGowan, daughter of Dr. D. S. McGowan, dec'd, died in Fayetteville. She was 24 years old.
(Names in announcement: Annie McGowan, Dr. D. S. McGowan)