UNITED STATES. 



frr^ro came before that body. For the debates 

 on the occasion, see CONGRESS U. S. 



The question was discussed in Missouri, and 

 strongly urged by Senator Brown, as net- 

 to be acted upon by th 'institution- 

 al Convention, "which assembled in January, 

 1865. It was earnestly pressed by the Radical 

 Abolitionists, and somewhat discussed in vari- 

 ous parts of the country. A joint resolution 

 passed the Senate of Michigan, to submit to the 

 people, in Nov., 1866, an amendment to the 

 Constitution to allow colored men to vote. 



At the January, 1865, term of the United 

 States Supreme Court, held at "Washington, 

 Chief Justice Chase presiding ; on motion of 

 Senator Charles Sumner, John's. Rock, a citizen 

 of Massachusetts, of African descent, was ad- 

 mitted to practise as a member of the Court. 

 A few weeks later the Rev. Dr. Garnett, a col- 

 ored Virginian and native of Norfolk, conduct- 

 ed the religious services, and preached in the 

 Representatives' Chamber of Congress on the 

 Sabbath. The choir was composed of white 

 and colored singers, and more colored people 

 than ordinary were present in the congregation. 

 At the Presidential reception on New Year's 

 day, 1865, the colored people hung round the 

 doors until the crowd of white visitors sensibly 

 diminished. They then summoned up courage, 

 and began timidly to approach the hall. Some 

 of them were richly and gaily dressed, some 

 were in tattered garments, and some of them in 

 the most fanciful and grotesque costume. All 

 pressed eagerly forward. When they came 

 into the presence of the President, doubting as 

 to their reception, the feelings of the poor crea- 

 tures overcame them. What followed is thus 

 narrated by a spectator : 



For nearly two weary hours Mr. Lincoln had been 

 shaking the hands of the " sovereigns," and had be- 

 come excessively weary and his grasp became lan- 

 guid ; but here "his nerves rallied at the unwonted 

 sight, and he welcomed this motley crowd with a 

 heartiness that made them wild with exceeding joy. 

 They laughed and wept, and wept and laughed, ex- 

 claiming, through their blinding tears, " God bless 

 YOU ! " " God oless Abraham Lincoln ! " " God 

 bress ilassa Linkum ! " 



On June 30th Mr. Chase resigned the office 

 of Secretary of the Treasury^ and ex-Gov. Tod, 

 of Ohio, was nominated to fill the vacancy. He 

 immediately declined, and Senator Fessenden, 

 of Maine, was nominated and accepted. On 

 Sept. 23d Postmaster Gen. Blair resigned, in 

 compliance witli the request of the following 

 letter : 



EXECUTIVE MANSIO:.-, WASHINGTON, Sept 23, 1561 

 Hon Montgomery JSlair. 



MY DEAR SIB : You have generously eaid to me 

 more than once, that whenever your resignation 

 could be a relief to me it was at my disposal. The 

 time has come. You very well know that this pro- 

 ceeds from no dissatisfaction of mine with you per- 

 sonally or officially. Your uniform kindness has 

 been unsurpassed by that of any friend; and while 

 it is true that the war does not so greatly add to the 

 difficulties of your department as to those of some 

 others, it is yet much to say, as I most truly can, that 

 in the three "years and a half during which" you have 

 VOL. iv. 51 A 



U. 8. CHRISTIAN coy . 80 j 



administered the General Post-office, I remcm' 

 single complaint against yon , 



Yours as ever, " AbHAliAM 



Ex-Gov. William Dennison, of Ohio, wa 



Srinted to the vacancy. About the sain-- 

 r. J. Speed, of Kentucky, bt 

 General, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the 

 ;;ition of Mr. !' 



A colony of emigrants, who left Fortrcsj 

 Monroe in the spring of 1863 for Ha 

 the victims of misfortune from the day of 

 departure. They were attacked with the small- 

 pox, and landed on the hou- 

 A'Vache. A vc-ssel was sent for them i:: 

 ruary, which soon brought the remnant to 

 Alexandria, in a state of great destitution. 



rXITKI) STATES CHRISTIAN" < 

 MISSION. From the commencement of the 

 war the Young Men's Christian Associations, 

 in most of the larger cities and towns of the 

 loyal States, had contributed largely, not only 

 in money and supplies, to the relief and com- 

 fort of the soldiers, but in personal service. 

 Many of their members were in the army, and 

 the sympathy felt for them by those who re- 

 mained at home prompted to efficient action 

 for the spiritual as well as physical needs of the 

 army. After every considerable battle, mem- 

 bers of these associations were despatched with 

 money, sanitary stores, and supplies, and relig- 

 ious and moral reading matter for free distribu- 

 tion to the sufferers. 



At a convention of these Christian Associa- 

 tions, held in New York, November 16, 1861, 

 it was resolved to organize from the representa- 

 tives of these bodies a United States Christian 

 Commission, and the following persons were 

 appointed : Rev. Rollin H. Neale, D. D., Bos- 

 ton ; George H. Stuart, Esq., Philadelphia ; 

 Rev. Bishop E. S. Janes, D. D., New York ; 

 Rev. M. L. R. P. Thompson, D. D., Cincinnati; 

 Hon. Benjamin F. Manierre, Xew York; Gen- 

 eral Clinton B. Fisk, St. Louis ; Rev. Benjamin 



C. Cutler, D. D., Brooklyn ; Hon. John V. 

 Farwell, Chicaso ; Mitchell H. Miller, Esq., 

 Washington ; John D. Hill, M. D., Buffalo. 

 During the succeeding year Mr. Manierre and 

 Rev. Dr. Cutler resigned, and their places 

 were filled by the appointment of Jay Cooke, 

 Esq., of Philadelphia, and Rev. James Eells, 



D. D., of Brooklyn. To these were subse- 

 quently added John P. Crozer, of Philadel- 

 phia ; Charles Demond, of Boston : Rev. W. 



E. Boardman, Ex. Off. Philadelphia; Hon. 

 George F. Patton, Bath, Me. ; Rev. James Pike, 

 Sanbornton Bridge, X. II. ; Edward S. Tobey, 

 Boston ; Rev. Francis Wayland, D. D., Provi- 

 dence, R. I. ; Rev. Heman Dyer, D. !.. 

 York; Hon. William E. Dodge, New York; 

 Nathan Bishop, LL.D.. New York; Morr - 

 Jesup, New York ; Joseph Patterson, Philadel- 

 phia ; Rev. Bishop M. Simpson, D. D., Philadel- 

 phia ; Hon. J. G. Smith, Gov. of Vt. ; < 

 Griffith, Baltimore; Hon. W. T. Willey. Mor- 

 gantown, W. V. ; A. E. Chamberlain, Cincin- 

 nati ; Rev. R. J. Breckinridge, D. IX, Lexing- 



