USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > The history of Newark, New Jersey : being a narrative of its rise and progress, from the settlement in May, 1666, by emigrants from Connecticut to the present time, including a sketch of the press of Newark, from 1791 to 1878 > Part 25
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As may be imagined from the relationship existing between Newark and the South, as above set forth, nowhere was there taken a deeper interest in the political campaign of 1860, resulting in the
240
MAYOR BIGELOW'S MESSAGE.
clection of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency, than here. The same is true as regards the events quickly following. Every breeze from the feverish South was felt in Newark. On Thursday, December 20th, 1860, South Carolina passed her Ordinance of Secession. Two weeks later, on January 8th, the anniversary of Jackson's victory over Packenham at New Orleans, the Mayor of Newark closed his annual message to the Common Council with the following patriotic and statesmanlike references to "the present crisis :"
In closing this communication, I feel it to be my duty to refer to the importance and solem- nity of the present crisis in the political affairs of our country, the first effect of which has been a general prostration of its industrial interests, and, unless soon adjusted, will cause unprece- dented deprivation and suffering. I regard the Union of these States as indispensable to the liberty, peace and prosperity of our people, and the great source of happiness at home and honor and respect abroad. When compared with the question of its preservation, the transitory issues of party should be regarded as mere "dust in the balance." The great problem is now before us : How can it be preserved ? Our Constitution was formed to perfect and perpetuate it, establish domestic tranquillity and promote the general welfare, and its noble and patriotic framers laid its foundation in the spirit and principles of compromise and concession, political and social comity, and fraternal forbearance ;- and if, in the conflicts of party strife, or amid the excitements of party passion, we have departed from this spirit, we should hasten to retrace our steps-for if we are to live under one constitution, with one country and one destiny, we must be one people, not in form and name, but one in affection, and one brotherhood loyal to the rights and institutions of all, and with a union of hearts and hands, sustaining in a sincere and gencr- ous spirit the compromises of the Constitution as the only means of preserving the great ark of our safety-the Union.
Without a prospect of continued and permanent peace there can be no permanent happiness and prosperity ; and shall our dearest interests be sacrificed or put in jeopardy by contests about abstractions which the laws of climate, production and immigration, together with territorial position, will practically settle under the Constitution and Supreme Judiciary of the country, to which all arc bound to submit ? As citizens of New Jersey, and the representatives of her most flourishing and important city, I congratulate you upon her record as a State faithful to the Con- stitution and loyal to the rights and institutions of all her sisters in the Confederacy. Let us endeavor to extend and perpetuate this spirit within her borders, and in cmulation of the teach- ings and example of Him who 'spake as never man spake,' continue to 'render unto Cæsar the things that are Caesar's,' firmly trusting that under Providence our great and powerful Union of States will ever remain like the mighty waters which bound its castern and western shores- "though distinct as the billows, yet one as the sea." MOSES BIGELOW.
Coming, as did these wise and noble sentiments, from one whose political training and business interests would be apt to lean him towards the South and its views of States' Rights, and who spoke not for himself alone, but for those affiliated with him politically, we are enabled to estimate the general opinion of the community on the same subject. That it was thoroughly loyal to the Union and the Constitution, admits of no question. The evidence thereof is beyond measure. Let us produce some of it.
241
ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S RECEPTION IN NEWARK.
On Thursday, February 21st, 1861, the eve of Washington's birthday anniversary, Abraham Lincoln, the President-elect, arrived in Newark, en route to the national capital. His reception here was of the heartiest kind, his political opponents vieing with his partisans in paying him proper respect. He was formally welcomed by Mayor Bigelow, who, addressing Mr. Lincoln, said :
MR. PRESIDENT-ELECT :- On behalf of the Common Council and my fellow-citizens, I most cordially welcome you to our city, and tender to you its hospitalities. I welcome you, Sir, on behalf of the citizens of the metropolis of the State, in point of population and of trade; who have ever been loyal to the Constitution and maintained the integrity of the Union ; and who entertain the ardent hope that your administration will be governed by that wisdom and by that discretion which will be the means of transmitting the confederated States as a unit to your suc- cessors, and through them to the latest generations.
In response, the distinguished visitor said :
MR. MAYOR -- I thank you for this reception you have given me in your city. The only response I can make is that I will bring a heart similarly devoted to the Union. With my own ability alone I cannot hope to succeed ; I hope to be sustained by Divine Providence in the work I have been called to perform for this great, free, happy and intelligent people. Without this I cannot succecd. I thank you again for this kind reception.
" A lively snow-storm " prevailed as Mr. Lincoln passed through the city, He occupied a carriage drawn by four white horses, and was accompanied by the Mayor and two other gentlemen, and the famous but ill-fated commander of the Chicago Zouaves, Col. Ellsworth. Despite the discouraging character of the weather, there was no lack of enthusiasm on the occasion. The New York Herald of the following day described the reception in Newark, and said :
The scene in Broad street while the procession was passing was magnificent; although the crowd was great the width of the street prevented any confusion, and this noble street, of which the citizens of Newark are deservedly proud, must have made a favorable impression upon the mind of Mr. Lincoln. There were not less than twenty-five thousand people in the streets; in short, all Newark turned out en masse to receive Old Abe. The windows of all the stores and private residences were filled with the fair sex, who waved their handkerchiefs and smiled most sweetly as Mr. Lincoln passed. Altogether, the Newark reception reflected credit upon the city, and was, we predict, as agreeable an ovation as Mr. Lincoln has received since he com- menced his pilgrimage to the White House.
It was gallantly said in the Times of the same date :
Very many private carriages stood along the line, all of which were filled with bright-eyed ladies, who smiled and waved and huzzahed with as much enthusiasm, if not with as much noisc, as the ruder specimens of humanity who surged by them on foot. We have never seen a more extensive or prettier display of "woman, lovely woman," than was made on the main street of Newark during the passage of the procession. Mr. Lincoln was struck by it, and thought if there are as many brave men as there are fair women in the city, Newark would be a difficult city to take.
.
242
THE SECOND "SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD."
Soon the opportunity and the necessity arrived for putting to the severest test the patriotism of these " fair women," and the mettle of these "brave men." Within another month the second "shot heard round the world " boomed over the water of Charleston har- bor. The Civil War had begun ! Four days after the memorable twelfth of April, Horace Greeley said in the great journal founded by him: "We have lost Fort Sumpter, but we have united the North." It was even so. It was eminently so here. When, upon the fifteenth of April, President Lincoln issued his first call for troops, there were many who sincerely and honestly questioned the wisdom of the policy of " coercion " foreshadowed by the Adminis- tration; but nowhere among the great majority masses of the Northern people was there any doubt as to the right and duty of the General Government to maintain at all hazards, and at all cost, the indissolubility of the Union. "The Union must and shall be preserved," was the sentiment which wholly possessed every freeman's mind. With the men of Newark, when the call " To arms ! to arms!" was sounded, it was the same as it was with the six hundred heroes of the madly impetuous charge at Balaklava-
" Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die."
Sumpter fell on the 13th. Six days later, on Friday evening, April 19th-it was the anniversary of the battle of Lexington-the Common Council met, its political complexion being nearly a two- thirds Democratic majority, and unanimously passed the following resolutions, offered by Mr. Henry A. Whitney, a Democrat, of the Sixth ward. :
Resolved, That it is the high duty of every eitizen to ignore all past politieal issues and promptly and heartily to rally under the banner of the Stars and Stripes for the defence of the Union and the Constitution of our fathers against all enemies and opposers whatever.
Resolved, That deeply impressed with the solemnity of our sworn allegianee to the State and its constitutional obligations, we deelare our determination at every hazard and with all our power to sustain the laws of our City, our State and Nation, and utterly reprobate all mob violenee, and tendeney thereto, wherever found, and however and whenever exhibited.
Five days later the same body, on motion of Alderman Thomas McGrath, of the Seventh ward, unanimously voted an appropriation of $100,000 " for the support of the families of our citizens who shall enter the military service." An additional sum of $5,000 was
243
THE FIRST WAR MEETING IN NEWARK.
also appropriated " towards the purchase of suitable clothing for the volunteers, in addition to their regular equipments." . Nor was that all. More grandly and eloquently still was the mighty voice of the people of Newark raised at a great open-air mass meeting held in front of the Court House, on the afternoon of Monday, April 22d. It was called "without respect to previous political opinions or associations, to express their sentiments in the present crisis of our national affairs, and their determination to uphold the Government of the country, and maintain the authority of its Constitution and the laws." "The whole population seemed to be on the street,"
and " the greatest enthusiasm prevailed." Mayor Bigelow- pre-
sided. " All classes, professions, sexes and conditions were numer- ously represented." Among the clergy present were Rev. J. F. Stearns, D. D., Presbyterian ; Rev. H. C. Fish, D. D., Baptist ; Rev. B. F. McQuaid (now Bishop of Rochester) and Rev. George H. Doane, Roman Catholic. The venerable Judge Haines was also present, and the long list of vice-presidents and secretaries included representative citizens from each of the eleven wards then composing the city. The first speaker was Hon. C. L. C. Gifford. " Whatever may have been our past differences," said he, "we now stand together as one people to take council together in the present extraordinary crisis which finds us arrayed against those whose duty it was to stand by us. But when, misled by fanaticism, they seek to overthrow that Government which is cemented by the blood of heroes and of martyrs-when they attempt to strike out a single star from that glorious flag, we say to them 'Stand back! thus far shalt thou go, but no further!'" William Pennington, who but six weeks before had ended his term as Speaker of the House of Representatives, spoke next. "It was his lot," he said, to " stand before his friends in Newark on former occasions, but he never remembered to appear before them on an occasion so momentous as the present. It was no time now to talk about patriotism, but to act it out. They had now either to stand by the country or against the Constitution. He was glad to see the unanimity that prevailed among them all in reference to the interesting questions that now agitate us. There were now no Democrats, Republicans or Americans : the question was-are we for our country or against it? ['We are for it' -- cheers.] He always believed it to be a happy sign that when some foe-a Confederate State or an enemy
244
IMPASSIONED UNION ORATORY.
abroad-attempted to destroy the Government, that our people were willing, as one man, to fight shoulder to shoulder, in defense of the institutions of the country." The appearance of Rev. Father McQuaid as the third speaker "was the signal for an enthusiastic outburst of applause, which was kept up for several minutes." He spoke impassionedly in favor of the Union and the Constitution-one flag and one country. "We hold," said he, " a common creed-obedience to the laws and Constitution of the land. Some of you might, in the past, have supposed that because we stood aloof we were not good American citizens; that our hopes were not where our bodies are. But when danger threatened our country, we have ever been found standing side by side with the defenders of the country ; you may call us traitors-you may pro- scribe us-that moment has come, and we are true. It was not his place to be here, but he felt that his duty obliged him to come-a strong conviction of duty as an American citizen. His religion (meaning the Roman Catholic) commanded him to give to his country all he had ; it commanded him to stand faithful to this great, free and independent Government. He knew of no other country like this on the face of God's earth. We had lived and prospered under its Constitution, and hoped we all might go on prospering, and be true to ourselves, to the laws, and to the Gov- ernment. If we hesitate now and permit the powers of mischief to prevail, anarchy will ensue; then comes a military despotism, and the American people will never submit to such an iron heel. There were others here whose place it was to tell them about the causes of the present difficulties, but the speaker declared emphatically that this glorious Union would be sustained against any enemy, whether in our own land or from a foreign country." "Party spirit," said the next speaker, Joseph P. Bradley (now a United States Supreme Court Justice), " is buried deep in the ground. There are no Republicans, no Democrats; we are to-day American citizens, and nothing else. We do not regard the opinions of our leader-his politics or his religion-all we ask is, is he a patriot? Is he invested with the control of the Government? The people have come out to express their fealty to the Government of their choice. We have no feelings of revenge against the citizens of the South ; there is but one feeling predominant, and that is, that the Government must be sustained." Cortlandt Parker "called upon all men to
245
EXULTANT MANIFESTATIONS OF LOYALTY.
give their prayers, their money, their strength to the cause, and the women, too, to give everything for what is great and good." He added : " He that would not fight now is a dastard." Theodore Runyon-who, five days later, was commissioned by Gov. Charles S. Olden Brigadier-General of New Jersey troops-gave eloquent expression to his sentiments. He said they had come together as citizens of the Republic, ignoring all party politics, " to counsel upon the great question of upholding the banner of our country. It was by no act of his that the present incumbent of the Presiden- tial chair was placed in that position ; he tried all he could to keep Abraham Lincoln out. He (the General) had but one duty now to do, and that was to recognize him as the legal President of the United States, and to support his Government." In a similar strain of patriotic fervor, Frederick T. Frelinghuysen-a grandson of that Frelinghuysen whose valor contributed largely to the Revolutionary turning-tide victory at Trenton in 1776-then Attorney-General of the State, spoke, and in regard to a national separation insisted that it should not be done without the consent of the Government, and in a manner consistent with the honor of the national ensign, and consistent with the Government and its laws. Anthony Q. Keasbey, who had just been appointed United States District Attorney for the District of New Jersey, " spoke exultantly of the manifestations all around of loyalty to the Government." Speeches were also made by Joseph C. Jackson, F. Scriba and Samuel H. Baldwin. As the unanimous sentiment of the great gathering, resolutions were adopted setting forth "that it is the firm, unani- mous and unalterable determination of the citizens of Newark, first of all, and above all other duties, laying aside all party distinctions and associations, to sustain the Government under which they live "; and, furthermore :
That we, the said citizens of Newark, will give our united, strong and unwavering support to the President of the United States and the General Government in its endeavor to enforce the laws, preserve the common property, vindicate the dignity of the Government, and crush the treasonable conspiracies and insurrections which are rampant in various parts of the land, leav- ing to them, as the constituted authorities, the exercise of their rightful discretion, within all constitutional limits, as to the mode and manner in which it is to be donc; at the same time deploring the necessity which compels us to array ourselves in opposition to men of the same blood, and who possess, in common with us, the traditions of the Revolution, solemnly declaring that nothing but the highest and most sacred sense of duty to our country and our God could lead us to risk the shedding of our brothers' blood.
, resolution was also passed authorizing the chairman to
17
246
NEWARK'S PUBLIC AID COMMITTEE.
appoint a committee of citizens "to take in charge and carry forward all measures needful for the equipment of troops, and to take such measures in co-operating with the authorities for the general security and protection as may be deemed advisable." This committee consisted of the following well-known citizens :
MARCUS L. WARD,
PETER H. BALLANTINE,
JACOB VAN ARSDALE,
JOSEPH P. BRADLEY,
JAMES F. BOND,
FREDERICK H. TEESE,
ALFRED L. DENNIS,
THOMAS KIRKPATRICK,
C. L. C. GIFFORD,
BEACH VANDERPOOL,
JACOB LAGOWITZ,
IRA M. HARRISON,
SILAS H. KITCHELL,
STEPHEN H. CONDICT,
NICHOLAS MOORE,
JAMES M. QUINBY,
THEODORE P. HOWELL,
S. R. W. HEATH,
JOSEPH N. TUTTLE,
WILLIAM RANKIN,
JACOB STUCKY,
GEORGE PETERS,
JOSEPH H. HALSEY,
JAMES DOUGHERTY.
To this committee were added the Mayor and Aldermen John C. Littell, James Smith, John Remer, Charles S. Macknet and W. A. Whitney. It organized the day following the mass-meeting under the name of the " Public Aid Committee of the City of Newark," and with the following officers :
MARCUS L. WARD, Chairman. BEACH VANDERPOOL, Treasurer.
JACOB VAN ARSDALE, Secretary. JAMES F. BOND, Assistant Secretary.
How thoroughly the great Court House meeting voiced the sentiments of the entire community was speedily made manifest. Soon came the actions which spoke louder than words. Upon tlie Wednesday following the meeting, the women of Newark set a noble example to their sisters throughout the State-an example which was generously emulated everywhere in New Jersey. Under the lead of Mrs. William Pennington, the patriotic wife of the ex-Governor, they organized an association, "to co-operate with the authorities and citizens in relieving the families of those who from this city go to uphold the laws." The active committee chosen represented the various religious denominations, as follows : Mrs. Dr. Wilson, South Park Presbyterian Church; Mrs. F. T. Frelinghuysen, North Dutch Church ; Mrs. Dr. H. C. Fish, First Baptist Church ; Mrs. R. L. Dashiell, Central M. E. Church ; Mrs. McKenzie, High street Presbyterian Church; Mrs. Dr. William O'Gorman, Roman Catholic Church ; Mrs. Edward Wright, House of Prayer (Episcopal) ; Miss Fanny Rowland, Park street Presby- térian Church ; Mrs. Dr. Craven, Third Presbyterian Church ; Mrs. W. T. Clough, Trinity (Episcopal) Church; Mrs. W. B. Brown, Congregational Church ; Mrs. Dr. C. M. Nichols, Central Presby-
247
THE WOMEN, THE BANKS, THE CHURCHES.
. terian Church ; Mrs. Crockett and Mrs. A. Q. Keasbey, Grace (Episcopal) Church. Also prominent in the movement were Mrs. A. P. Whitehead, Mrs. J. F. Stearns, Mrs. J. P. Jackson, Mrs. Fred- erick G. Scriba, Mrs. Jane Trimble, Mrs. Peter Duryee, Mrs. S. H. Condict, Mrs. John Rutherfurd, Mrs. J. P Bradley, Mrs. Cortlandt Parker, Mrs. E. F. Hornblower, Mrs. S. H. Pennington, Mrs. Captain Gillespie, Mrs. W. H. Steele, Mrs. Daniel Dodd, Mrs. J. P. Wilson, Mrs. Thomas Colyer, Mrs. W. T. Mercer and Mrs. William Wright. To recount the services of these noble women and their associates, to recall their labors of love in camp, in hospital, and in the homes of absent heroes, is a task that the imagination can alone faintly attempt. It is no mere figure of speech to say, however, that hosts of suffering soldiers, and other hosts of suffering wives and little ones, were moved to say of each of these genuine Sisters of Mercy :
" When pain and anguish wring the brow, A ministering angel thou."
" Women of all classes of society were alike interested in such organizations. The American, the German, the Irish-all brought their gifts and laid them upon the altar of patriotism." The banks came forward with liberal offers, the Newark Banking Company contributing $50,000, the State Bank giving as much more, the Mechanics' and Newark City Bank giving each $25,000, and the Essex County Bank subscribing $20,000-a total from Newark banks of $175,000, being considerably more than a third of the whole amount ($451,000) subscribed by twenty-four financial institu- tions in all parts of the State. Private individuals, without reference to politics, creed or nationality, responded with equal liberality. The churches contributed not alone of their means but of their membership. Upon the Sunday following the assault upon Fort Sumpter, there was scarcely a pulpit in the city which did not give voice in advance to the great meeting held in front of the Court House. Later, when the call for troops came, none responded with greater promptitude than "those who professed and called themselves Christians." One church alone (the First Baptist) sent into the military and naval service of the country no less than one hundred and seventy two of its members, of which number about thirty were killed. Many members of the same congregation were repre- sented in the war by substitutes. Other Newark churches were
248
A CARNIVAL OF PATRIOTISM.
almost as largely represented in the army and navy. Even the schools " shared in the absorbing excitement," and made contribu- , tions of money. The attack upon Fort Sumpter rekindled the fires of '76. " A carnival of patriotism " prevailed. The day following the Court House meeting Major Robert Anderson, (afterwards General) the heroic defender of Fort Sumpter, visited Newark- he was to have been present at the Union meeting, but mistook the date-and was received with the greatest enthusiasm, Captain Toler's Montgomery Battalion escorting him from the Market street station. While passing St. John's (R. C.) Church the hero of the hour was complimented with " Hail Columbia," admirably rendered on the beautiful chimes of the church. Every incident furnished occasion for an outburst of Union feeling.
And thus, within a couple of weeks after the first shot was fired in Charleston harbor upon the ensign of American unity, the people of Newark had grandly answered the slanderous charge made some months before that they included "mercenary and unprincipled men" who cared more for "Southern trade" and " the wishes of their Southern masters" than for the public interests-the indivisibility of the American Union! And thus acts, not words, swept aside the calumny uttered in the sore disappointment and anger of political defeat.
Beauregard's guns aimed not alone at Sumpter, but at the heart of the American Republic, and their flash was instantly transmitted to the North, thrilling every chord of patriotism in the national heart. The effect in Newark was instantaneous. With a common impulse her citizen soldiery sprang to arms and resolved to move in defence of the Union upon the first call. Forty-eight hours had scarcely elapsed before every company of the First Regiment (the chief organization of the Newark Brigade) had agreed to stand by the old flag and maintain it against every foe. This action, though simultaneous, was unpreconcerted. In every company almost there was an American Roguet de l'Isle to arouse his compatriots with a soul-stirring Americanized Marseillaise hymn; and speedily
" - there was mounting in hot haste The steed; the mustering squadron and the clattering car Went pouring forward with impetuous speed, And swiftly forming in the ranks of war."
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