Franklin Repository

THE LAST CABINET MEETING - THE END OF THE JOHNSON REIGN AS DESCRIBED BY MR. NASBY.

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 5, 1869.

The agony is over! A. Johnson, spurned by an ungrateful people, wich didn't deserve so sweet a boon, is wunst more a privit citizen; and uv no more account than I am - nor ez much, for I am still a postmaster.

Ez I wuz in at the birth uv the Johnson party, so it wuz my painful duty to be in at the death. I wuz present at the first and last uv its Cabinet meetins. The first wuz a eggsileratin scene - the last the most mournful I ever witnist.

At the first we started out with high hopes - fresh in our offisis, with a Treasury to draw on wich seemed to us to have no bottom, and with sich men as Raymond, Weed, et al to give us character, and the voice uv the thousands uv patriots wich wanted offis biddin us God speed - at the last there was left only those who hed become so fixed that they couldn't get away, and every one of em conshus that the next day at 12 M. they wuz foevere lost. The harlot commencin her career with youth, beauty, strength and store clothes is one thing - the same bein holler-eyed, sunken cheeks, dirty and drabbled, turned out to die on a dung-hill, aint so pleasant to look at.

The meeting wuz held in the same old room in wich I hev seen more weepin than ever tell to the lot uv one man. The administrashen of A. Johnson will be known in history ez the moist Administrashen. It wuz in this room that we decided to veto the Freedmen's Buro and Civil Rites Bills, and all the other acts of the 39th & 40th Congresses. It wuz in this room that we received the news of the eleckshens uv 1866, '67 and '68; it wuz in this room that the Philadelphia Convneshen wuz determined upon, and the tetchin march of Couch and Orr, arm-in-arm, up the aisle wuz arranged; the President writing at the same time his little speech in which he menshond the fact that, ez he read the account thereof, he couldn't restrain his emoshun, but busted into a flood uv teers; it wuz in this room that the spontaneous triboots uv respect toward his Eggslency at various times and places wuz arranged, and the details there fixee up, in short, it wuz in this room that all the acts wich gild the memory uv the late administration wuz decided upon, and evenchoally wept over.

Ez I entered it - for the last time probably - I bust into tears on the threshold and jined the other weepers who hed bin distillin briny greef for some hours. Indeed so long hed they bin weepin that one friend uv the President, who hed a Kentucky countenance, howled piteously for some liquid to replace that which he hed lost. A bottle wuz handed him and he wept no more. I tried to strengthen me agin the waste that I knowd must ensoo. Ingratitood is not my failure. Till A. Johnson gits back to Tennessee my eyes shel not be dry.

The President was terribly calm and composed.

"Weep, my friends!" sed he, "weep. I can't blame yoo, for yoo are about to be deprived of me! But in this trying hour I will be calm. I hev swung around the entire circle uv offishel honor, I hev ben -

At this pint his voice trembled, and his eyes wuz suffoosed.

"But no! I will be myself. Sekretary Seward, is there any more acts uv a unconstitooshnel Congress to veto?"

"No - pockitin uv em ansers the purpose."

"Is there anybody to pardon?"

"No one - but stay. Now that I think uv it, two counterfeiters, one whisky speculator, a Confederit officer or two, and wats left uv the assassinashen party, still languish either in basteels or in exile."

"I must finish my work. Hand me them blank pardons."

He wrote with a firm hand, a fillin uv em out, wich only took a second, ez he hez blanks printed for all the various offences men kin be guilty uv.

"Now, then, my dooties is accomplished, and I cheerfly resine the power wich I wood hev laid down long ago but for the sake uv my bloodin country. I wood hev saved my native land, but ---- Enuff. Admit our friends."

Mayor Munro, uv Noo Orleans, Mrs. Cobb, a score or more uv Confedrit officers and a flood uv unforchenet men hed bin accoosed uv tamperin with an uncontooshnel currency, and a hundred, more or less, uv Fedral offis-holders filed in and shook the President corjelly by the hand, dropin a silent tho elokent teer ez they passed. There was, in addishen to these, sevrel hundred poor wretches who had bin layin about Washington for months waitin for posishens, but who hedn't got em. They hed no money to get home with, and they insistid that the President must and shood furnish em means. One uv em demanded uv Randall $500, but that great man finally got rid uv him by loaning him a clean shirt and a box uv paper collars.

The man was deprest, though still hopeful. "This," sed he, wavin the shirt in air, "this is all I hev to start on agin - when I embarkt into Johnsonism my friends fell off. In remorse I took to likker, and step by step went down till I became the loathsome objick yoo behold. But I shel now reform, and try to be somebody. Disguised in this shirt, I may inspire confidence, and find a helpin hand. But don't none of yoo speak to me on the street.

Ez I saw him the next evenin in a state uv hilarity hangin to a lamp-post, repeatin porshens uv the late President's address to passersby without any clean shirt on. I judged remorse hed overcome him agin, and that the clean shirt hed been pawned. Poor fellow!

Then come the most saddest scene uv all. The President hed to bid adoo to his Cabinet.

"My tried and trustid friends," he commenced, when Randall broke in with the onfeeling remark that he'd better say "trustid friends," without the "tried."

"My liege, 'yoor tried freinds' wuz in that gang uv counterfeiters wich jist left the presence. They wuz not only tried, but convicted."

Sekretary Seward wuz visibly affectid. They afternoon he had heard uv an island for sale, the principle volcano on wich was mostly stopped gushin, and he wept to think he hedn't time to complete negociashens for it. It wuz offered for $200,000,000, and he considered the price a mere bagatelle.

Secretary Welles wuz the only cheerful one in the party. He had no idea that he wuz to stop bein Sekretary uv the Navy - he expectid to do along ez tho nothin hed happened. Seward and Randall hed bin tryin for an hour to make him comprehend the sitooashen - that ther wuz to be a change - but to no purpose. He coodent git it thro him. I undertook to impress it onto his intellek, but my efforst wuz futile. Huggin to his buzzum a model uv a Erie canal boat which he hed determined to remodel into a revenoo cutter, he kept sayin, "Why - why shood I go out? I wuz under Linkin and Johnson than there is between Johnson and Grant, is there? I agreed with Linkin and with Johnson, and I shel agree with Grant, doubtless. Why shood I differ with Grant?"

Randall smiled a sardonicle smile at the aged infant, and remarkin that he (Randall) hed hed a good time uv it anyhow. The recolleckshen whereof the Abolitionists coodent rob him uv shook hands with A. J., addin that he didn't bear him any ill will.

"I'm a rooined man," continyood Randall, "but I'm ez much to blame ez yoo are. I shell go into histry coupled with yoo - my bloomin boys when they arrive at man's estate, will apply to the Legislachers uv their respective States to hev their names changed to suthin else. I'm young and can't die in a few years ez Welles kin, and must therefore drag out a longer eggsistence, but I don't blame yoo. I went into it takin the chances, and I stand the hazzard uv the die. I shel serve the ambishus youth uv this country ez an Awful Eggsample."

But little remained to be done. Randall and Johnson arranged to hev Welles absent from Washington for a week followin the inaugurashen, knowin that otherwise he'd hev to be carried out uv the department by main force. They appointed a committee uv Connecticut men to keep him busy till after his successor wuz installed, and, skin hands all around, each sheddin a manly tear, the last Cabinet meetiin uv A. Johnson's Administration passed into history.

Uv the inauguration uv Grant the next day, I hev not the heart to write. Suffice it to say that niggers participated in it! Niggers wuz on the sidewalks, not ez the olden time, humble and meek, but in chairs, waitin to see the procession pass, amoosing theirselves the while and readin noosepapers.

Deekin Pogram, who wuz with me, called my attenshen to this, asken ef it wuz possible for a Kentuckian whose eyes beheld sich a site to hev any faith in republikin institooshens? The old saint shuddered visibly ez a nigger in a dress coat, plug hat and shiny boots passed us, nearly knocking us into the gutter in their haste, his wife onto his arm, dressed in the height uv feshion, with a panyer. He smiled feebly, and in a bewildered way, busted nothing. The site uv a nigger regiment marchin in the perceshun finished the Deekin. He grew so faint that I had to take him to his lodgins. He left the same evening for the Corners.

The members of the late Administration hev not decided what to do. Browning will probably go into a claim agency in Noo York. Randall remarkt that ef Sammy Cox and Jack Rogers cood succeed in Noo York, he thot he cood. Mrs. Cobb will go to Noo York, and probably the pardon brokers, lobbyists and sich will do likewise. A dozen or two faro banks packed up tonite, and others will speedily follow'em. In consekence uv this breakin up in the Administration and its supporters, the poleece force uv Washington hez bin already leesoned.

I shel accompany the late President to Tennessee and take my leave uv him then. He will want some faithful friends to console him in that dreary passage, and who so fit for the offis as the undersigned. I shel see him entombed in Greenville, and then sadly turn my steps to Kentucky and await the ishoo uv evence. I shel uv course be turned out of offis, and what will follow I know not. A. J. may conclood to stump Tennessee for the Governorship, ez Brownlow hez the paralysis; if so, I shell go to his recue. I can't now go to his rescue. I can't now go to Noo York, for that city will be overrun. With Browning, Randall, and the thousands who go out uv offis with em, in that city, wat chance would there be for me.

PETROLEUM V. NASBY, P. M.,
(Wich is Postmaster.)

P. S. - The press wich is now subsidized is animadvertin upon ex-president Johnson for not appearin at the inaugurashen. His eggslency preferred to avoid the display. "Let Grant start fair," he nobly sed. "I will not mortify him by givin the throng wich hez flocked here to pay triboots uv respek to me an opportoonity to hurrah for me ez the procession passes. I hev swung around the entire circle uv offishel honor and kin afford to be magnanimous. Let him hev the entire credit uv wat enthoosiasm is manifested."

Cood any thing be more noble? P. V. N.

On Friday morning, the 19th inst., our usually quiet community was greatly excited by the announcement that on the previous day, a negro had committed rape on three ladies of the highest respectability. We will endeavor to give the facts of each case as they were made known, to us, on reliable authority, without mentioning names. It appears that on Thursday morning last, between 11 and 12 o'clock, the negro first made his appearance at a house about a mile from the Waynesboro road and two and a half miles South of Chambersburg. There was no one about the premises except a young girl, not quite thirteen years of age. The father of this child was from home attending to his business and the mother was assisting a neighbor to move. When the negro was seen approaching the house the child locked the door in order to keep him out. He endeavored to burst the door open but failed, and finally threatened to burn the building if he was not admitted. He was then permitted to enter and when in, demanded all the money in the house. The terrified child says she gave him a "levy" and some other change, in all amounting to ninety cents. Having obtained the money he foully violated her person, resistance on her part being in vain, on account of the superior strength of the infuriated brute. His purpose accomplished, he told her that if she ever informed on him he would follow her and have his revenge by killing her. On leaving the house he was traced towards Stoufferstown, taking sufficient time by the way, however, to steal a hammer from a farmer which he afterwards sold for a quarter, stating he had purchased it from a gentleman in Chambersburg a short time before, for one dollar. He is afterwards heard of at a farm house where he was furnished a good supper. He had gone but a short distance from this last place, when he met a young lady returning from a moving, and almost in sight of the house where she lives, knocked her on the head and succeeded in raping her person.

Scarcely twenty minutes elapsed until he overtook another young lady crossing a field to her home, when he assaulted her with all the ferocity of a fiend. She fought him as best she could and would have mastered him but he drew a razor and threatened her life. In the struggle she was very much injured, but was forced to yield. These horrible crimes were committed between 11:30 A. M. and 4:30 P. M., of the same day, and all occurred in a distance of about three miles from the scene of the first diabolical deed. As soon as the facts were made known search was made for the black scoundrel, but the night approaching, efforts to find him were not successful. We might say here that he was tracked to the pike leading from Chambersburg to Greenvillage, from there across the creek, down towards Eyster's Paper Mill, and thence to a small grocery on a lane leading from Front street to the mill, where a few days previous he had pawned a razor. He redeemed the razor, and in reply to a question why his hands were bloody said that he had cut them with a knife. The truth of the matter doubtless is, that it was the blood of his last victim. He afterwards said in Wolfstown that he had killed a dog that had attacked him.

On Friday morning Sheriff Fletcher arrested a colored man named Cambridge Adanis, often called Norris, who corresponded with the description furnished him of the villain, and lodged him in jail. The prisoner, on being questioned, told a straight-forward story, and there was some doubt as to his guilt, but further investigation showed he had been lying. During Friday there was great excitement, and open expressions in favor of lynch law. Many of our best citizens felt that an example should be made of this devil that would forever serve as a warning. Never before in the history of Franklin county had such a horrible series of crimes been committed by one man. There was an intense feeling of sympathy for the sufferers from the brutal passions of this inhuman wretch.

The Sheriff feeling alarmed for the safety of the prisoner, called on Capt. G. W. Skinner, commander of the Housum Zouaves, for assistance in case of trouble. About 8 P.M. the firebell was sounded, and men at once made up their minds that an attack would be made on the jail. The fire companies turned out, but the crowd rushed to King street, towards the prison. They were addressed by Sheriff Fletcher, Hon. D. W. Rowe, T. B. Kennedy, Esq., Lyman S. Clarke, Esq., John R. Orr, Esq., Capt. G. W. Skinner, and others, who plead with them not to injure the prisoner, but to let the law take its course. It struck us that there were many words wasted, for it was the weakest attempt for a mob that could possibly be. These would-be vindicators of Justice, from the top of an engine, or the midst of a crowd, bravely bellowed, "fetch him out," "hang the nigger," "go for him," etc., and not one had the courage to distinguish himself in the attack. There was too much blowing for practical work, and the only thing done was frightening of the Sheriff's family. The Housum Zouaves were called out, and the true soldiers shouldered their muskets, marched to the jail and the crowd dispersed. The jail was guarded during the night, and has been since.

The great majority of our law-abiding citizens are opposed to mob-law and will stand by the officers in resisting it. Our Courts will see that the prisoner has a fair and impartial trial and if found guilty will punish him as he deserves under the law, but all lawless proceedings should be discountenanced, for when once started there is no telling where they will stop.

On Sunday last the child first attacked was taken to the jail, and among other prisoners pointed out Adams as the one who had violated her person. There is not the least doubt the prisoner is the guilty criminal and we hope that the remainder of his natural life may be spent within the boundaries of the penitentiary.

The prisoner is as black as the ace of spades, about 5 feet 4 inches high, of rather a stout build and possesses a most wicked countenance. He is a son of "Titus Adams," and has been "down the road" at least once. There are none who have more vindictive feelings against him than his own race, and if placed in their hands his punishment would be swift and certain.

The three victims of this friend are under the care of skilful physicians, and are in a fair way to recover from the injuries inflicted on their persons.

On Friday last the Annual Spring Election was held in our Borough, with the following result:

NORTH WARD.

SOUTH WARD

Returns from other districts come in too late for publication in this week's paper.