for the mouth of the Potomac. As we ascended that river we
stopped at a place called Machudock, where I purchased, by way of cargo
and cover to the voyage, twenty cords of wood; and with that freight on
board we proceeded to Washington, where we arrived on the evening of
Thursday, the 13th of April, 1848.

As it happened, we found that city in a great state of excitement on the
subject of emancipation, liberty and the rights of man. A grand
torch-light procession was on foot, in honor of the new French
revolution, the expulsion of Louis-Philippe, and the establishment of a
republic in France. Bonfires were blazing in the public squares, and a
great out-door meeting was being held in front of the _Union_ newspaper
office, at which very enthusiastic and exciting speeches were delivered,
principally by southern democratic members of Congress, which body was
at that time in session. A full account of these proceedings, with
reports of the speeches, was given in the _Union_ of the next day.
According to this report, Mr. Foote, the senator from Mississippi,
extolled the French revolution as holding out "to the whole family of
man a bright promise of the universal establishment of civil and
religious liberty." He declared, in the same speech, "that the age of
tyrants and of slavery was rapidly drawing to a close, and that the
happy period to be signalized by the _universal emancipation_ of man
from the fetters of civic oppression, and the recognition in all
countries of the great principles of popular sovereignty, equality and
brotherhood, was at this moment visibly commencing." Mr. Stanton, of
Tennessee, and others, spoke in a strain equally fervid and
philanthropic. I am obliged to refer to the _Union_ newspaper for an
account of these speeches, as I did not hear them myself. I came to
Washington, not to preach, nor to hear preached, emancipation, equality
and brotherhood, but to put them into practice. Sayres and English went
up to see the procession and hear the speeches. I had other things to
attend to.

The news of my arrival soon spread among those who had been expecting
it, though I neither saw nor had any direct communication with any of
those who were to be my passengers. I had some difficulty in disposing
of my wood, which was not a very first-rate article, but finally sold
it, taking in payment the purchaser's note on sixty days, which I
changed off for half cash and half provisions. As the trader to whom I
passe