The reading of this famous document in the House brought out such a storm of laughter, from both friends and foes that further action was impossible. The Hon. Sunset Cox speaking of the matter some years later said: “I tell you that letter from Hunter spoiled the prettiest speech I had ever thought of making. I had been delighted with Wickliffe’s motion, and thought the reply to it would furnish us with first-rate democratic thunder for the next election. I made up my mind to sail in on Hunter’s answer no matter what it was—the moment it came, and to be even more humorously, successful in its delivery and reception than I was in my speech against war-horse Gurley of Ohio. Well you see, man proposes, but Providence orders otherwise. When the clerk announced the receipt of the letter, and that he was about to read it, I caught the Speaker’s eye, and was booked for the first speech against your Negro experiment. The first sentence being formal and official was very well; but at the second the House began to grin, and at the third, there was not a man on the floor, except Father Wickliffe, of Kentucky, perhaps, who was not convulsed with laughter. Even my own risibles I found to be affected, and before the document was concluded, I motioned to the Speaker that he might give the floor to whom he pleased, as my desire to distinguish myself in that particular tilt was over.”
The beginning of 1863, saw the opening of the doors to the Negro in every direction. General Lorenzo Thomas went in person to the valley of the Mississippi to supervise it there. Massachusetts was authorized to fill its quota with Negroes. The States of Maryland, Missouri, Delaware and Tennessee were thrown open by order of the War Department, and all slaves enlisting therefrom declared free. Ohio, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New York joined the band and sent the stalwart black boy in blue to the front singing, “Give us a flag, all free, without a slave.” For two years the fierce and determined opposition had kept them out, but now the bars were down and they came pouring in. Some one said he cared not who made the laws of a people if he could make their songs. A better exemplification of this would be difficult to find than is the song written by “Miles O’Reilly” (Col. Halpine), of the old 10th Army Corps. I cannot resist the temptation to quote it here. With General Hunter’s letter and this song to quote from, the episode was closed:
Some say it is a burning shame to make the Naygurs fight,
An’ that the trade o’ being kilt belongs but to the white:
But as for me, upon me sowl, so liberal are we here,
I’ll let Sambo be murthered, in place of meself, on every day of the year.
On every day of the year, boys, and every hour in the day,
The right to be kilt I’ll divide wid him, and divil a word I’ll say.
In battles wild commotion I shouldn’t at all object,
If Sambo’s body should stop a ball that was coming for me direct,