1884-08-02ee Emancipation Procession Observed

 

In 1884 Hamilton , August 1 in Hamilton was a date on which the black citizens of the city celebrated Emancipation Day. It had been fifty years before, August 1, 1884 when slavery had been abolished in the British Empire.

Emancipation Day in the 1880s generally was generally observed in Hamilton with a massive picnic held on the Crystal Palace (now Victoria Park). Before the picnic got underway, there was a parade featuring bands, banners and decorated carriages from Gore Park in the downtown area to the picnic. Except for a few government representatives, all the participants in the parade were from the black community.

A Spectator reporter, assigned to cover the parade, was among the crowd on James street, near Main street. He noticed an elderly black man who, by his clothing, appeared to be someone who had come into the city from a rural district for the day:

“As the procession of well-dressed men, with its bands and banners, passed along, he could not restrain his delight, but laughed aloud and clapped his hands in childish glee.”¹

¹ “Nunc Dimittis”

Hamilton Spectator. August 2, 1884.

The reporter overhead a gentleman standing near the man say to him, “You  seem to be enjoying the sight, my friend.”

The old man responded with enthusiasm and the reporter did his best capture his words.

While the reporter’s transcription of the old man’s answer  to the question may or may not have been accurate, the spelling used was his attempt to record of the old man’s southern accent as he heard it:

“Why, yes, bress yer heart, honey,” replied the old man, “it’s de proudest day ob my life. It don’t seem very long ago, de time when I waz a slave down in ole Kentuck, an’ I kin scarcely b’lieve my eye when I see dese young callud folks marchin’ about as of dey owned de streets and buildins’ . It am a glor’us sight – a glor’us sight. Why, dey look as well’s de white folk anyday, an’ march ez proud an’ straight ez soldiers. An’ jes’ look at de cull’d gals in de kerriges – golly, what would de ole gals of my time have thought ef dey saw ‘em? Bress de Lawd dat I had lived to see this day. I’m willin’ to die now, day of jubilee am come” – and the good old soul went off after the procession, the tears standing in his eyes, but smiles shining through the tears. “¹