The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-06-22
Correspondence Of tho New York Herald.
Reception Of the Richmond Colored Dele.
cation by the President.
ADDRESS OF THE CoLoRED DELEGATION FROM
----tLL.-- u RICHMOND.

ADDRESS OF THE coLoRED DELEGATION FROM
.'i'tii- j RICHMOND.
Il WASHINGTON June 16, 1885,
In accordance with a resolution passed
at a meeting of colored people in Rich
mond, delegation of colored men wait
ed upon the President to-day, and were
received by him with kindness and at
tention. The object of the delegation,
like that of the meeting, was to make
known to the President and through the
press, to the country, certain grievances
which the freedmen of Richmond aIlepe
they are suffering from collision be-
tween the military and civic authorities.
The members of the delegation were in
troduced by Mr.. Van Vleet, President of
the Richmond Union League, and one
of their number, named Chester. read to
the President an address, in which was
set forth list of their sifferings. chief
of which was the interference of the pro-
vost guard and local police with the lib
erty OF the colored men. After stating
that they represented men of wealth from
the sum of two hundred dollars to twen-
ty thousand dollars, and that they had
ever been loyal, serving the Union forces
as scouts and guides, and attera recapitu-
lation OF the services of colored men in
the armies of the United States the adj
dress-written not by negro. but by
Mr.. Van Vleet--went on to saw how dis
appointed the people of the South felt at
the issue to them of the war. The adj
dress also states that the position of the
colored people is worse than it was
when they We're slaves and living I'M
der slave law. 1t states that under
the old system they had the protec-
ton Of their masters, "who were ffnan-
cially interested in their physical well
fare. But their old masters contin-
ues the address, "have become their
enemies and are seeking not only
to oppro5s them, but to thwart the de-
signs OF the Federal government" They
claim that they cannot appeal to the
laws Of Virginia for protection; for there
the old negro laws still prevail, and,
worse still, as they claim, the oath of d
colored man against white man will
not be received in the courrs; SO that
they have nowhere to 60 for protection,
:. they say, ITO the power that set them
iree.n The address next complains VI
the difficulties they are experiencing In
regard to church property, which are
twOfold. In the first place, by the laws
of Virginia colored churches were COM
| poiied 20 accept of white preachers de
voted to Southern institutions; in the
second place, their church property ,accor-
ding to law there, must be decided to white
trustees. They say the first evil may,
perhaps, be remedied in time; but show
to get possession of their own church
property passeth their understanding
From this they pass to more practical
grievances, saying :--"In the city OF
Richmond the military and police au-
thorities will not allow us to walk the
streets by day or night in the regula,
pursuit of our business or on our way to
church without pass, and passes do
not in all cases protect us from arrest
abuse, violence and imprisonment
They add that the police, in conjunction
with the provost guard, have taken them
from their workshops and dwellings and
put them into prison simply because
they had no passes, and that even If
they had passes the guards would not
recognize them as genuine or sufficient.
They state, too, that many husband
4 whose wife had been sold from him UNI
der the old system, and many wife
who bad lost her husband in the same
way, has come to Richmond search
ing for the missing one, and been
placed in jail for lack Of passes, whose
necessity they were not appraised of.
They further assert as a grievance that
a few days ago General Gregg, whose
headquarters are at Lynchburg, publish
ed an order to the freedmen, In which
he told them that ''they have all the
rights at present that free people of color
have heretofore had in Virginia, and no
more" They add that they were sorry
to see this announcement, because they
were class of persons unknown to the
laws of Virginia or of any other State,
and that they were subject only to spe-
cial acts of Congressional enactment.
OF the reinstatement Of Mayor Mayo the
address complains most bitterly. They
charge him with original and continuous
rebellion, and, after dwelling on the fact
that he was the man who used to order
them to the whipping post, they remark
that>his now restored police is composed
of the men who used to infiict the stripes
on sour quivering flesh" They add,
Fin justice to Governor Pierpoint, "that
he has been their friend, /" "and has sor-
rowed over the reappointment of Mayo,
and they" Tor rather Mr.. Van Vleet)
conclude the address by reminding the
President of that sublime motto once
inscribed over the portals Of an Egyptian
temple--"Know all ye who exercise
power that God hates Injustice The
address is signed by Fields Cook, Rich
ard Welles, VIM. Williamson, w. j.
Snead and T. NJ. Chester.
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY TO THE AID
i DRESS. tfNi
n The reading of the address being con-
Guided, the President called for one of
the city papers, and read to them the
dismissal of Mayo from office, and then
said: "While you are In this state OF
transition, there are many things which
we might prefer to be different-that we
should like altered-that yet must be
submitted to till they can be remedied.
Whatever can betaione, so far as / am
concerned, will be done most theeriully
have no set speech to make to you. II
my past has not been sufficient guar
antee of my future course on this sub
;ect my professions now would be none.
/ will endorse this document, a series
Of dispositions to prove arrests by Mayo
and provost guards, to Major General
Howard, and you can take it to hipf
yourselves. Why did you not apply To
General ualleck? rg w., ~,
To this Fields answered that they had
applied to General Patrick I; but he had
told them he was acting under orders,
and did not wish to be dictated to. They