The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-02-15

| on Monday evening, February IL, 1866 at the
Baptist Church, on Butte street. The meeting was
called to hear from the delegation, appointed to
attend the National Freedmen's Convention at
| Washington.
After the meeting was organized, the Secretary
read over list of the of the ebony sisters,
who were chosen committee at a preceding
meeting to collect funds, but one or two responded
to the call, and but small amount was eceived,
much to the disgust of the Treasurer. Ht
| The Chairman then called on Calvin Pepper,
Esq, for few remarks.
| Mr.. Pepper, in very lengthy speech, related
| the proceedings of the delegates, and devoted
considerable time to prove that he, the immortal
Calvin, was all essential to the colored race of
Norfolk and vicinity aaa
A large portion of his remarks was devoted to
general onset the Freedmen's Bureau,
represented in this city, and he assured his
hearers, that they would soon have the right to
elect their own local agents.
In very vivid manner, he described the inter-
view the colored delegates had with President
johnson, which interview he declared to be of
the greatest Importance The President, accord
ing to Mr.. Pepper, was compelled, by that inter-
view, to "show his COLOR" and he was described
as ''slimy serpent" who, by his treatment of
the poor negro, had Slammed himself to eternal
infamy." This ntiment was loudly applauded,
and Mr.. Pepper taking advantage of the storm,
requested his man Friday, Mr.. Baker, to read
from newspaper full account of the proceed
ings, at the interview with the President.
Mr.. Baker performed this duty in a manner
acceptable to his audience, though your reporter
thinks he might improve his style by pronounc-
ing according to the rules of some well known
photographed, instead Of following the vernacu-
lar of bis beloved dusky friends.
After the reading, Mr.. Pepper again took the
stand. He denounced the President in the most
severe manner, and declared that Congress would
give the negroes the right to vote, notwithstanu-
ing the efforts of the Chief Magistrate. Many
members of Congress had informed him that
several bills were already prepared, which, WHEN
PASSED, would allow every man of ebony hue to
cast his vote at the polls throughout the South
In very pathetic manner, Mr.. Pepper then in
formed his audience that he had expended for the
eolored population more than five times as much
as he had ever received from them, even incud-
ing all he had earned by his exertions as lawyer,
though we tear Brother Pepper did not include
the ten cents received for each of the votes cast
his clients on Frsedom's day, 1865, and suggested,
in very delicate, though persuasive manner,
that all the money they could raise should be
divided between himself and the True Southerner.
which paper, he said, would soon have all the
printing from the State Department.
His fellow-delegates had been ordered to appear
before the Committee of Reconstruction, and for
their valuable testimony, had received each fifty
two dollars, from the Treasury of the United
States. This sum, he said, was ampel to pay them
for their exertions, but as he was of more value
than all the rest his pay should still run on. His
presence would alone now be required at Wash
ington, and he advised his dear friends to send
one put nlmselI TO represent theD1, ne, eVuently
thinking, that the money they could raise would |
not be more than sufficient for his own support.
He concluded by stating that he had done more
good for the colored people than any other white
man in the wide world. He particularly warned
his hearers against the officers of the Bureau, who
had all grown fat on corruption, though, it is a
well known fact, that Pepper weighs much more
and is much fatter than any officer of that de-
partment-known to US. So endeth the immor- |
tai Calvin.
DIR. Bayne, highly respectable citizen of Nor
folk, then addressed the meeting, and pitched in
to Pepper most numerically. He is decidedly
the better speaker, Calvin came off second best
in the war of words that ensued.
Here your reporter about suffocated from
the odor that dfused itself gently through the
Hall, and as he was growing very faint he passed
from the Church to the air without where, thanks
to the oxigin in the atmosphere he again breath
ed freely.
On hfs W ay home he thus moralized: When will
the coored people know their friends2 And how
long will it be necessary for them to take outcasts
from the white FACE to represent themY They have
among them of eloquence and educationj how
long will it be before these will assert their !
Independence and Insist that negroes should repre-
sent negroes? Any man of sense could understand
the language used by their white deity, yet they
seemed wholly carried away by his ungrammatl-
cal "twaddle." Calvin evidently intends making
good fat living from his new f,iends, and they
seem disposed 10 give him all he asks.
If some of his admirers would but write to his
old friends in Albany, they would find that Cal
vim, the New Yorker, was very different man
from C,.lvin, the Negropholist.
The language he uttered in this meeting should
be sufficient for his arrest by the military author
tiles, for as sure as such men are allowed full
sway, so sure trouble must come i