The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-03-17
LATEST NEWS BY NAIL.
important Colored Observation-Disclosures Negroes
Reject Florida-Reject the Advice of Govern
mcnt OliiciaI>-Claim the Peninsula.

mCut oNrciai>-t1alRt ine
FoRr MONROE, VA, March IA large
meeting of colored people, having for its OBJ
icct the furthcrJnCc of the Florida emlgra ton
movement, took place in Hampton, Va, on
Tuesday evening. The meeting was regularly
organized, and after the usual preliminaries,
Mr.. William Thornton (colored) was appointed
chairman, and Mr.. Calhoun (White) rs Secre-
tlry. Mr.. j. w. Dungy "a runaway slave
from Hampton some years ago arose and adj
dressed the audience, and in u few sensible
remarks demonstrated to the audience that
they were living TOO thicNy on the PENN
sula. between Hampton and Yorktown, and,
aS the Immediate result, they Were being sub
lnctrd 10 all the evil influences or ldicneSS ana
vice. and that instances Of theft, depreciation,
and other crimes against eacH other ana the
white residents of the country were becoming
daily more numerous. Heentreat"d the color
td people present 10 lose no time III felleclllS
upuE the subject, which was destined to be
eventually one of the greatest importance 10
themselves and their families. lie read ex-
tracts from letters of residents of Florida
showing that land could be purchased there
for three dollars an acre, which they were
paving for rent alone on the land which lhey
now cultivate, and concluded by renarklng
that the Homestead bill of 1862 guaranteed
them one hundred and sixty acres Of Govern
nent lands. He was followed by MAYOR
General Miles commanding the post Brlga-
dpr. q cneral Armstrong, formerly colonel OF
the Eighth United States colored troops, lately
appointed Superintendent of the Ninth Dis
trict of the Freedmcm'S Bureau Colonel
James Curry, Post CommisSary, and Dr.
Joyce of Illinois. The purport of their
speeches was essentially the same: The I'M
luensc benefits 10 be reaped by the colored
population OF tire Peninsula emigratmg TO
Florida, where thousands OF acres OF Govern
ment lands We're 10 be found, well -Watered,
fertile, and highly productive, ana where even
the most INDECENT could obtain an exist
ence. The Colored audience, under the
influence OF these glowing speeches, III
which happy homes, surrounded by every
comfort and blessing, were graphlcailS
pictured TO their Imagination, began TO
exhibit the utmost enthusiasm, and the most
perfect harmony would have prevailed had
not disturbing element made its appearance
III the person of Il Mr.. Calvin Pepper, Il law
Yer Of Norfolk, who, III opposition 10 lne pul-
poses and objects of the Florida emigration
movement, has been working hard TO couh-
teract, in connection with few other dissent
ing adhercnts, the progress ALREADY mace III
culisting the sympathes OF the poor CROWDED
population Of the Peninsula i'll its behalf. lie
took the platform erected for the occasion, and
Notwithstanding the remonserances Oh the OF
ganizers of the meeting proceeaea III solne
length 10 refute the arguments ana assei lions
made BY the previous speakers, ana succeeuea
towards the end of his discourse In enilstihs the
entire sympathy of the colored people present III
his views. He advocated the expectancy VI .he
ColOred residents OF the peninsula remaining
where they are rs i'll little while the Whoie
country of the Peninsula would be tnelrs py
Congressional legislation. He ridicuied the
OF
tiCablc, and said ii would be franSnt with u
great deal of evil consequence, and spoke OIL
the uncertainty OF protection ana ASSISTANCE
being rendered them after they reached there'
Mr. pepper was followed by colored Or.
Bane of Norfolk, whose speech was even
more bitter, and even vituperatiye against the
previous speakers. He denounced IN strone
terms the officers who were engaged III the
nroact and not only seconded the assertions
and opinions advanced by Mr.. Pepper, Dut us
can,ed quite at length upon the freedihen
Bureau as injurious 10 the true interests VI tue
black man. He called upon the whoie au . e
then assembled to treat with The utmost con
tempt and disgust the idea of an emigration 10
Florida as lettering their condition Inc
meeting, Just ut this juncture, assumed
rather turbulent appearance Loua eheei5
Were given for Messrs. Bane ana Pepper, aia
long and continued Kisses for Florida
Deeming IL useless 10 remain longer, anu Us
all efforts 10 quiet the two coiofed ofatole
were of 40 avail, Major q eneral Miles sus
gcsted TO the delegation which accompanied
him the propriety of departing, when lney
did forthwith, headed by Mr.. Duhsy' the hrst
speaker of the meeting. Thus terminates ioi
The present the efforts OF the military authoii,
lies and others Interested IN Inc moNeihei' "
induce the immense population scattered III
over the Peninsula, between Oiu Toiht nnu
Yorktown TO seek some other more 1aNorapis
ana less thickly- settled region. IL
That about twenty-five thousand negroes ue
inhabiting the country mentioned, ana 10
whom are monthly distributed nearly siAy
thousand rations by the Comnhssafy DuPai.
inent At this post They are prihcipany In
charge of the Ereedmen's Bureau, out y
good proportion of them have smaii iote VI
ground, on which they raise enough Yegeia-
bles, &c, 10 provide subsistence for them,
selves and families. The larger proportion VI
them, however, roam Ut will over the country,
almost entirely destitute of employment, anu
dependent on Government rations issued them
for the means wherewitb TO sus tain life. Inc
alarming state which their condition has OF
late assumed has been the principal reason
which has stirred up the Freedmen's Bureau
and other Government officers to start the
lorida emigration movement among the ne
oes Of this section of the State. But, so far,
these efforts 10 induce them 10 emlgrate
ave proved nearly useless. The result OF the