Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-01-10
.CHIVALRY ON THE RAMPAGE.

Notwithstanding the fact that MalorGen-
erai Gibbon, commanding the District of
the Nottoway, State OF Virginia forbade
the leaning Of any United States horses or
other property to the late Petersburg TOUR
nament, to which no Yankees were to be
admitted, the show came of as per adver-
tisement, on the 10th December The re
constructed chivalry were there in force
and they got over the absence of borrowed or
stolen government property by such make
shifts as were available In the way of horse-
flesh and of needful equipments. The di-
lapidated Lords Of Black fat and Fine-eu6
and the Disinherited knights Of the Niger
pen and the Lash were there IN force, and
the c0ngenial scribe, reporter for local
newspaper, tells us how the thing went off
Desperate men of little flesh but of much
hair and more tobacco, mounted upon such
steeds as that which bore Patruchio to his
nuptials, rushed madiy, with lance Unrest.
upon pendant muihn-rings; other valiant
knights, bearing long sticks waddad at the
farther end pOked away at the tin-helmet-
ed, iron-skilleted and butter nut armored
corpuses Of yet other valiant knights, and
the prize Of the day, Ia victor's crown af-
ter all this tilting at muffin rings and punch
ing of ribs with wadded sticks, was awarded
to a donkey OF a lawyer named Lyon, who,
oddly enough, figured TO the tourney as the
BLACK Prince. Wen, this representative
of colored royalty, lwho might perhaps with
more propriety have been styled the nlutdttO
Prince at ball held the same evening.
handed over his blushing honors to the
Queen Of Love and Beauty on the occasion
of the coronation Of that feminine potentate.
Mr. Lyon, we beg pardon, the colored
Prince, seems TO have been an attentive sta
dent of Cervantes, for we can turn 10 scores
Of pages of Don Quixota that seem almost
a counterpart in crackedbTainedness. OF the
oratOrical effort of Mr.. Lyon on the occasion
of the coronation OF the Queen of Love and
Beauty making due allowance of course tor
the difference between the unction of Ger
vantes and the undergraduates OF the black
Tor mulatto) prince of chiyalry. This speech
is so delicious a piece of Virginia blather-
skite 0uixotism, and so fine specimen of
the reconstructed chivalry of the Old
Dominion, that we cannot avoid the temta-
tion of giving it in ful as we find it repor-
ted in the Petersburg E.rpress. Listen to
the black prince
. FGirest and Lore7iest Iuaiden If
Kn;ghtly generosity did not forbid, well
might brave men envy thy champion the
sweet privileges of crpgning thee Queen OF
Love and Beauty here tonight. To be
the chosen out of this aSsemblage, ssnchan-
ces both the tribute to thee, and the reward
ef thy gallant Knight. And those fair and
lovely maidens-thy companions and atten-
dants, will fitlv adorn thy regal state, radla-
ting and rejecting upon the loyal subjects,
the light of Love and Beauty.
There is no need for US TO search the
cid Chronicles to study chivai1y. We have
now q chirolry of oar oa0n. There. live
among us, and stand around US, in this
goodiv presence. men who during these four
years, have developed and illustrated in an
eminent degree, oil the high qualities which
made the knights of old admirable and ia
nous. Singleness of purpose, fidelity, en-
thusiasm, devotion, self-sacrifce, foriitude,
courage, humanity and courtesy, have found
In them glorious impersonation. Earnest
ly believing that their cause aoas just, faith
fully and zealously devoted to what seemed
| to be duty, they endured without murmur-
ing, hunger and thirst, cold and heat. wear
iness and Imprisonment, and faced without
fear, perils of disease and of battle, always
ready to die. if need be, for what they deem
7 ed the right iaesd ..rt
81 The gallant competitors for the honor
which thy knight has. wons are all Virgin
iars. a They belonged to that noble army
u7,ose manhood dre,c forth such Hercuteqzn, !,
| deeds of cal6r,9 as extorted the praise OF
their chief adversary. They have won their
spurs in the red strife of battle. They were
the comrades of Robert Z, Lee, and Stone,
wall Jackson knights without fear and
'r'eeproach Noblest Of Christian K,iteeflatss ms !