New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-04-16

THE FREzDNES's CELEBRATION liz Rrcpyosp rrs
AokAis-THE POLICE PROTECT THE PROCESSION
FINANCIAL CONFERENCE.-THE HCsTERs-BATTLE
, FIELDS ABOUND RICHAoND-wRsr vfgsryIA-
LABOR ON TIE HoADs-A NEW BENEFIT FROM THE
WAR--THE vAGEAsT ADMINISTRATION OF NEWS
PAPERs-Ex-Goy. WISE, ETC.
} ...a. From the New York Tines r IL. ,,a-
RICHMOND, Va, April 3.-One year auo Rich.
mond fell, and the Federal soldiery marching into
the rebel capital found it blazing with fire set by
rebel hands To-day it has been blazing with
banners, red ribbons, bandannas and gaudy dresses
worn by freedmen, women and children of every
shiney as new polished boot, to the peachy tnge
of the octoroon celebrating the first anniversary Of
their actual freedom. "Why don't you celebrate
the first of January-the. issue Of the emancipa-
ton proclamation n I asked one of them What
goods de proclamation without the third of
April" So they celebrated.
The city papers and majority Of the citizens
advised against any demonstration on the part OF
President had prohibited the celebration, it well
nigh fell through. However, a few of the strong
headed ones insisted on IT, and posted hand. bill
about the streets, reading as follows:
i "NoTfCE.-The c0lored people of the City OF
Richmond would most respectfully inform the
public, that they do not intend to celebrate the
failure of the Southern Confederacy, it has been
stated in the pagers Of this city but simply as the
long.oppressed race" Signed by Committee of
Five. = NJ, 6N
The programme of the celebration was parade
through the principal streets and addresses from
the monument" in the Capitol Park. The pro-
cession was formed away up town on Broad street,
and as it passed down through the business
avenues of the city attracted considerable atten-
ton. Falstaf g ragged battaons, or the grotesque
dresses of a bal nsdsque, could not have fur
nished more 0ut,'e costumes than were to be found
in the line. First came a stalwart body of sixty
men, mounted on fat and lean horses, with sabres
drawn regalia futtering in the breeze, and 70.
settles bespangling their breasts. They were fol-
lowed by colored band whose great de-
light seemed to be in playing Kingdoms
Coming: with long drawn out :. Massa
run, aha-a.a." Then came footmen, com.
prisnc members of different societies. with
banners and national flags streaming in the
| wind, and perspiration streaming down their be-
| busted faces. Brass buttons and blue coats pre-
| vailed as uniform, and little scraps of Uncle
SANS soldier paraphernalia were to be seen in
nearly every outfit. Many of them however, were
dressed with a due regard for propriety, and
presented fine appearance. There were alto
| gether about fifteen hundred men in the line of
march.
The throng, the crowd and the rabble of women
and children that swept the streets and sidewalks
on each side of the procession like an avalanche
| rushing down the side of mountain, was indie
scrbable. Each one wanted to get nearer the
music than the other, and they surged toward the
band in waves of crushed crinoline, torn dresse
and bonnets, utterly regardless of corns and
bunions, like an overpowering food. It seemed as
if the gates of King Dahomey's dominions had
DeeQ opened ana MS SUBJECTS were running peIi
nell somewhere, no matter where. Still, there
was year approach to order in all the confusion,
for sable horsemen galloped to the rear, to the
front, and backward and forward along the length
of the column, carrying and receiving orders,
swinging batons, cursing md praying, huzzaing
and yelling, grand as peacOcks in full feather of
spring time. How it was they managed not to
ride over any one don't know but no one was
hurt, and the column proceeded down Broad
street, up Main, and into Capitol Park, with bu,
little interruption
On Main street badly intoxicated individual
fred a pistol shot at one Of the horsemen when
the whole line rushed upon him, and would have
lynched him on the spot, had not the police
dragged him off to the lookup. 1t should be
) known that Gen. Terry informed the freedmen
that he could not interfere with their proceedings
if its armus not inmica to the best interests
of the government, but advised them that, in his
opinion, it would prove disastrous to their material
interests, and told them to protect themselves.
They were ready to do it; but it was not neces-
sary, as the city authorities had detailed large
squad Of policemen to accompany the column
:: and battalion of infantry was brought into the
!, city to be handy if needed.
Many of the colored men, women and children
. who were unable to stand the pressure of tbs
u crowd accompanying the procession, had alread.
congregated in the square" when the process
J. sion, with its adiunctiye music followers reached
# the gates. The column filed in, the horsemel
- took up prominent position, and then the review
e commenced each crspy head being barred to thu
!, sun, as it passed the mounted digntaries. Gov
- received salute. After they had passed the
reviewing officers" the different societies were
huddled together around the monument, and
there, almost within the shade of the building in
which JEFF. Davis Congress sat, ten thousand
freed slaves played mumblety-peg, marbles, and
turned summersaults on the grass or listened to
addresses from the mouths of truly eloquent men
j of their own color, and from man named Hunn
cult, editor of the New Nation, newspaper pub
y lshed here, after which the crowd dispersed.
d Of course there is q moral to all this, and it is
J. one which am gratted to record. With few
j. exceptions, heard no ill-natured or unkind re
&c marks from the Whites and the Richmond police
under the direction of Major Clayborne the chief
Il protected the blacks from insults, making some
l. arrests. and preserving the peace beyond the
lie pectatons Of everybody Interested No better
ID proof could be required than that given to-day
that the sentiment of the people here is kindly to-
I. ward their late slaves. This, the anniversary OF
3, their defeat they have made day long to be re-
r. membered to their credit.
If one were to listen to the tales told by the PEG
er pie of this section or to read in the newspapers
g about the scarcity of money. the natural impress
o. sion would be that business is stagnant and tina
m there is no capital actively employed here. tt
IL disprove such inference it is only necessary tt
er walk through the =" burnt district" of Richmond
r. and see the immense improvements now progress
il, ing. Somebody has money. and that money vii
d. soon find its way into the pockets of the masses
for hundreds of buildings are being erected in thi
ID city, furnishing employment for thousands Of la
~ borers. As yet the poorer classes are not, as
g general thing as well off as they were before tn
IT, war, and consequently they complain bitterly
at while many Of the Weather people made none
out of the rebellion, and better off than in ami
gs belu,n times. Northern capital finds ready maj
g. ket here, although account of the failure of til
rs legislature to remedy the usury laws there is som
~ difficulty in arranging the matter of interest
There plenty Of opportunities for lucrative il
ey vestments, and the people are anxious to have
W come
One great source of income to the inhabitants
Richmond and Petersburg is from the tourists who
now that we have something to look at at HON
gs visit this historical vcinage. instead of wastin
to time and money at the comparatively ene-hors
sy spots of interest abroad 1t seems to me that tn
Sc whole of Boston and part of Massachusetts,. an
Or oue-half of New York have already bsen herr
us The attractions of the battle fields surroundin
of Richmond the sights of Libby, Belle Isle and til
of rebel capital are to American eyes of more in
II. portance than the "public buildings of Rome,
of which, as some rural tourist remarked are sadi
out of repair" Nor are the visitors to this secto
from the North alone, but from England Franc
IN and Canada, and they all agree that before havin
seen the immense Notifications which corrugai
-, the service of the country, they had adequat
~. conception of the colossal magnitude Of the wa
T. ' Relics disappearing rapidly, although the SUI
IA ply is almost inexhaus tbe. Mimic halls bayone
w; pieces of shell, broken muskets snd fragments
In all sorts of accoutremel Is have been carried
~, Bricks from Libby and Castle Thunder, aud rock
oo from Belle Isle have been taken North and all owe
bo the world; but the supply is never ending, al
Ho MI n tokens "a he fOunl.