The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-04-19

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point. lie was against lodging questions
If we dodge one here we will dodge two
when We get to the Constitutional Conven
ton. He announced his platform of equal
ity, confscation, impeachment, &c. Any
man, said he, who can't stand on this plat
form can't stand with me. [Cries of dowr
with rundown with the traitor Il
The speaker said that the Sherman law
had protected freedmen; but still they
were tried by rebels and punished By
rebels. What do we see in Richmond
What at the penitentiary, where there
were buttoned-up rebels guarding Unior
men, black and white, and applying tho
lash to their backsf [Great expression O
horror and indignation.l He knew we
were lenient; but would we, in such times
and such scenes, put rebels in position a
we would men who needed no repentance
1t was neither in his heart nor flesh to dc
it. If it he Gods will that he should die
for the right, then he was "borned so tC
die, and would die by it. He was opposed
to Joining political tricksters. They had
before them the platform of human rights
If we don't support that, if we don't sup
| port Congress, we are no better thar
rebels. [Cries of "That's SOL After
this Convention, the white Union mon may
be pcrSecuted-we are used to it. Have We
not been prosecuted all our lives Nocife-
rouS cries of" Yes"; but one man answered
mo-" This negative response accustomed
| the most furious demonstration. Cries
came from all quarters to "put him out.
| The audience rose to its feet, and swayed
to and fro. There was 4 rush towards the
quarter whence the offending "No'
issued. The unfortunate colored man who
uttered it was in danger from the number
of fcrocious Africans who gathered about
him. Cries of "Order" and " Down" al
over the house from black and white
Frantic men gesticulated and cried all sorts
Of orders and made all sorts of appeals.
Mckenzie wrapped and screamed cor
der ~" Order :" Its only one man, gen
tlemen-only one Conservative against q
house full of Union men let him alone
we want his vote" This was heard by a
small part Of the crowd, who laughed and
applauded, while the case of the one re-
fractory "No" still caused a swaying OF
the crowd, who, on tip-toe, were eagerly
looking to the point of excitement. AT
last the offender, either from fright OF
fact, profeSscd to have said "No" when
he meant to say eyes," and he was saved
from the furies, and quiet was restored
around him. Orator Wilson had mounted
| the back of two benches and was scanning
| his notes, when Mckenzie called upon
| him to come down to the floor and 60
on; which order the orator finally obeyed.
Mr.. Wilson complacently begged gentle
men not to produce confusion. He would
clip his tongue out by the roots rather
than utter a word to SOW the seed of dis
sension and discord. ApplauSe.l But he
was not there TO yield right or principle.
lie offered the resolutions. 1t was for the
Convention to deviate or not. If they
voted down the resolutions they would but
vote down principle, and vote down plat
form on which Congress was standing to-
day. Such a vote would mean no good !;
but rebellion forever. [Cries of OATS
SOL He closed by an appeal to the Con-
vention to uphold Congress and call for the
enforcement of the confiSCation or the i'm
parchment of President Johnson.
The applause for Wilson was browne d
amidst the cries of "Mr. Chairman" FL
nally the floor was awarded to Oliver John
son, (mulatto,) of Richmond, who made a
very sensible speech. He thought the eX.
element that had arisen was likely to do
much injury. When he went back to the
war and viewed the parapets thrown up by
the slaves against their will, and remember
cd their fighting against their will he felt in
clined to vote for the resolution. But the
war was over, and they were looking fol
an avenue through which they were to
form junction with the white race and
restore harmony and prosperity to the
State. We must work, not through pas
sion, but through brains. The freedmen
in Virginia have never passed through a
political campaign, and know nothing about
their strength. They must not fall out by
the way. If we 90 out Of the Convention
divided, we must fall. We are not strong
enough TO ask for what those resolutions
asked for. [Cries of we are, we e."l
Here black member raised a point OF
order "The speaker was talking about
what we asked for, when we asked
far nothing" Mr.. Mckenzie: ooh,
understand. Sit DOWN. The speaker :
We can't pilot ourselves through
this Jordan alone. Yes We can tell
you wc can't do it. There are 10000 more
white men in the State than blacks. All
knew the influence employers had over
the employed. Men would ask those they
employed, Are you going to vote for man
who will take my property when | am
giving you employment! Will they vote
for that man! [Ies!I The speaker aver
red that they would not. 1t wasn't human
nature to do such. He avowed that he was
proof against any temptation or influence
to sway him from his duty, but he knew
men too well not to know that they con-
suited their interests in this matter. He
closed by an appeal to the thinking men OF
the Convention not to do what would I'M
pair their strength and break them down.
In the succeeding strife for the floor, r..
7. Beckley, of Alexandria, got it, and
addressed the Convention briefly against
the resolutions. He denied that a differ
ence of opinion about these resolutions
justified the charge that men were weak
l;nced. He claimed to be true Radical !;
alleging that he had been knocked down
in the streets Of Syracuse for being a
Black Republican. But he did not want
the blood of any man he did not want
confiscaton. If that principle be incor-
porated in the platform, then woe be to
you. Don't clap your hands at the sayings
of any man but consider this question,
every man for himself. The colored vote
in this State at the outside was not more
than 60, 900; the white vote was 100000.
How were they to overcome that vote
They couldn't carry all the colored vote.
They could carry, perhaps, the cities
pretty well, but not the rural districts, the
highways and the valleys. This contsca-
ton platform will drive off some whites.
He had no idea of this policy under these
circumstances But apart from mere