New-York tribune., 1867-05-15
THE SOUTHERN STATES.
VIRGINIA.

MASS MEETING IN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF HCfSA'h
GREELEY AND GERRIT SMITH.
TILseRAPB TRIBUNE
RICHMOND, May l4.-An immense meeting was held
in the African Church this evening, TO heaI Mr..
Greeley speak on the present aspect Of National
affairs There was abOut an equal number OF white
and eolored peOple Of both sexes in the audience.
On the platform with Mr.. Greeley were Gov. Pier
pOint GerIit Smith, Judge Underwood, and others,
and in the audience were some of the most prominent
citizens of Richmond In opening, Mr. Greeley SAID
lie was not going 10 speak Of parties or to parties,
but only to counsel with them friends TO see II all
the euds bitterness and heart buInines OF the past
sbOuld not be abandoned forever The time OF war
was now past and he wanted the time Oi true peace
to come. There may be peace when IT 10 only o
moe kerry and il would always be so, so long as di-
ferent parties looked distiustfuliy Mt eaoh other'
There have been many causes why this perfect peace
has not now been realized The first OF these was the
assassination of Mr. Lincoln lie was the last man to
say that it was the work of the defeated party,
vet it would not be denied that those engaged IN that
ASSASSINATION were champions of the principles OF the
Rebellion and this enraged the whole North. That
act enacted in Washington was as great calamity
ia the South as TO the North. Then the Legislatures
of the Southern States commenced to discriminate
against colored people if they were angry with the
latter for the aid they gave the Union Army These
enactments regulated unjustly the laws OF contract
and labor and deprived the people Of their right Of
arms bearing and giving testimony IN court. Dnrlng
the existence of Slavery there might have been some
conceivable excuse for preventing people lrom
bearing arms, but now, when all were equal
it was constitutional right Then came
the discrimination in receiving testimony,
and the Northern people thought the Southeners
were only trying 10 gam, by cowaIdy means what
Il Of bp hair ln.N 4
and Memphis riots bad added fuel 10 the flames. lie
thought the South were equally bouud TO appreciate
the course of the blacks who refused TO take advan-
tage during the war of their masters disadvantages
and weaknesses. Whole districts were at tunes at
the mercy of these people, but the prediction oil
Southern papers that these people would take advan-
tage of the Emancipation Proclamation to rayage and
plage the country had proved TO beiase In reference
to the question of suffrage. he held that so long ms
ignorance does not prevent "a white man from en-,
iOyng that right, there was no reason WY II slona
dcbar colOrcd man from enjoying the same nghi:
especially the latter bad never inc ADVANTAGES c
the former The rights of these people are 10 he
given now never and the people OF tie south
should realize that fact at once The nights ol every
citizen should bc migrated upon every Sta'e Ios'
tuition, and on the National one soon after,
and no citizen should enjoy any more
privileges or rights than another. lie thought the
action of Congress with reference TO prescription was
generally misunderstood lie thought that body
only wanted Ia see that no dlsloyal men should nave
a part III reconstruction, ana the speaker asserted
that this the true ground, lOl 10 man VINO
wanted either o sever his country, or um II over Ia
n foreign power, had any night whatever 10 tabcnrt
in the plan of restoration. lie only accepted the
Military hill so long as il keeps disoya men from
power. lie had heard good deal SAID since he had
been in Richmond of the impression among cololri
men that there wOuld he Il cOniscatlon law passed,
and that they would get their lands FOR nothing
The history of the last Congress proved that
there was only one prominent man m Congress VINO
favored the coniscation policy. The sooner the
,nln
them. They would find that II was cheaper 10 buy
lands than TO wait and get them ior nothing. Mt
Greeley then urged all who could do 80 10 buy lands
in Virginia and the whites he asked 10 conform their
action 10 the recommendation OF Congress, aud he
thought the latter body would meet them WIN
corresponding generosity.
Gelrit Smith followed. and said that he would not
speak in behalf of any party. All lie could say was
TO repeat the words of his master, Love ono
another We wanted TO bind the North and the
South in the bonds of this love. The illfcellng
engendercd by the war - 10 he snotheled; Inc
people of the South cOngenial people, ana thcS
should admit it.. The people of the South. lac held,
should submit unmurnullnglS 10 the terms ol lhc
conoueror He said il was dispaceful 10 them 10 Try
and run away from the dictates OF Congress Tor the
purpose of gaining mere temporary advantage, ana
unworthy of their past courage. lie he'd tllat Tue
North must he Just and generous To ne soul1' ana
have pity on the present CVnulllpn Oh tlIe
people of this part OF the country II
he had bis way, lie would exempt them
from direct taxation. a similar spirit should actuae
the whites and blacks lie wanted the dslranchise,
mcnt 10 cease now. and hc had a proposition. aud
that was for the blacks 10 petition against this DIS
flanchisemcnt of their white neghbOrs. lie called on
them TO oppose amy man of whatever party who did
not favor giving them the Iglt OF suffrage and then
both sides would he lie gave the cOlOred men
some sensible advice a. to their conduct and was 30
generous in his remarks toward the South that he
like Mr.. Greeley, was frequently applauded =,
After lac concluded Judge Underwood was called
for and he was met with glcd misses and applause
lie spoke little while. and then the meeting adj
lOurned Without question, II was the most import
ant meeting held III Richmond since It's occupation,
and both whites and blacks pr0illse III their
marks of approval of the remarks of Nj. Greeley and
MIR Smith that nothing but good can result from the
efforts of these two gentlemen. In answer 10 ques-
tiou of Mr.. Smith, the blacks said they loved the
whites and this remark met with cheers from the
white portion of the audience.
COLORED GUARDS DISBANDED-FREEDMEN's MEETING
JEFFERSON DAVIS
RICHMOND Va, May H.-Gen. SchOield has or
dered the Lincoln Mounted Guards lcolored TO dis
band and has prohibited their parades or drills.
Horace Greeley and GerIitt Smith. who has come on
10 sign MI Daviss bail bond are addressing the peo
pie AT the African Church tonight The audience IS
largely cOlOred An intimate friend of MI. Davis
November. Mrs. Davis will reside IN Norfolk. The
labOrcTs i'll the tobacco warehouses have struck
for higher wages No disturbance has occurred
SUSPENSION or REPUBLICAN JOURNAL
FORTRESS MoNLoE, May l3.--7he Norfolk Repub-
Econ small sheet published i'll Norfolk for several
months past advocating the cOlored interests of the
city and the organ Of the extreme Radical portion Of
the party has been compelled to suspend publication
On Saturday afternoon the Sheriff OF tho city seized
the office, and summoned the stock holders Ia appear
at the Clerks office of the Corporation Court III June,
to answer hill filed in chanceTy 10y Dir. Carlisle,
who holds bill on the property amounting tO : 900.