The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-05-04
Mr.. m. hives Pollard Prohibited ron
LeciurIng In Iynchburg.
From the Republican OF Friday

MILITARY INTERFERENCE.
4 7, "a we'll known that Mr.. II. Rives Pol
lard was TO have delivered at Philharmo-
mic Hall last night lecture on "Southern
Ch,yalry." This lecture was not delivered
because of the positive prohibition OF Ge-
neral Wilcox, commanding post, who cour-
teously communicated his pleasure In the
nremiscs to Mr.. Pollard through the me-
dunn of Mayor Branch.
The following card from Mr.. Pollard ex-
plains the particulars fully:
A Card.
LrScHBURa, May 2, 1867.
Yesterday about o'clock was served
with an official order from Major General
Wilcox, prohibiting in Lynchburg the de-
livery of my lecture on "The Chiyalry of
the South" Surprising that he had been
misinformed as to its character, | called
upon him, in company with the Mayor,
who courteously accompanied me at my
special request, and assured General Will
cox that there was nothing incendiary or IN
fa,nmatoryin the lecture; that it waspurely
an historical subject, and requested HIM 10
revoke the order of prohibition. lie re.
fused. I reminded him that the greatest
latitude of speech had been tolerated re-
Gently in Virginia, and asked, in common
;ustice. that l might not be restrained
from delivering an address on subject IN
IN ,nou connected ,oith the political issues
IF the dau. He still refused. therefore
have M alternative than to submit to his
edict until / can refer the matter to Gene
raI Scbofeld. and in the event of his pro-
b;hition shall appeal directly to the Pre-
s;dent of the United States, who, l am
SIRE. noble man and patriot as he is, Will
do me Justice, as he did in a former In
stance when my paper, the Richmond Err
o,n;ner. was suppressed by General Terry.
cannot see the justice of permitting
unrestricted liberty of speech on one size,
and DENYING it on the other. What
spectacle has there been presented recent
" in Virginia! Hunnicutt has been al
lowed to roam at will through the State,
and deliver himself of the most lniiamma-
tory harangues Henry Wilson, OF Boston,
has taken the stump; the extreme Radi-
Gals have held convention in Richmond,
ia which the TAKING OF OUR LANDS BY vIO-
LENCE was even openly advocated TO the
negroes, and the most incendiary sentl-
ments uttered. Was there any interior
ence here? No! But when Virginia
gentleman undertakes to deliver a lecture
in his native State, upon subject purely
HISTORICAL, he is forbidden 1t cannot be
alleged, in support of General Wilcox's
official action, that my lecture was incen:
diary: for it has never yet been delivered
to the public, and no mortal eye but my
own and that of some two or three lnti-
mate friends have ever seen or read 1t,
and hence he had no right to PREJUDICE 1t,
much less to base his official action upon
a mere SUPERSTITION and inference OF Its
character.
! am determined to deliver this lecture;
and if l am prevented by military law
from delivering it in the southern States,
| hope there is yet left land wherein
liberty of speech exists, and where q dis
course upon an innocent, rational, and his
torical subject will be considered neither
offensive nor dangerous.
To the citizens of Lynchburg desire to
return my grateful acknowledgements, and
the cordial, generous, and even eager sup
port they were ready to extend to my lee
ture will be one of the most pleasant memo
ries | shall bear with me. | hope to be
able yet to deliver my lecture to them:
Those who hold tickets will have their
money refunded to them by calling at the
stores at which they were obtained.
II. RIyEs POLLARD.