The New York herald., 1867-04-22
SENATOR Wilson's sOufnfli f60Rs
-~S@xsstsA<SNcs q
His opening Speech at Orange csurt
Reuse, Virginia.
sr4SSsk>st
xhe Audience Composed Entirely
Of Negroes. ",


SPECIAL HlEeMn 70 THE HERALD.
RICHMOND. Va. April n, 1857.
Senator Wilson, Of Massachasstts started yesterday
his political missionary tour through the South.
Laasins Warrington n nix o'clock in the morning, BY
IL Orange and Alexandria Railroad line. and passing
through the battle region of Virginia past Burkss sa-
sos win ~ half demolshsd block house; Union Mills
wifh their blackened ruins, standing BY the stream
aesoa which the Union army marched 70 Bun Hun.
Aanassas Junction, Warrenton, &c; Rappahannock,
wnh iss terrible rsmniscsnces; CulpepeF, where
h neat national cemetery the bodies Of the Union SOL
dian Who fell in the vicinity collected crossing
shs Rapdan long tho dividing line Of the two armies
hs arrived shortly before q Orange Court House,
whsrs his nrss speech was 10 be made.
Thsrs but few white people in this ancient stunted
town. and those few have no for politicians Of the
rspubcan party. Therefore there gathering Of
ctssns u the railway station 70 bid the Senator wei
come There were . score or swo Of colored
men there, and one Of them tried to get
sp . cheer for the mild looking. porty gentleman
Who carpet bag in hand got out Of the cars on the
chance Of his being Senator Wilson, but he did not
o4sd The Senator, however. was taken in charge BY
Mr. Barnes New York gentleman, who has recently
purchased . nne plantation near the village and BY
New York army onicer. Captain AcNul,y. who con.
srols the freedmen in this region
About three O'Clock Mr. Wilson came 70 the
Coan House, in front Of which we're assembled
some four or nve hundred colorsd people-men
women and children Their black faces beamed with
sasasfacton q sight OF ono whom they esteemed -
fend Of their but they not noisiiy demon
sEssiva Ths Introduction Wa 70 have been made BY
~. Terrell . much respected citizen, Of Union senl
nson; but me duty was taken out OF his hands BY
Major Lee, who 10 said 70 have boased the
about open that hs could drive tho Yankees ont Of
Washington with cornstaiks, but who, nevertheless
Kept out Of the rebel army and who represents the
district in the State Senate.
Tne introduction speech Of Major Lee was rather
wordy, but II came TO aa end. He informed his hear.
sn, rather unnecessarily, thas they were no longer
slaves, but free citizens Of the United States and he
assd them 70 give Senator Wilson respectful hear.
ing q be would get in Faneuil Hall.
No cheers greeted Mr. Wilson he prepared 70 speak
The coored people seemed have TOO much reverence
FOR him to manifest their feelings m that way. They
Suffered upon and around the leading the porch
from which he spoke, and looked up to him 70
psror being muscular female, with military jacket
On her back and . white handkerchief worn
tarbanwiss her head, squstsed herself at his
feet Some few white men on the
possco and few others stood the street 70 listen to
he speech, seeming TO regard IT, however, - matter
10 which they had concern. Over the the
shone bright and warm
Senator Wilson's speech was addressed almost
clusvey 70 the colored people Having briefly sketched
che antslavery agitation from 1881 TO 1851 and the
S os .S 10
inevitable that in the struggle between freedom and
:,.ssry :sy neither % would . quietly give way 70 70
God Almigh,y's great contests they knew the result
-Four millions Of bondmsn had been raised 70 citizen
ship; every man and woman before him free and
had the same rights himself and those rights they
would have 90 long ss the nation lived AadressnR
hs n order .
port the and preserve the nation the people
e The Loyal States had no feeling Of hatred Or TO-
ves.y settled the eternal basis Of jusc they believ
and white should have equal rights before the law
They wanted 70 elevate the lowly, bat not TO pull
for any. Hs declared his belief thss II with
tn . few months after the close Of the war the
q
-. Lincoln bad during Inc s.r :id down s,sh. con:
sx conditions He ths WILSON, would rather have
taken o six than added them on He had thought she
. told Mr. johnson a The tina What VS. wanted
then and what w.s wanted nov vas os al 70 60
,s S q 'nS coa sss
nsns 70 the freedmen and pay them good wages that
would help 70 settle many difficult questions He had
detrimental 70 the interests Of the whole country No
man had since asked him 70 sign . recommends.
sion for pardon that he had not cheerfuily
done %. He would have excepted from pardon
few OF those Southern Senators and MEM
bsn OF the House Of Representatives who while
sitting in the national councils, had plotted the
rebellion, and then he would have issued general
q pardon and you'd ss = the same time
amsnd their constitutions and laws and make every per-
son, white and black equal before the laws. General
Sherman had said TO him 1t that time that he would as
soon trust the then Legislatures Of Georgia and the
Carolinas any men whom tho people might elect
because they were then ready 70 agree 70 anything that
the government might require Of them. But the mis-
fortune that sooner had Mr. Lincoln fallen than
cias Of men gathered around his successor and
vhispered into his ear the deusve hope Of
1hsy might always notice one thing-that whom man
nsant 70 do mean thing he always spoke OF his beng