The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-04-15

Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch.
Radica Meeting in Hanover
"James River" James gets the
the Districu-An the James family
at last happily provided for-HOn.
aud Rev. BurwelI Toler explains
himself.
ASHLAND, April Is, 1868.
The good people of our vicinity were
very much surprised to learn to-day that a
convention of the negro party was being
held, under the auspices of the distin-
guished proprietor of James river, to
nominate candidates for all the offices to
be filed at the coming election. 1t being
Easter Monday, there was nothing unusual
in seeing number of idle negroes loung-
ing about the street; and the fun was not
even suspected until fifty or sixty negroes,
with five or six hungry looking and forlorn
white men, We're seen slowly congregating
in Mr.. James'S back yard and around the
steps of the Freedman's Bureau Office,
which is situated on the James premises.
The Bureau agent, by the way, is son-in-
law of our eminent and far-sighted repre-
sentative from Hanover.
Your correspondent determined to walk
over and see whether our village was to
be blessed with a soup-house or some
other benevolent institution for the promo
ton of idleness, and upon reaching the
ground, found out that meeting Of some
sort was to be held; but every coloreo
gentleman with whom he conyersed
seemed either not to understand it or tc
be unwilling to tell him its object. He al
RI Coz ~ a f3ay
much passing to and fro between the Blu
reau and the dwelling house, and much
whispering among the leading negroes ani
the unfortunate six white men whom they
were wontto let lead them, the crowd be.
gan to 60 away in the direction of thu
African church. Soon the door Of the
James mansion was thrown open, and the
Great Separator, in most friendly nnior
with the Honorable and Reverend B. Tolel
(uegro), issued forth, and taking theil
seats side by side in buggy, drove
rapidly in the same direction.
Your reporter followed, and found, upor
reaching the church, Mr.. G. y. James, the
youngest son of the James, in the chair
The object of the meeting was then at last
explained, and the few Conservative.
present were amused to find that it was 8
convention of the Radical party to nomi
nate candidates. 1t was delightful to
watch the tactics of our noble James
Perfect master of the situation, he sat in
his venerable patriarchal dignity and pull
cd his little strings, and up jumped a
puppet, white or black, and played its little
part, and popped down again while the
great man sat smiling in his beard,
heavenly visions of Congress and emolu-
ments incalculabie floating in his mind.
First, it was moved by some puppet that
committee be appointed to report the
names of candidates for the action of the
meeting And the committee is at once
named William James, chairman, with
four of those unhappy white men, Rev.
Bur,oeH 1oler (negro), and four others.
They retired for short space into the
blackberry bushes, while the meeting is
entertained by stupid speeches, not worth
reporting.
After decent interval, the committee
return, this time the noble James falling
back little, while one of the white men
reports the nominations:
For Congress. James.
For he1Legislature.-C. J.. James and
~Aohs eshA nov Ne AOlCl lCOlOIcuJs
These nominations received the unani-
mcns assent Of the fifty negroes present.
Iney. endorse them amid great applause.
oas when one Of the white native adj
ne.ents OF the party proposes to nomi-
nate candidates for county Offices.
there Is trouble. ST nominate" said
he, for Commonwealth's attorney.
John Page "No! Noin shontsd
the freedmen. We won't have him >,
II nominate for clerk of the court Jobn
4. Taylor" "No! MOI" The gentle
man was discouraged. Itwas evident that
no didn't understand the object Of that
meeting. Ii Is said that he intended to be
nominated for the sheriffalty himself, but
n We a'dn,t have the strings in bis hand, and
Go Gas Sohdged TO defer his little scheme.
n~ NJ sney determined to postpone these
no ns TO future time. s.s
VI course Mr.. James made speech. in
Wn'cn ne said that he intended to move a
reconsideration Of the ordinance adonted
By tho Convention requiring ali oticsrs Ito to