The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-04-22


TONERS have departed, and nought save
peanut hulls, tobacco spit, and the prints of
dirty hands, here and there On the walls,
remain to tell the visitor to the desert
ed hall that convention has lately met
there. About the passages and on the steps
of the building still hang some of the idle
negroes who were wont to attend the sessions
Of the Convention. In the clerks Offices
members Of the Convention still inger, as
though there were nothing left for them to do
now that the Constitution had been framed.
The female peanut and pie merchants watch
patiently about the hall in the vain hope Of
collecting claims from their Convention debt
ors. On the front porch squads of negroes
gather, and occasionally negro delegate to
the defunct body may be recognized. Oc-
casionally we have scene. Par example,
Yankee Allan, in passing along, is accosted
by the Duke of Buckingham, who expresses
surprise that he has ''gone over to de rebs."
"My dear FRIEND" replies .Yank, you
hardly know what you are talking about. I
defy you to show that I have not acted con-
sistently with the principles upon which
was elected to the Convention
How come you vote wild de rebs when
we want to disfranchise 'em ?"
Yank: {" Because that was the very thing
to defeat the Constitution you and | had
labored to frame. You have allowed your
self to be led by evil men, who have only
sought to further their own ends"
Buckingham: " Who is dose men ?"
Yank :" That amt for me to say. I
know this, that you have voted with the
rebs on many occasions"
Buckiagham: When was dat ?"
Yank: 'sWhy, on the mixed school ques-
ton. You ought to have had sense enough to
know that the rebs wanted to make the Con-
stitution as obnoxious to the white people
as possible, and that this system of forced
mixed schools would ensure its defeat.
There wore wise men in this Convention,
and you voted persistently against them.
Such men as Thomas, Poor, and Snead knew
what was good for the interests of the Re-
publican party, and you foolishly voted
against them.'' .t,n
Buckingham: "Oh, shaugh! man. l
didn't do no such thing and dere amt no
use you talking. I voted along wild Mr..
Thomas and Mr.. Poor as long as dey voted
on dc Republican fatform but when dey
didn't, fell back on my own fatform."
Yank had nothing more to say. Buck
ingham's fatform was so broad that
evidently it was useless to attempt to get
him off of it.
On Monday afternoon q large assemblage
of negroes gathered on the east side of the
capitol. Among others, regular corn-feld
darkey, Of the color of copper, delivered
himself upon the Consecution." He
spoke at some length, and we can only give
small portion of his remarks. Said he !:
but have one pole to keep on pilin round,
round. He used to say to me, says he ::
John, don't pull de ole pole down, but let
it stand, and keep On stackin fodder round
dat pole till you gita whole stack up, eff it
take you all night to do it, And dis
plan always succeed Lem me tell
you one thing. De. blue coats done got
here, aint dey? ['Yes u Well, as
was gwine on to say, when de
war fust begin de battle of Bethany
Church took place. Well, was a workin
out in lie garden, | was: and de white folks
come out dar and showed me de papers, and
say: Lor, John, look here, q battle done
took place down here at Bethany church,
and we done whip de Yankees all to pieces.
Our men took'n n shot de Yankees up de
trees like squirrels, and de Yankees was
too high to git good aim on 'em, and our
men moved 'em down jess like wheat.
John, de Yankees amt gwine never git
here
Now, fellcr-citizens, 7, which was John,
stood dar in de garden wild my ears prickcd
up jess as same as Il jackass, and presently
| went to de kitchen whar de ole cook was,
and say ole oman dc Yankees amt nuver
gwinc git here. Dey done had fight down
here at Bethany church, and the rebs done
whip lem all to pieces. You better mind
how you behave, and you better not be
sassy. She say: You fool, boy l done
Heard voice from God, and dey suttinly
gwine git here. Go way from here, and
don't talk to me no more bout dat; you jess
as bad a reb as de white folks is say
to myself, l. say, dar now, dar! done done
| it, and l amt gwine git my hoecake eyry
day at IL o'clock becase de ole 'oman's
| mad"
At this point we left the sable orator, and
until o'clock Monday evening this meet
ing constituted one Of the scenes about the
capitol.