Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-03-27
From The Raleigh Sentinel.
The Unconstitutional Convention"
(So-Called.)
THE DIsGRACEFUL CLOSING SCENES!
Corn-Field Dance and Ethiopian
Minstrelsy J,
HAM-RADICALLsM IN IT'S GL0RY!y!

| HAM-RADICALISN IN IT'S GLCRY!|!
After the members present had affixed
| their signatures to the new Constitution on
Monday night,
Tourgee moved to take recess for a
quarter of an hour, fourishing, at the same
time in his hand, a Freedmen's Bureau
song book.
The motion being put, was carried, and
| Tourgee then repaired to the Secretary s
desk and struck up the song, "Well rally
round the flag, boys"
Immediately the desk was surrounded
| by crowd of inside and outside negroes,
of both white and black compilations, who
| ent all the power Of their lungs to the
chorus.
| AS the song continued, the excitement
| increased hands were joined all around,
and regular African corn-tield dance en-
sued.
Each man commenced singing his own
song. Among the ditties, that could be
distinguished in the terrific din, were such
as "Sals in the garden siftin' sand ;; +"
d" Come out Of the Wilderness Nallow
gal, can't you come out tonight " g Hang
Jeff Davis OF sour apple tree ;" "Old
John Brown " " Yankee Doodle " " Hail
Columbia :" ''Star Spangled Banner )"
| Sound the Iremble," Nc, &c.
This bedlam scene was kept up until
sheer fatigue induced the participants to
| stop for breathing time.
! Some staggered to their seats-others
| resting their bones upon the floor. kalvln
j., thoroughly blown, managed to crawl to
the Chair, and closing his eyes and leaning
himself to dignitied repose.
| For soma DoiDDtCq doom GilpIa a6
over the house. All seemed to be asleep.
| Not O sound could be heard to disturb the
solemn stiffness, save now and then q deer
| and long drawn snore from the ''archiYes
Of gravity.
Presently. KaIvin j. started up, rubbing
his eyes, and gazing wildly around over
the hall, convulsively clutching his ham
mer and brought it down with & thunder
ing rap, and in an awful voice sung out
4" Delegates, arise; resume your seats anc
come to order straightway.
This startled the tmimu5eS Various
grunts, snarls and growlS were induiged in
and full half an hour passed before thell
keeper could get them Ir performing or
der.
Three or four ordinances for providing
fat places for different pets, both black anC
white, were read and passed, when anothe1
> A scene somewhat Similar but a grea
deal worse, if possible, than the first, en-
sued, and continued up to the hour Cr al
journment
At 7 o'clock next morning, the shov
again opened. The animals came creeping
out of their cages, one by one, looking
good deal used up.
: No business was transacted until about
past nine o'clock, when some two or thre
more ordin nces OF the same characte
were passed.
Another recess being taken, Col. Eeatol
took the Chair, and loud calls were mad
for Gen. Miles, who, being a bashful man
excused himself IN a few remarks.
Gen Littlefeld being called on, aros
and expatiated 'u ii spread eagLe," an,
3 concluded his harangue by singing some
thing to the tune Of ''old John Brown
soul is marching on the house, at hi
request, joining in with the chorus.
The Jaybird from Washington, and th
Ready Relief Judge would be- of the ST
preme Court, Mr.. Rodman, threw thei
whole souls into the melody.
Byrnes, the fat Secretary, and Others
being called upon for songs, proceeded t
regale the Constitutional and dignitied Cor
ventiOn with 'Sherman'S march 20 tn
5 Sea-, and other songs appropriate to III
occasion of celebrating the framing of
5 Constitution for the free white people {
u North Carolina.
!: These disgraceful scenes, disgusting eve
I had they been enacted in a brothci, wei
kept up until, in the language oi MI. WI
liams, of Sampson, the dirty concern
adjourned subject to the cali OF the Pre-
q ident and Secretary.
;. SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL D1sTRIcr.-
l. Radicals nominated on Friday,C. j. Cowle
late President Of the bogus Convention, f
Congress in the Sixth District. III.
# Helper is announced rs an independe
: candidate. John II. MCLAUGHLIN. of Ii
d dell, is spoken of as the Conservative ca
70 dilate. -..
q BEAUFORT. Tho Conservatives of Bea
% fort held mass meeting at Washington
n Wednesday last. The good old spirit pi
n vailed. Our friends in that county a
l. wide awake. sr
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