The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-01-10
NEGRO ORAT0RY.

Hodges tnegro) said that he had hearn
his friends speak of de blessings of de
Freemen's Beroo. He acknowledged
the wisdom and Kindness of the Beroo.
and it was in de interest of de people,
He was very fond of Ginerel Howard,
and had hearn people where saw him
say that he was a man whaT, was best
loved whar best known. NE was in
New York; an he had left dar in 1868
to come down here an answer to the
cry for help that riz up. He found
thousands and hundreds of thousands
in want. and pedled up ON five dollars
piece. When he come on and found
de people, he tole 'em he was pinted to
come down and help 'em; and he cut
piece out'n de Tribune and all de other
papers whar had 1t in. He had, when
he was at home dis year, seen a good
many men laburing on Government
farms apply to the BeroO for jestice, and
jestice wasn't done for it. His bright
est hope was to see de Beroo got away.
He wanted to see de time when "lyal'
men whose wives and husbands had
went forth to de free battle to meet de
inwadin foe. Dey loved dar wives and
homes, but dey loved dar country bet
ter. And he had seen men speckerla-
tin on the clothes sent these "lyal" men
by the interfushin which he represen-
ted. Yes, he had seen them speckerla-
tin right at thar doors, and he had seen
men walkin down the streets of Nor
folk. Portsmouth, and Forcliess Mon
roe. He had told EN- dat de white folks
had hogs, and they must kill EN- and eat
EN- before they suffered for something
to eat. He tole EN- to pull de corn,
which was bendin lie storks down, be-
fore they should starve. He told cm
this, too on Wise's farm, and he was or
dered back to New York, though he riz
his voice againstit. Ole men and menin
his county had been cold and were shot,
and they was freezin, and Lieutenant
Havens had his floor covered ali over
with blankets. De trnth must prevail
and he intended to write book on de
testimony of his people, which would
make dose men where had prosecuted
desc ''iyal" men in de dark dens which
their dark deeds had brought upon
them. Dis history of de Freemen's
Beroo which he Intended to write would
astonish de Convention and astonisb
de world. The State was to be gov
erncd by honest men, and dey intend
ed to drive de rogues off. lie was COM
pclitu w SpCdh uCSC WOiuo DtCduoC uCy
were true. Dey intended to organize
New Virginia. De Scripsher told us
that old things should pass away. De
power of desc "dislyal' men, whose
larnin and houses had been gained by
de labor of de blacks, and de very stones
under their feet had been got from theta
| blood, must pass away. He remember
| ed when his father used to have good
many hogs to feed, and the hogs would
keep on squeelin and squalin round de
| pen until dey was fed; and they wouldn Z
go off to work till you fed 'em. Now
| the Freemen's Beroo was jes like dat,
and the blacks was squalin round, and
couldn't go to work till dey was fed
with handful o. corn to keep 'em from
hangin aroun. God had provided for
de hog, and he could provide for de
black man CESS as we'll rs de hog. He
had been called ,cornfield Niger. He
was; but he thanked God he had been
born free. De Freemen's Beroo agents
got thirty-five per cent. of what de
black man made.
He had come to the conclusion that
the blacks must root or die to decolate
de reproaches against 'em, and he pray
ed as cherfully as he ever did in his life
that God would help 'em. He hoped
de Convention would vote for the
amendment.