The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-26
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WAsH1Saros, February 25, 1870.
Revels seated-Eeenes I'm the Senate:
At last there Is IN end to the struggle,
and we have man Of African descent
seated in the Senate, where the past great
statesmen have sat. A colored man takes
the seat made vacant by jeff Davis when
he withdrew from the Senate to lead in re-
bellion. -r
The Senate chamber and galleries were
filed at ON early hour in the proceedings
this afternoon by persons curious to Wit
ness the swearing in and seating the first
colored senator ever elected to the United
States Senate.
MIR. Vickers had the floor, and succeeded
in clearing it for the time being. His
prosy speech, read from manuscript, wac
too much for his brother senators, and
about half of them scattered to the restau-
rants and to the House, whilst the balance
read up and replied to their correspond
ence. The speech had somnolent effect
upon the auditors.
Mr.. Wilson somewhat aroused Che drowsy
spirits by proclaiming that We had now
come to that last ditch that we heard SO
much about during the slavery struggle,
and he had just been listening to walls
which he discerned to be the notes of the
dying swan. He read the Democrats 8
sort of clerical lecture, dealing them few
apostolic blows, which called Mr.. Casserly
to his feet to know when and where the
senator from Massachusetts obtained COM
/ mission to represent the Almighty in the
Senate. He had not heard of such auth6-
rization; and if such person had been &c.
lected for that Office he (Casserly) could
only say that it was but another illustra
ton of the truism that the ways of Provi-
dence were mysterious and past finding out.
This terse speech caused general laugh,
and brought Mr.. Wilson up again to say
that his commission was the commission of
manhood, for which he and his friends had
been struggling for forty years. Mr..
Casserly had referred to the presence Of
senators on the floor who came there by the
power of the bayonet, whereat the senator
from Missouri (Drake) few OF the Califor-
MIA senator, and charged that the Demo
cratic party held its sway in New York by
the power of the shelalah, for which Cas-
serly had tender regard, which could be
explained by the fact that he was born
Hibernian, and this brought down the
House in laugh.
Casserly responded that brakes head
was an assurance against damage from the
shelalah. They were so much alike one
could make no impression upon the other
Here another laugh, and thereafter the pre-
ceedings were quite lively.
Senator Scott made an argument to show
that Revels was citizen in contemplation
of the third article of the Constitution, ant
he charged upon the Democrats for collu
sion with rebels, and alleged, vehemently
that they had become so used to it that they
now would rebel against Providence. II
this the audience responded in slight ap
plause.
Stockton warmly repealed the charge o
Democrats being in collision with rebels
and he was rewarded with applause.
i BY this time the floor of the Senate WA
) crowded with members of the House, VIII
filled up the space in the rear of the sena
tors. Rcvels had remained quietly seated
upon on armchair in corner on the Re
publican side, and paid great attention t.
the proceedings.
A vote was taken by ayes and noes upol
Stockton's motion to refer Revels's creden
tails to the judiciary Committee. Whe1
the Maryland senator's tHamilton) name
was called he was caught mapping, anc
cried out "No"; but awakening, discoy
cred he was voting with the Republicans
and quickly cried out "Aye, ave." which
provoked roar of laughter. Senator
Lewis, of Virginia appeared to be on the
fence, hesitated, but voted ."No," amid
much merriment.
The vote being announced 1.-THE motion
was lost there was general stir, buz, and
hum of voices all over the House; and az
| Senator Wilson walked over to Reyels, and
conducted him to the Presidents chair tc
be sworn, the crowded galleries rose up
almost en- n,asse, and each particular neck
was stretched to its uttermost to get 0 full
view. de-
Revels was apparently unembarrassed
Vice President Colfax administered the
oath, and at its conclusion took Revels by
the hand and warmly greeted him to the
Senate. The Sergeant-at-Arms then con-
Quoted the new senator to seat in the
rear of Senator Brownlow's chair, at the
extreme end of the rows Of seats in the
north side of the chamber. Meantime the
Senate adjourned, and many of the sena-
tors went up to Revels and shook him cor
daily by the hand. ........
A curious crowd (colored and white)
rushed into the Senate chamber and gazed
at the colored senator, some of them going
up to him and congratulating him. Avery
respectable-looking, well-dressed company