Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-25
A RECONSTRUCTION PICTURE.
The ssCOIOred Member from AlI1ga-
tOrvIIIe at the Governors "Blg Blow
ont for the Members.''

an army officer has given hin an insight
into life as it is among the Radicals Of South
Carolina has a most amusing sketch in the
GALAXY for March of the characteristics of a
new class of legislators who have been in
introduced to public life by the Fifteenth
Amendment. The appearance Of 'the col
ored member" at a public supper given by
the Governor is thus described:
"TO-morrow night, said Jack Hunt, Ga
carpet-bagger,) I'll light on you, and take
you to the Governors reception. He gives
a big blowout for the members. Oh, don't
you look scared. It's free lunch for all,
white, and colored, and semi-colored, and
demi-semi-colored; and all you've got to de
there is to do just what you want to do,
eat, drink, smoke, and be sweet on the
ladies. The Governor pays, and the secret
service fund pays the Governor, and every
body that votes is welcome to all he can
use.''
With these instructions and encourage
ments, exit Jack Hunt, whistling "Jordan
am hard road to trabble, l believe"
During the second evening of this weari-
some leisure and grandeur, just as this
dusky Faust had decided that the joys of
office were not comparable to hunting pos
ouAl4o VI CNCA AAOCAAlS o"COo pOOobOCo3 uC
was cheered by the arrival of his lobbying
Mephistopheles.
"COme along" said Jack Hunt; ''its 9
O'Clock, and the Governor has gaSsed up"
Pompey, who was getting to bed on the
supposition that nothing jOvial could hap
pen that night, Immediately tore on bis coat
and boots again, and hurried after his
friend to the gubernatorial mansion, fearful
of getting there too late. What with walk
ing at the rate of four miles an hour, and
specializing over the august and alarming
mystery to come at the rate of thousand
miles minute, he was absolutely breath
less as he assembled the broad granite steps
and paused before the great oaken door.
He was more terrified at the idea of enter
ing that place of lights and luxury than he
would have been at the prospect of going to
jail; and when a sprucy-dressed mulattO
waiter showed him in and took his hat, he
was in a state to offer to brush that cOnde
scending creatures boots. CHANGING down
the wide hall and into the spacious parlOrS,
be was not so much relieved as amazed at
discovering dozens and scores and it seemed
to him hundreds, of cOlOred people, some of
them as finely attired as the house-servants
whom he had been accustomed to see at
the doors of the white quality, and others as
rough and uncouth and bOorish as himself,
but all apparently quite at home.
"Why! they's niggers here, he exclaimed,
in his field hand establishment.
"Of course" laughed Jack. "Didn't l
tell you sop
ayes, allow you tole me So" admit
ted Pompey. ''But didn't think it was so,
sure"
By this time the member from Alligator
vile was little more at ease than when
he first entered upon the splendors and mar
vels of the gubernatorial mansion. Never
theless the spectacle around him made him
open his eyes as wide as if he were gazing
upon the objects and personages of fairyland.
If all the colored people present had put on
white robes and gone up through the ceiling
in chariOts of fire, they could not have
amazed him more than they did by the free
and easy style in which they conducted
themselves in this place, and the hail fellow
well-met air with which they treated white
folks. He saw one negro whistling; anoth-
er making certain jovial movements with his
feet, as if he were about to start off in a
dance; another stretched at full length along
a sofa, with his boots on the silk damask
There were negro gentlemen walking arm
in arm with white ladies', and negro ladies
chatting gaily with white gentlemen.
OTIS a rum sight, amt it ?" smirked
Jack Hunt. "And the people are as rum
as the sight. See that stiff looking chap,
with long yellow moustache, talking to
that milk and mOlasses gal over there by
the piano? He's just been pardoned out
Of State prison for cheating the internal
revenue. That long hummer, with long
black hair and broken nose is a profess
siOnal sport. The little chuckle-headed
fellow who looks so drunk was sent up last
spring for seven years, but got off for reas-
ons of State. Some of 'em are such, and
some Of 'em are better, and some of 'em
are worse. Don't you trust any Of the
crowd unless l tell you to. You stick to
ME and Daddy Abel, or you'll get the strap
game played on you, and never see the first
dollar for your vote"
Listening to such like gracious tidings
and warnings, so well calculated to make a
new-hatched legislator blessing and an or
nament to his country, and sliding mean
while through the oddly-assorted crowd with
the air of a mortal walking among elfs and
trolls, POmpey came to a side room, the
a corner grocery. There was a long table
set with glasses, bottles, and boxes of cigars
the bottles being of the champagne sort and
the cigars Havanas. Behind the table were
two dandified colored gentlemen, who wait
ed on a horde of the members and lobbyists
in front of it. Everybody drank and every
body smoked; and everybody drank and
smoked all he wanted to. POmpey saw one
fol aic-u~ lirhf n lpT1nua
about the room with his hands behind him,
approach the table again, lean against it in
a guileleSs way, run big fist into one of
the boxes, take out grab of cigars, stick
them into his coat-tail pocket, and resume
his sauntering Catching the eye of this
self helpful fellow-creature, POmpey could
not help going off in spasmodic Singer,
whereupOn the fellow-creature also singer
ed in a shamefaced fashion, and then re-
covering his selfpossession winked know
ingly.
s'Walk up and fill up" said Mentor Hunt,
pouring out champagne for his Telemachus,
and taking a goblet of it. Everything is
free, and the Governor pays, and the State
pays him."
POmerOy had never before drunk cham
payne, but his lifelong studies in whisky
GlldDlGu 10 LldSOGI IllG StNlGb dJ bllC III 81
jump, and he irretrievably damaged quart
bottle Of Mumm's Imperial. The result
was that he soon became such cheerful
man and brother that if all the other inhab-
itantS of this fOOtstOOl had been in the same
condition it would have been the jolliest
foOtstOol under the canopy. He had some
such eXhilarating sensations as if every curl
in his wool were jewsharp, and all these
! iewshaTps were combined in an orchestra
which played simultaneously every Jig in
creation. Things went on in his brain in a
cross-over-and-down style, as if
it. were the dance-rOom of a sailor boarding
house, and the crew of the frigate had Just
been paid off in the neighborhood. His
tongue was loosed, like that of Balaam's
ass, and he talked as glibly as that quadru-
ned. though less wisely. He whistled, and
showed of step or two of his favorite
breakdown, and slapped perfectly unknown
lawgiyers on the shoulder, ard laughed like
seven thunders uttering their voices.
At last his two million or so Of jewsharps
revealed to him a message to the effect that
he ought to walk with white lady. The
Speakers wife was that evening flirting mis-