Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-02-10
NASHVILLE.
A New DepartUre-senato ReveIs'
brother ON the stand-MRktng
Haste slowly.

brother ON the stand-MRking
Haste slowly.
Correspondence Louisville Courier-Journal.l
NASHVILLE. February 4. 1878.
The poetical footballs Of the new era
just coming on TO the stage received
practical emphasis this morning from
the number eight brogans Of DIR. Willis
Il. Revels, pastor Of the African Metho-
dist Episcopal Church in this city. The
ministers of Nashville have kindly vol
unteered TO open the House and Senate
each morning with prayer, and accord
ing TO universal custom they take il
turn about, themselves making the ap-
pointments. When Speaker McGaughey
took up the gavel in the House this
forenoon, he found DR.. Revels seated
at the desk OF our eolored mem
Der" Keeble, ready to invoke the
blessing, and he invited him TO stand.
Nor did he acquit himself discreditably.
His prayer was delivered with marked
emphasis for intonation and rhetoric,
indicating that he is no novice in such
service. Besides, he was listened to
with more than ordinary interest, Col.
Kerr, Of Memphis, shaking his hand as
he came down from the Speakers desk,
and congratulating his first effort in this
behalf before the House. DR.. Revels-
he is doctor both of physic and divinity
settled in this city last November,
where he finds ample field for his labor,
receiving liberal patronage in his ca
pacity of physician from his own race.
and preaching TO large congregation
every Sabbath. He was born in North
Carolina, August 20, 1916, of free pa
rentage, and is full brother of the dis
tinguished Mississippi ex-senator, Henry
Il. Revels. He, too, boasts the blood of
Pocahontas in bis veins, and is only one
shade darker than Horace Maynard-his
grandfather having been a full.blooded
Choctaw, his father a mulatto and his
mother an unadulterated negro. At an
early age he went to Connecticut, where
he received an education which fitted
him for missionary among the South
ern blacks. Unlike his brother Henry,
he eschewed politics, striving rather to
conciliate than inaamc the prejudices of
race. The Southern climate, he says,
as well as the Southern people, suits him
better than further North, aud he de-
clares it is his opinion that the Southern
people are really the best friends of the |
negro. An interview with the doctor
impressed me very favorably toward |
him. He admits that there have been,
here and there in the South local dis
turbances, growing, as he thinks, out of
hostility to his race, but is satisfied that |
the better portion of every Southern |
community are kindly affected toward |
the negro, and that the two races stand |
in need of each other He was at one
time located in Louisville as minister
of the gospel.
MAKING HASTE SLOWLY.
Tennessee legislation, like wounded
snake or an Alexandrine verse, drags
its slow length along. Three weeks
have elapsed and none of the more i'm
portant questions has yet been dis
cussed To-day was set apart last Fri.
day for considering the motion to recon.
sider the Senate's centennial resolution,
but when the hour arrived it was again
till the 25th inst | have
held back day or two, in order to lay
the result before your readers in this
letter, but have learned never again to
trust either to the delays of the law or
the law makers. Senator James has
Just shown me dispatch, received from
Hon. j. Il, Payton, of Washington City,
the Tennessee Senate on
its action in regard to the centennial,
and declaring that Tennessee has be.
come popular everywhere" by virtue
thereof. / suppose we shall have some
warm speech-making pro ct con when the
matter does come up as | happen to
know that number of the members are
now engaged preparing their extempore
will come by and by, and from that date
1nly nineteen days are left, as the Con-
wisely sets lilais to the Legis-
ature's per diem, the sessions closing
March Goth by force of statute. This is
he fourth week since the meeting of the
Assembly, and beyond a few paper
,ridges over Coon creek, Skunk Bayou
Ind Hog Wallow, nothing has been ac-
In this time an Assembly {
If 4" live Yankees would have gotten
through any number of heavy jobs,
enough, indeed, to make all their poor s
rich. The average Southerner
,njoys his ease, with or without dignity, :
IS the case may be, and in his own pc !
.uliar sense, though not in the Yankee !
ense, takes things easy" Slow, yet !
ure and honest, is very good motto, !
.fter all doubt whether such scene
IS disgraced Pomeroy, of Kansas in
amy, could occur in the Tennessee !
legislature; it we're utterly impossible
nder the old regime before the war.