The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-01-10
The Caucus.

-. ~lauclls," a. our readers know, Is Il!
l:u,...: IAN name for IN institution as cid {;
r.ar IA elf who. be il remembered, is no
a, cot. Is the hills sIen have mct in lArg
Az! ,inall bodies openly and secretly at 81
tines H.der some name or other for all sort
O. PURPOSES. Here We have the names, meet
- il, "ca;cuscs," and conventions. Tn
r2n.c caucus is said 10 have or;gina
tod 10 thc last century from the meet
iugs q "calEcrs" in Boston, ther
I've Great place Of shipping and ship
bl;!G.r@, and their assemblies lila!ly
cane % tc dcnominatcd " caucnac-." It is
Therefore Il slang phrase. But its bre'H'
and is applicability 10 the meeting OF 4 CLASS
soon adapted it to wider use, and party
preliminary meetings were in time generally
ca.tei. .caiic,lscS." The term is appropriate
in ere sense: for in those assemblies men
Jet tl.,A%c.vrs out il "caucussipg" and
"c:i>. .ns " will spirit that is peculiar to
beats ii one way of thinking on general
r,.:rci:,:,,, but differing about the men that
So, ! ..a;it. for thcm in representative posi-
ta&s.
Tie iiyst CAUCUS we ever saw was the
JA.lsCH caucus Of tie members Of the Viz
",&ia Legislature in March, 1892, when,
u:;ns 10 the troubles grown out OF the RI
v.!.ics between CALHOUN and VAN buren,,
the Republican party failed to nominate a
candidate for Vice-President, and contentcd
themselves with nominating ANDREW JACK
s3N 10: President. The Republican party
then W., widely d!f1eren. affair from the
so-cdlsd Republican party Of thi. day. The
contrast between the two is rs wide rs you
can imaene it to be.
Inns BANKS, speaker of the House Of Dele
gates. presided, and THOMAS RircHIg, editor
o, tie Enquirer, acted as secretary. 1t was
an oren meeting-t.e e., the legislative seats
were occupied by the legislative members
oi .nc Republican party, and the privileged
seats and galleries were filled With Specta-
tors. Among the speakers that hight were
some Of The most brilliant Hen that Virginia
ever produced: DRoMGooLE, and GHoLsoN,
and J. Thompson BROWN, and others, whose
I,0wnr and skill! in debate have rarely been
cquaIled.
WILLIAMS, Of Harrison, was one of the
most gifted men of his day, but most sadly
Irregular in his habits. He came in intoXi-
Gated, and claimed that every Virginian had
4 RIGHT to seat in that body. He announced
TIA. IN conformity with his views he had
brought in his friend on ais right to take
part in the nights deliberations. His friend
essaycd 10 "rise to explain" but SO drunk
was he that he failed, or resumed his seat by
q gentle pressure from the hand Of WILL
LlAas, who swayed to and fro like plant
tree in bard blow. His friend was not dis
,urhed, and he proceeded with one Of the
rarest speeches ever listened to.
The party opposed to Dir. VAN buren,
were cndeavoring to engineer PHILIP p.
BARBOUR into the Vice-Prcsideucy, and
WILLIAMS had 10 more inclination towards
him than he had towards MARTIN VAN b.
Rem, whom he pronounced TO be '.repu-
dated OH all hands" General DADE, of
Orange, was the peculiar friend of Mr.. BAR
BouR, who also hailed from Orange. The
General, with buff vest, blue coat with metal
buttons, and powdered head, was promi-
nently moving amongst the members, hand
ing his gold snntf-boX with invitation to
tkc pinch, to gentlemen.
WILLIAMS protessed to be disturbed by it.
He asked the gentleman from Orange, who
was in his rear, if bis remarks had any rela-
ton to him (WILLIAAs). The General. the
very pink Of politeness, bowling, replied,
None whatever, sir" WILLIAMS, turning
10 the chairman: "Mr. Chairman, am
always ready to meet attacks in front, but
deprecate those from the rear" Still
iiausing and watching General DADE, he at
length inquired: 8. Will the gentlemsn from
Orange be so kind as to inform US
:" how long it will take him TO pcrambulate
this roomr" This brought down the
House. AT length the General composed
himself and WILLIAMS proceeded. Among
other things be declared that he spoke from
the inmost recesses Of q beayt not IKE Inc
honorable seaetary's aar. RIRcaIs's1 u Was
.somewhat adaiterated." And me pro
claimed certain opinions Of his own "those
"of Mr.. p. r, Is BARBOUR or anybody else
"(Genern, DADE) from the county of Orange
atothe contrary notwithstanding !" These
hits were irresistibly ludlcrous and brought
down TIE House. He declared addressing
i ~