New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-07-30
From Virginia.
Tea Years hS"-Chn"a~s The Auction
Block and Whipping Post Joe MnyO-
Political OutIOaIS - Col. burgess Gov
ernOr Walker - Personals Gossip, etc.
RICHMOND, VA, July %, 1874.

hi'iiMoND, a., July -, l"ii.
To Ii, Edit,rc rHe Nso Natioao, Era:
Ten years ago Richmond was the capital of
the late Conicderacy, to-day it is simply the
capital of Virginia. Great has been the
changes iii these ten years.
l was in the custom-housc building this
morning. This building was used by the jeff
Davis government as the treasury depart
mcnt, where the financial affairs of the late
G. 5. n. were transacted; when l used to
have business there during the war, the only
colorcd men to be seen in the building were
servants now it is quite different. | looked
in there this morning and bchcld a sight
that is both wonderful and marvellous -
colorcd men sitting at desks in the capacity
of clerks, doing executive duty; others as
inspectors of tobacco, under the bureau of
Internal Revenue. messengers, deputy col
lcctors, inspectors of customs, etc.
find colorcd men holding responsible po-
sitiOns and doing executive duty under the
government here, which is more than could
see in Washington.
Col. Burgess, the collector Of revenue,
whose Office is visited daily in business
point of view, by the leading representative
bloods and chivalry Of Virginia, has several
colorcd men in positions of trust and profit.
l have wondered why it is that there is not
single colorcd man holding an executive po-
sitiOn in any one of the departments at
Washington, where there is so much talent
and ability among our coored people.
When | was here ten, yes, twelve, years
ago, Mr.. Joseph Mayo was the mayor, the
whipping post and auction block were then
in full blast and both did thriving business :;
then n colorcd man, free or slave, was not
allowed to walk in the streets or near a
| walking, save in public; not over four per-
| sons of color were allowed to assemble to-
scthcr at any one time without the presence
of a "Caucasan." No "candlc light" was
allowed in colorcd mans house after seven
o'clock, p. m. No meetings could be held
without white man was present; and then
colored people were not allowed to go to their
churches at night and worship the true and
living God, and in the day time they were
compelled to have white minister if any at
all, and no colorcd man was permitted by law
to 60 into the pulpit.
Such was Richmond in times past, and so
great has been the change that it is hard to
realize it in full. Mr.. Mayo is dead and
am reminded of what the Richmond bard
once wrote of him:
!" Alas poor Joe, the poor mans foe,
Before lfc's breath did leave him,
His burdened sonl had no control
Death would not receive him.
The devil said he was aiIaid
TO take so mean a boardcr,
His great low guide and tyrant pride
Would place hell out of ordcr.'
The whipping post is gone, the auction
block is "dust to dust and ashes to ashes, ,
"Ngger traders" alley is no longer the al
ley it was. Colored men carry sticks an(
smoke cigars on the highways and byways
The "candlc-lght law" is dead; churchc
are open night and day, and an abundance
of colorcd preachers there are who preacl
Jesus Christ and him crucied from thci
pulpts.
The only gentle reminder of slavery tina
looks you in the face, is the prescription an,
, outrage that colorcd man is almost sure Il
encounter if he goes into one of the court
with 4 white man rs n competitor. Judge
, in this State are appointed, not upon merit
4 but by and through the influence of thei
+ friends, and preference is given to him VIII
has the best war record -thc most scars an
deepest wounds, and, us 4 general rule
G these military judges carry out on the bencl
F. what they tried to do when in the saddle
There is plenty of work but very little jus
tice in Richmond for colorcd man if he goc
into a court of law.
But all the disadvantages which our pee
pie labor under here, do not prevent the
: rising and progressing. They have suddenl
risen from nothing, so to speak, to the posi-
: tons of merchants, brokers, tobacconists
s dealers, clerks, lawyers, horse dealers, hac
G owners, livery stable keepers. hotel keeper:
butchers, bakers, statesmen, etc., thanks t
@ the genius of our grand national Republica
: party! Yes, all the hardshps that the bac