Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-19
LET HER WAVE.
The Bloody shirt Hung out ON the
outer Wall by Barbour Lewis and
His Gang.

polltlcal VOudo0 entertainment AZ the
Greenlaw Opera House, given by Mr..
Barbour Lewis, who is a candidate for
the Radical Congressional nomination,
esld who paid all the expenses last even
ing in order to pipe lay" for the nomi-
nation before the convention, which meet
at the Assembly Hall to-day. A promi-
nent Republican informed our reporter
that Me-. Lewis hired the hall, paid all
other expenses, and, in fact, the meeting
was his own exclusively.
The Greenlaw Opera House was
crammed with negroes. The auditorium,
the dress circle, family circle and gal
leriGs were PACKED with human beings,
whose countenances formed a dark back
ground to the occasional picture Of a
white face which here and there stood
out from the intense blaekness. AT
least two thousand negroes we're in at
tendance, many OF the visitors being
colored women. After the band had
played, Barbour Lewis danced out to the
footlights and commenced his war talk,
which occupied two hours and twenty
FIVE minutes in its delivery. He waved
the bloody shirt in the most artistic va
riety style, and created the greatest
enthusiasm among the audience. As a
platform orator at a negro meeting
be stands prominent, and in this re.
speet he leaves all other oratorical Radi
Gals far back in the shade. Lewis was
playing his last stroke for the Lomina
ton by the convention which meets at the
Assembly Hall to day for the Congress
sional nomination. Judging from the
applause aud enthusiasm created last
night be seemed 10 be the successful
man in that struggle.
The stage was occupied by some
twenty negroes, amid whom sat lovingly
Tom Hamilton, Tom Eldridge and John
League; but in the wings, where our re
porter had his seat, Gen. W. J. Smith
U. S. District Attorney Murray and q
few other white Radicals had reserved
seats.
When Lewis closed his tiresome ha
rangue, denuncistory Of Democracy anC
Democrats and Mandatory Of Radicals
and Radicalism, and especially laudatory
of himself as the friend and Moses 0
the negroes, for whom he has sacrificed
! his peace Of mind and fortune by hold
ing numerous lucrative offices during til,
: past ten years, aud for whom he at pres
, ent holds a three thousand dollar pc
) aunum office, United States Appraiser
made vacant some months since by Mr.
r L. E. Dyer, who was promoted to th'
consulship at Odessa, Russia, for Radica
, deeds done in the body and 10 Memphis
. When Lewis closed, District A,torne.
I W. W. Murray spoke ten minutes AM
| told an old thread-bare anecdote.
DR.. Prewett, of Grand junction,
e gloomy and %odd-lOoking parsonage, wa
next introduced, and he took a shy g
Democracy and pledged Hardemar
county to Radicalism 10 the comm
November election. He excused hin
: self from making a long speech, as h
{ had a sore foot, aud be limped off tn
stage.
The next talker called was ColUn'
. Barrett, of Bolivar, Hardeman county
Z The Colonel did not present a very a
3 t%ractive appearance, nor did he max
any particular points in his short speech
8 except that in many instances his Enc
o lish was horrible and violated every rul
e Of grammar.
Tom Hamilton was called up to tall
e and he responded in his usual style. d
e informed the negroes that, like Christ, h
was always with them; at which irreve
r end remark the mob sang out, Bully fo
t Christ" Tom amused the crowd ic
some time, and sat down to ponder owe
e the parable of the "loaves and fishes
A colored man named Malone, a blacl
n smith by trade, was the next speaker
He ranted and wandered no little, an
! aoundered amid words Of four syllable
. with q reeklessness worthy of a bette
cause. He told s.story about an lrisl
man who slept with a negro, and VII
n turaed black in consequence. This jok
was enjoyed immensely, and e%verybod
- looked toward the stage where job
. League was seated. The latter did NJ
seem to enjoy the story quite as much
did the others who we're in attendance
. Then we're calls made for League, bJ
that gentleman hid himself behind ii
scenery, and would not appear as
y talker.
At about II o'clock Tom Eldridge wi
&c called out and he grated for half an hou
. He expressed his love for the black pc
"a ple--old men, old women, youths an
i maidens. he referred to Barbour Lew
er as one who was as bold as a lion, al
'e who had The constitution Of a horse
ID an OK. He hoped that on to morro
Oc-day) every delegate to the Congre
b. sional convention would for once in h
lie life be honest, ever il he had been a thi
no always before. This figure Of speec
a like that as to Barbour Lewis being
81 lion and an OK, did not take we'll wi
the crowd. This closed the exercise
I'd and the meeting adjourned.
no