The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-06-29

Correspondence OF the Richmond Dispatsh.1
HALIFAX CouRTH0use. VAL
J,,u. slo 1907

SoVu "ite' aITisai ~ tnlS pace Yesterday
II was ascer'ained that there would be no
political speaking. As ReHdjusterism Is
strong ana active here, and RepubIicanism
quite pronounced, people had thought that
some OF the nominees would be on the
ground. The war will be commenced next
courtday, was told, and "then the toma-
hawks will Hy."
This once celebrated place has not now
about u the appearance Of life and thrift
which II once had. There Is not that old
time tidiness about the public grounds and
buildings, except the churches and the
church-grounds. There was once charter
OF incorporation granted the people. and 1t
was thought that Banister would quickly be
sporting Its mayor and council, have its 1T
tie daily newspaper, and be issuing It's
bonds; but the people, as Is the case with
some at South Boston, were afraid Of the
taxation generally following upon incorpo-
ration, especially when the takers are not
the Taxpayers, and so the charter became
null and void. There Is great taste, how.
ever. manifested about the grounds and
residences OF some OF the citizens, and upon
these the eye OF native OF the place who
hsd not seen those houses and grounds for
many years would love to rest. | think /
may say that The growth OF Souh Boston
and Glover, railroad and tobcccO towns,
have damaged Halifax C0urih0u,c, or, at
the least, left II no better than 1t WIS.
This place l have called the "0nce cele-
| brated." Few towns In Virginia have
been the theatre OF such political battles as
this has been. Beginning with the time
when Calhoun entered the Senate from the
wee presidency. that he might beat Webster
for beating Hayne, no people have taken
keener interest In political matters. Hail.
| fax county thought that she and Tom
Richie had to do the thinking for the State.
James T.. Bruce, graduate OF Yale College,
| ! believe, and q member OF the Legisla.
| ture, went off, as the saying was,
with Calhoun, aud with him u party
Of young gentlemen OF high talents and
| their followers. There and then the war
commenced. On the rostrum at the court
house, in the debating clubs at the villages,
at barbecues in the country, on the 9Th OF
January, on the 4th Of July-everywhere,
except in the pulpit-uotbIugc could be bear d
but speeches on notification and the procla-
nation, all agreeing, however, in this one
thing, that Jackson should never march
across Virginia against South Carolina. Al
ter this period the backgrounds assumed
other forms, and many gallant exploits are
remembered OF Walter Coles, Vincent
Witcher, William Tredway, Thomas III.
Averett, Stanhope FlournOy, John X. Ed
munds, George ii. GIlmer, George Perkins,
| Thomas s. Bocock, John 5. Ca-ke, Wood
Bouldin, William Smith.
| With William Leigh on the bench and
such a bar as It became him to hearken to-,
| there were few such courts as Halifax bad.
Judge Leigb's portrait now bangs over the
| iudgc's seat in the courtroom. Under
Judge Leigh sat William G. Banks, Thomas
j. Green, WoOdson Hughes, Richard Logan,
StanbOpe Flournoy, and others OF hardly
| less ability. Old men were talking yester-
day Of the speech al Thomas J. Green
when he prosecuted Steagal and had him
hung for murder; OF Wood B0uidin's
speech in defence OF Ben. Granger, when
he procured Grainger's acquittal OF the
murder of man named Hill whom he bad
killed when gallopng about in his yard in
a drunken frolic, and OF Flonrnoy's
defence OF man named Pruden
who had killed Tor was accused Of
killing negro woman and buried her In
gully on his land. The pulpit, too. was
equal TO the bar or the rOstrum. Beginning
With jenkins, there came along Robert
Hurt, John Kerr, A. NJ. Poindexter, John
G. Mills, ID. b. McGehee, and in later days
| Grammer, Hemin, w. A. 1Jree, JolN a.
Scott, Jacob Henry Smith. and others
worthy TO rank second 10 them. Standing
on the platform in front Of Judge Barks-
dale's office. could not help thinking that
/ could see upon the faces of the older peo-
Die some traces Of the cultivation through
which they had passed in spite OF certain
blemishes made by contact with men less
pure, less willing to follow the dictates OF
logic and sound principles.
The oat crop was reported better than
nybody had expected. The yield OF wheat
not very large, but OF excellent quality.
The recent rains had given an air OF hope.
iulness to people. The tobacco crop had
Just then been planted over for the second
time and was promising. II was said, too.
that SPECTATORS were flying around, and
that was regarded as an indication that
| prices OF tobacco would be some figures
higher.
Old Captain Belts, when advocating the
building OF the Richmond and Danyllle
road once said that Halifax county could
cover the capital With wheat. ALPHA.