Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-04
A FIGHT RECALLED,
AND A MEMORABLE EDITORIAL OF
The LATE JOHN NJ. DANIEL.
The Secession Convention Called tho " Par
lament OF Beasts MANY Reminis-
cenoes-Fight Between John NJ.
Daniel and Duke johnson.


Nv old acQuainteucc, X. III. G., whom !
take 10 be thai well-knOwn aute- war Jour
nalist. Robert II. Glass, % Lynchburg
puhlished IN a recent SUNDAYS issue of tho
Tsmes an Interesting article upon Pour
Richmond Journalists in which he gave
some very interesting reminlsconces Of
John NJ. Daniel. Patrick Horny Aylett.
Robert ". Hughes, and Roger A. Pryor.
In Il ne thus speaks OF certain ceic-
hratcd editorial which appeared in tae
Eg-ruiaei' on March ~, 1861. Known IN COM
mon parlnpcc at that dav "a the "Parlia-
inrnt Of the Beast" in which the mem
bers of the secession convention were re-
fcrred 10 IN the smiltude Of beasts and
birds IN council, and he uses this language;
Many members of tho convention felt thoin-
selves grossly insIitcG. and some sorely out
rege3, snd that morning some % them vent
Arouud ccT-0-iic 60 aunt tho author aud resent
Tho iu+ulI Among these No remcmbcr 'artHln
Thomas hraucu, then one OF the delegates from
Po'cfsbprc. ana Mcrma9pke johnson, delegate
from fticlnrg 2. They wore both men % marx,
trave and true. They happened 70 meet on the
street In from. 81 the po6t-oflcc about j. clock
ou thrir hunt, Ard after comparing notes an
pistols hey visoiy concluded hat they had
Ncttor 30 az the otuCr " bca g and birds 81 mo
convention had done" let the scurTilious ed
torlql drop for what ~ was worth "-bccalse
laui.l WAS q Fighting man on the duollisuc oid' r
nod ienrlossiu ne exuomo, ~ had beiore been
shown in Dis duel with Scoit OF IoWahe-
TIM 81 f'ln 'cue burg. and tha natural blood mot
CO r-.l "a lis vcIus made 70 "a. 70 was WIN MIN
ch.IcHae and neht 81 tho drop OF the
hot ana coffee and pistols for two.
This statement IS erroneous. and does not
contain tl. exact truth Of the matter The
GOD tolI crrtl.ulv can "a much excitement
among the members of the convention and
au.rg oy,r. body iu the CITY. People
wanted to know who was The author, and
She Irgm,n,1 winch contained II was IN
great demand. Daniel was responsible Tor
u. aud was written IN ms lyle ana man
NO. 10 appeared as "a contribution. but IN
editorial type, and a great majority OF the
people suspected that Daniel was himself
fhe author.Wlile o,hcrs suspected II was
J. III. Ayloft's production. Daniel would
not tell Who wrote IL. and the real author
Wue NOT aeCertanei until s'verai years nj
forwards. DO YVES Mr.. Edward Lorraine, an
engineer ou the Jamc~- River and kanawha
Canal Company. q hl y-CuiflNattd, honor
allie gentleman. who died IN Richmond u
few wears $50. Tire editorial spoke OF John
Iarr,.. tla president OF the convention.
o. can hucicu: owl of LnudOun county,
- U.,,rc 4. Wise as 1.-THE Lion Of Princess
Anne" iiob.r. J.. Montague rs the Red
IDN of MIddioscX.' and described many
other members 80 Sire convention rs If they
were animals aud birds m council in such a
ulI.r.us manner that everybody knew
Nhp was meant. and all wore cOnvulscd
with laughter while reading It. There was
Tho "Dfl Horse from Prince George Gina
E!,e-I. with shaggy name and uncOmO, d
taf. Ner. deal. and sadly IN want
u cat-." the D.rmouse from Rock
bIdsc. the Jorkail from Harrison,
the lcrrapiu from Franklln, the Dur-
ham Bun from Gouchland, me Opos-
sum from iluyauua. 70 Woll-tcd Ok from
Augusta. Tho Lat from Bedford, the Bear
from W,fzel. the Cat from Wheeling, the
TIGER from Mcrklcuhurg, the Game Cock
from Aliemarlr. the old EAGLE from Charles
Cl4v. the Leonard of Prince Edward, the
Wvcua from Muuongohela. curly-headed
Poodle from Richmond. and various other
nppclIat,ves were given 90 other members
ana suitable remarks made abOnt them,
which enabled the public to know each
ono "a them. Thomas Branch WAS called
"the Jackass Of Petersburg" and
Narmaduke Johnson was called q
dark. slick, fat Pony from Rich
moud. supposed % bee much affected with
the Bolts" and in conclusion IT was SAID :
" AN this time. whilst the dcbaieWas gong
on. there WAS serpent, who was the chiei
counsellor OF old Abe, who had sneaklngly
iu-lnuafcd himself into the midst a. the
council. and was gliding silently along
from member 10 member, and whispering
iu the ear of each of the submlsslouists,
aud promising them great things II they
would only 90 for Old Abe.
Iothe PONY be promised that he would
cure him of the bolts aud give him plenty
ol odte aud nothing TO do.
TO tie Old Horse from Prince George
he promised Il crib full OF corn IA curry
comb.
10 the Jackall plenty Of bones topick;
Tothe fat OK from Augusta he PROMISED
that be should be translated to green held5
and pastures new.
To the Cat, q plenty o. nice ana CREAM
TO the Spaniel. q run OF the kitchen
To the Opossum, perpetual persimmon
tree. ,,.
horn should Ice exalted aud his amolIloh
cratlhod bv mission TO Liberia
At Inst the Serpent sneaked up TO the
etnmp and whispered into the ear OF the
Owl MIR. Janneyl hat he had brought over
Governor Bear (John Lctcherl himself by
d prornlse of a bucket of swlll, and that
# he ,tre OVID would only 60 for sub
mission to old Abe, he should be one OF
bis councillors. Nhcroupon the Ola Owl
wnkcd and cried, Mhoo! Whoo;n which
IA owl laugua5 20 signifies assent me conn
,uittoe then made Che following report:
Whereas his Majesty the Ourang-
Outaug of Illinois mas been duly and con-
stitutionaly elected king of all tine beasts
in the United States of America there
fore be II
R.so.n9. That becomes the duty of every
beast and of every community oi beasts
I'm these United States to submit nun
DIV and cheorfully 10 the authority OF the
said Ouraug- Outaug. and that the honor
glory. and dignity of the Ol0 DOMINION
may be- safely ntru~tcd 10 his keeping.
E.,otr,d That We will resist with all our
MIGHT and 70 the last extremity any at-
tempt an coercion OF our southern brethren
Emit that we do not consider the enforce
mont OK the Jaws 90 Ice coercion, ana II our
-Duthern brethren RESIST the enforcement
of tho Federal laws coercion then becomes
-ir1,ly resistance 10 rebellion, and must De
a,ouesced in ly all good citizens.
L.saIr,i. That W. tender our concratuia-
,inns To his Maje-tv the Orang Outang; 10
Mn. beautiful Queen CunsoIt 10 tuo ac-
rnr,rii.h,d Prince Bob o. Link. and the
rr-. oi the royal family upon their aces
sion 10 the throne. and nope tnal IN lne
distribution OF their royal taVOrs theE VIII
moi h, uuIpiudful of their humble and du-
tul subjects M the Old Dominion.
Inc rcuort Of the committee being
sGopiel ly large majority three hearty
che r. were given for hinS Abe, aud the
council adjourned aiHe d'e.
This very Imperfect account OF TINS re-
narkable editorial Will show that the mem,
hDr. oi tuc convention were justly lhcen5eu
M tnerdicule hCapeu upon thehi' Ihey
,rrltlot under II. AMI an Oh 'Hph p'e "'tV
kent their wrath under control ana mace
20 public demonstration OF their feelings.
Tnev suffered M silence and passed u 10y
1n silent contempt DO not think, now
ever. they We're RETAINED 10y any appre-
hcusion or fear of the pugnac'ous charac-
Ter of John 81. Daniel. " mle no one
DOUBTED uls courage, tho gentlemen
wro we're So mcrcIcssly lanpooned were
silent iccause they thought thGt was me
be, Way L. tcGt the offence. Mr.. hranch
who wa. au imnullve man, doubtless IN
c1uyersatiuu WIN ll. friends. as well a.
dil many others Of the members. expressed
hle sentiments N no stinted terms OF dc
t.ststlon aDont Il. Int he had no idea OF
,i,0urht Of challenging Nr. Daniel, nor did
he have aug feeling Of personal danger
IA. WAS a worthy old gentleman and q
monument member OF the Methodist
Imrcb Ia his early years ne was Wild
voun., foau. and had sown big crop OF
wlld oats" Bat attcr has conversion he
VISA ctaueed man and remained during q
long tfs oil over eighty years, until las
deoln IN Richmond few years ago. a
prominent. consistent Methodist and re-
spocted citizen; and let me mention TO
his great honor and as very unusual IN
l,.ttn Il