Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-20
HE DID NOT KNOW IT.
THE GOVERNOR INTERVIEWED
REGARDING TEAMOH's VISIT.
senator Darling and others of the
Massnchusctts Committee Express
Cd Themselves as Greatly Em-
harrasscd by the Negroes Presence.

BOSTON. MASS. March l9,--A Rich
noad (Va) dispatch asserting that
Robert Teamoh. the oolored member OF
the House OF Representatives who accom-
panied the Legislative Committee on Mer-
camille Affairs on It's recent trip to the
South, had been snubbed by Governor
O'Ferrau OF Virginia. and others on
sccount Of his color. and the cohl"i
thereby lnsultod. has caused a great u''''
NJ comment here Hon. +. ". Dari"s'
srnate chairman Of the Committee ="
Il Mercantile Anairs said of the dispaten'
There ls hardly n word OF ''u'h :"
4 &, from tbe first line 20 the last !" ''e
q -, ,,.,, a., ..ys that had the Governor
n - 49,. ,.,s "A negro In the party
81 ..,.id M, have extended the INVITA-
! ., a., ,,e committee. Governor OFerraII
III vr Tcam1h was In the party
"a -, bo tod me go The dispatch also
So - ,frs o'Ferran Immediately with
81 a., from, the parlor on seeing Mr.. Tea
4 rob Tho fact is. she remained IN the
narlor glfte % long time. conversing win
fte rarty. She ala not leave the parlor
,,,u tho Governor arose and asked her
q, withdraw. as the gentlemen were
,,ine 10 h dinng-room. Mr.. Teamoh and
ifr Mitchell. an alderman OF Richmond.
r..ro In the party, and both went 20 the
ll..re-roum and sat the table with the
Governor and with the Mayor Of Rich
....I There WAS not the slightest en-
.lrr4esmcnt observed In either OF these
feu,llmcu. on the contrary. they were
most cordial and polite, ana desirous OF
futoJtaining royally n delegation from
Massachusetts. This dispatch h unusually
Inappropriate as referring to Governor
)Ferrall. because he treated the cOlorcd
nan with the utmost consideration, both
~ the Executive mansion and after
wards. when. As a party, we visited the
state pententlary.
The only other occasion in the South
in which the committee as a body ac-
rcp,ed any hospitality outside Of what
might have been accepted 0s individuals
was In Atlanta. when I received an invi-
tation from ". A. Iiemphiil, editor or
the Atlanta Constitution, 10 bring the
committee 10 the Constitution building
and meet some Of the prominent men OF
Atlanta. who were interested In the pro-
posed exposition Of cotton Industries. The
committee accepted the invitation. and
uclc met some forty or hfty citizens Of
Atlanta. The president Of the exposition
invited me. Mr. Bancroft, House chair
man ~ the committee. Mr.. MOriarity.
end Mr. Tcamoh 10 speak 10 the meeting.
Everything said by these gentlemen was
received with cordial appreciation.
We did not 20 south 90 make any
unnecessary war upon their customs, ana
nothing for which Mr. Teamoh asked in |
,hc south was denied. Mr. Teamoh him |
folf eraspod The situation Of affairs, ana |
assured the committee many times during |
OH. trIp home that ne was abundantly sat |
i.1od and pleased with his reception in |
tae south:
The Governors Statement.
when Governor O'Ferrnl was shown |
tho above telegram AT = O'Clock this morn |
ing he said.
Senator Darling l cannot think. made |
thp statement contained in the dispatch. |
never had the slightest intimaton from |
ID human being that Coiorcd man was |
500 thc party talked with no one from |
Wednesday. when "a clerk from the rail |
rnRl office came To me with a message |
from Colonel Boykin that "A business com
mittec Of the Massachusetts Legislature |
would arrive iu Richmond the next eve
iing from the South. and they would |
he glad To call on me. ] replied Very
.. u. J VIII be glad 10 receive them. | |
think 81 would be more courteous TO re-
ceiFe them at the mansion than in my |
office. and viii fix o'clock Friday as
tnc hour ] had no further communica- |
iiuu with any one on the subject except |
] Was informed that tho committee had |
arrived little before . o'clock on Fri |
oN J went from my office 60 the man |
fu my private secretary Mr.. Chester |
man. accompanying me. ! left Mir. Ches-
i'rmIu below. and went on 10 my room |
nhoE' soon q carriage drove up and |
stopped. but no one got out.
DID Not SEE THE OCCUPANTS
Later three other carriages arrived. |
The FIRST carriage changed position and |
! did not ere the occupants alieht. Pretty |
soon uN door man came mp and notified |
me that the gentlemen were IN the parlor. |
] went down with Mrs O'Fcrrall and |
as We entered the parolr We were intro
turci Go each member Of the committee
winding up with the colorcl committee
uu1i Not until l reached Tcamoh dil |
/ know. nor had / the slightest idea that
one 0f Tie committee was colored man.
arj ! was greatly surprised and cmbar-
tas.ei. hut I concealed my ombarraSS-
n'ut as much as possible | was acting |
Do my official cap1.itv. and tho committee |
were calling in their official capacity. ana |
could not $50 otherwise than carry out |
the programme.
DID NCr ENPECr IT
Light rtfrc hm uts had been prepared, |
ana invited the committee 10 the dining |
room not thinking utt Tcamoh would |
come after thc psrN got into the dining |
room. ! discovered Tclmoh and Mitchell |
with him. This embarrassed mo still |
more 0rolt ] concluded that as Teamoh |
was ono ut The committee and Mitchell |
their friend / could not not invite them |
- retire without giving an anront 10 !
the other members Of the committee. and |
IN Difference 10 the feelings Of the latter. |
and because could not do otherwise |
O. NfH.. HH..H
ana Teamoh aud Mitchell remained ana |
p8ttooi, with them of the refreshments
II my embarrassment was not apparent, !
] succeeded ia a most remarkable degrce |
80 corcclilng a. Mrs O'Ferran never
spoke Co Tramoh after she was intro |
duc, o. him. but out OF courtesy TO Seua- |
inr Darling ana the other gentlemen re-
mtn,i and CouVerscd with them until |
ihe> ictt The parior.
As T. SENATOR DARLING.
'@. MAJOR Darllnrs statement that ] |
t.'i tim mat knew Teamoh was in the |
iNfN absolutely untrue. ana 1 cannot |
Think Boz. eyer made it. II had told HIM |
an> s..l tllns he would certainly not |
have spoken apologetically Of Tcamoh's |
iFe.'r.' a- the mansion. or have ex- |
iI'. 'i lrself as he did 20 ne at the |
if ifH.i.nitIN and on oUr drive. He and |
U.r U.or -.9lcmcn In the carriage with |
iN. expressed their embarrassment in |
'Nt irluoh with them and stated /
= i..' hal made every cifor, TO shuttle
..n'- .'. h.t De- would get back with
t..n
f..l greatly aggrievcd i'm this mat
''. . ,lat my desire 10 extend cour-
' slative committee OF an
'.'f @..te MAS taken advantage Of. and
"'- placed iu 4 position 70 which /
.t Mye submitted for moment
I nt been acting in an official
oft.t.
", D-'-e. Mrs. O'Ferran did not shake
h'" "Ita lhc negro. When she realized
,.'. .m.n was a coiored man she
-eauy. stepped back. and did noa
'LN>E WALisER MunDEu CASE.