Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-10
VETERANS ARE BACK
SEVERAL RETURN FROM PHILA-
DELPHIA AHEAD OF TINE.
had NOT UHALLOYED PLEASURE.
The Hospitality Was Most Generous,
But the Commercial Side to the
Visit and the Color Question Mar
red Their Endowment.
red Their Enjoyment.


Mr.. Thompson, proprietor of Delaware
Park. have returned home. though the re-
union will not end until Thursday.
Those who have come back speak In the
highest terms Of the hospitality accorded
them In the Quaker City. Nothing was
too good for the visitors. The best hotel
in the city was their home, and turn
which way they would. they found their
old enemies. and the citizens generally,
ready and anxious to extend them every
courtesy. and accord to them all the honor
possible. And II was without money and
without price. The Pickett men could not
pay for anything. Even car-fare was re-
| fused.
| TWO UNPLEASANT FEATURES.
| But the reunion was not everything the
Richmond veterans expected. The hospi-
! tally was most generous, and the atten-
lions showered upon them highly hatter-
ing, but circumstances were not all IA
yorable to an unalloyed good time.
The fact that they were not the guests
of the Grand Army, but Of the proprietor
Of the park, who greatly proited by
having them there, naturally hurt those
VINO believed they were going North as
the actual guests Of Grand Army posts. Ii
also caused them to appreciate the Just
ness of the objection to their coming. |
which was manifesto. by Union veterans
about the time and after the Invitation |
was accepted.
But aside from this commercial feature, !
which many were perfectly willing TO |
overlook in view of the cordial hospitality |
extended tho
Jected to mar the weeks pleasure
The veterans from Virginia, though /
used to negroes all their lives, were not |
used 10 marching with them in parades
ana sitting down TO table with them.
The Philadelphians regard such mat
tiers differently. and while they must have
known how wide is the gulf in Virginia
between white and black, with character
istic indifference to such sentiments the
color line was in measure disregarded.
Inc Pickett men who have returned do
not criticise their hosts. 1t would not,
be proper. But they are not able to
wholly disguise their sentiments, though
not expressed in words.
WHY MR.. BASS RETURNED
Mr. W. Upshur Bass, one OF the vete-
rams who came back in hurry. was very
reserved In discussing the trip.
The veterans of Philadelphia ana citi-
zens generally" he said, treated us as
Wen as II was possible for men TO be
treated. We stopped at the best hotel
III the city free Of all charge, and the
gray UNIFORM gave us everything free. |
EVEN on the street cars we could not paw
a CENT. unless we were not going as a
BODY. The hospitality was superb.
III course we realized that the people
VINO owned the park where the reunion I
was held were making money out of IL, '
and the fact that we were there ncreased 6
their receipts very much. but thew were )
as nice to us as they could be. 1t was /
not pleasant, however, to be nut ON ex- r
addition. y" "a
why did j come home so quickIyY, h
la SAID, repeating the reporters question. Il
wen. L do not care to saw I do not J n
"lsh &c inquire prominently in any mat | /
er connected with the reunion. / came y
away as quietly as / could. Nobody !
NEW OF it-or, at least, but two or three q
uid not desire 10 influence anybody else r
'thers could see what was going on as 4
vel as l could. and they were not deaf a
1 what they saw and heard affected | D
nein aiHerently from the manner in | Il
when was affected, all right. l came | h
ome. N''iie a
think L can say" said Mr.. Bass in a
onclusion, that our northern friends a.
o not understand how to manage the %
esro' we can keep them in the back es
rouhd, and do They cannot. and do N,
OF or course We treat them as Justly -
no get along with them just as smooth. e.
OTHERS WHO CAME BACK. ~
Messrs. Sidney r. Gates and William, I'm
ora returned on the same train with | he
+. Bass, and Captain Charles T. Loehr
me IN yesterday afternoon on the fast IN
an. BUSINESS engagements and indispo- | ON
, -,,i cue the reasons assigned by these IA
htlemen as reasons for RETURNING. ahead 81
the main body OF veterans. MeSsrS 60
ites and Bass were members Of tbe 80
lninlttee having in charge the arrange e.
sn's OF Nhe trip, and Captain I,oehr was -,
arihan or the Richmond party until ~
igor Pickett arrived here, and was az az
4ue commandant All Of those who have uo o
turned confirm what Mr.. Bass said 10
OUT the hospitality Of the Philadelnbia .n'
men , the committee came to Richmond s tn'
't pt Iichelts men TO visit the city -.
brotherly Love they promised thai th'
negro should have nothing 70 ~ the
IN the affair. 1t was, therefore with AN
zen surprise that the Virginians found Doc
colored man on the Reception Com wa
Nee. The members Of the COMMITTEE ten
o extended the invitation offered ~ ste
o apologies. Having read in one ~ IN
iladelphia papers that negroes were 70
IN the parade Tuesday the committee
charge Of the Richmonders protested G
INST this part Of the programme beino We;
ried out. They were assured that tbaIr cas-
mes would be respected. This was not Rus
le' however, for negroes paraded The 1881
iadelphians appeared to be anxious 20 trai
p the negro In the BACKGROUND. but ~
le or them confessed that thew did NOT Hol
wv now to do it, and they apparently viey
Ned tho courage TO adopt heroic mea- fror
eS. '0 90.
CAPTAIN LOEHR'S VIEWS. SYN
aptain Loehn said, in conversation nus
q Dispatch reporter last night. thar ana
teit that the negro incident had been Oh
N undue prominence. 1t was true mig
said, that there was a colored man this
the Reception Committee. and thai Day
Q were negroes In the church 81 men
en- the Virginia veterans worsbinned got
day morning: There were muttar- bic
OF discomfort at once" he Continued and
during the day heard a great desi III
AK l believe, though, IL Is NOT nm two,
Il for negroes to attend whit solu
'ches in Philadelphia. There Was no poin
ting of the Executive Conm,,,oo ceiv;
Pickett men Sunday night but was
lw Mr.. Thompson and fold hin, thou
me ieelings OF our people touch Clad
such matters and he told ne mari
we should not be annoved nv ~ Scott
oes. None of them were ,Iloued g. TO II
pendence Hall at the welcome Me-, stone
and l am told that some were Tori trast
g.. 4