The Washington herald., 1908-01-12
NEGRO ONCE POLIHICALPOWER
Lewis Lindsay, Who Died in Rich
mond, Had Remarkable Career.
Member of Constitutional COuven-
tion at Close of War-EIeId Gar
pet-baggers" in Contempt.

Lewis Lindsay Of Richmond, Va
who died there on Saturday, January
/ T. was in many respects remarkable
I character Before the war ne was the
! trusted body servant of the Hon. Minor
I Bolts He was acquainted. personal
IT,. with nearly every public man in
I Virginia, ana an energetic and accom-
I piished servant
After the war ended, Lindsay became
active In politics as Republican
leader in Richmond. and was elected as
one Of the delegates TO the constitu-
tutional convention to frame a new con
Stitution for the State While an
ardent Republican, he had views OF his
own concerning the policy which
should be pursued toward the Virginia
leaders He had contempt for car
pet-baggers. hat IS, the uew people
who had come here from the North
and became active in politics and for
''scalawagers. or native white Re
publicans. He believed iR recogniz-
ing what he called the old aristocracy.
Of which he counted himself one. He
was very prominent In the Black and
Tan Convention" as it was called, and
pridcd himself upon his knowledge Of
parliamentary law. derived, as he
claimed, from long association with
Mr Bolts He had a voice like a fog
horn. and possessed great influence over
the Col0Ted members Of the conven-
ton. He had a way. when things were
not going 10 suit him in the session
.4F .F FrF
recognition Of the speaker, and Nthun-
darins out in his stentorian voice.
Convention jOurn' The convention
was very quick 10 adjourn when
Lewis Lindsay uttered one Of these com-
mands. Lindsay is prominent figure
in the chapter on the convention in the
Lion Skin" by John 5 Wise
Lewis fell into the shadow Of politics
after the State was restored 10 Demo-
cratic control. but for many years, was
provided for by small Federal appoint
ments about the custom house and
elsewhere. He was a man of strong
individuality and great integrity. He
was devoted To old Virginia. not
"a VithsJanding his Republicanism. and
had as many friends among the white
people Of Richmond as auT man in the
State. He hailed the advent in the Re
publican party of any respectable
native Nirginian as in the line OF what
he hoped for as the only prospect OF the
Republican party in the State. and TO
the day OF his death was devotedly at
tached 10 John S. Wise.
His political formula briefly
stated. was that there was no hope for
Repubncanism I'm the South. except
under leadership OF native whites OF
position and spectability and that
the negroes had more 20 hope for from
such control than in any other way. !
His speeches We're always forceful and
10 the point. He never omitted men> |
tion Of Mr. Bolts as the inspiration
Of his own loyalty TO union. He told I
the blacks they were not strong enough /
10 help themselves; that the Northern 4
men who came down there and I
engaged In politics were simply looking /
out for themselves; "po' whites" hated /
the blacks, and that the gentlemen /
Of the South were their best friends 4
This tended to make Lewis unpopular /
among his cOlored associates, but he 4
was fearless in his pronunciamentoes
AZ ali times
He lived to be a very old man. and
has been somewhat lost sight of in late
years, but he made a very distinct
impression upon the community in
which he lived in the days of his
activity.