Nansemond County Virginia USGenWeb Archives News.....Parr, William, 1868 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ William PARR, Nansemond Co. representative (Radical) in the Underwood Convention, some coverage from the "Alexandria Gazette" credited with term "carpet bagger" "Alexandria Gazette," Vol. 69, No. 41, Feb. 17, 1868, col. 3 FURTHER FROM THE "VIRGINIA RECON- STRUCTION CONVENTION."-In the Convention on Friday, the order of the day was taken up-consideration of Mr. Snead's amendment to the report of the committee on finance and taxation was taken up. Mr. White took the floor in support of the amendment and made a long speech. He was followed by Mr. French, of Bland, in opposition to the amendment. He conten- ded that the Convention had no right to med- dle in matters of simple legislation ; they were elected to frame a constitution, and not to dab- ble in sectional matters of legislation. At the conclusion of Mr. French's speech, Parr got the floor and said he stood there to ripresent oystermen. He wanted to know why gentlemen talked about things they did't know anything about. They knew a great deal more about mountain oysters than they did our oys- ters. He hoped every gentleman would sustain the reverlution on the subject of taxing oysters. He would like to take the gentlemen down to the oyster waters and interduce them to "Mr. Oyster." If they staid thar two weeks they would be like a horse that saw something white in the night, they would get scared-they would run off from an oyster shell. Jeff Davis had took our young men from home and killed 'em and murdered 'em, and now they want to tax oysters. Sar, I know all about oysters, and if any man here knows any more about oysters than I do I should like to see him. Indeedly strange, that men have got so smart all at once ; this tax was never heard of until negroes got free ; strange that it should now be contended that free negroes and poor white men should be required to pay $5 25 for a boat and tongs to catch a mess of oysters for his wife and chil- dren. He had been a hard-workin' man, had held the plow handles and handled the broad axe, but now had come to the legislature, and had no friends to serve and no enemies to pun- ish. The gentleman from Amherst was mighty smart about oysters, but if he would come down and be interduced to ''Mr. Oyster," he would learn something. Mr. Williams thanked the member from Nansemond for his invitation, and said he would be glad to accept it. Parr- -''Yes, sar; I'll make a pair of tongs for you, and by the time you've caught half a dozen you'd wish you was back at home. I'd like to know wether the gentleman is a native of Virginia or not?" Mr Williams-I have not the honor to be a Virginian, sir." Parr-"Well, sar, when you go for my in- stitutions I'll think you ur a Virginian. I don't make this speech to effect former elec- tions, sar, for I'm going to say something that I want every member of this Convention to pay particular attention to." Parr read from a little book about taxes, and found when he got through he had made a mistake of $1,000, in reading $1,500. Sar, I don't want the oyster-man taxed. He only picks up one at a time and goes home wet, and ain't fit to go nowhar. Sar, I want to pertect 'Mr. Oyster.' My time is about out. I'll stop. Mr. Oyster is smarter than I am and than many members of this house. He is a short-lived bein', and knows when to shet his mouth." The Convention then took a recess. "Alexandria Gazette," Vol. 69, No. 50, Feb. 28, 1868, p. 2, col. 3 ANOTHER SPEECH FROM PARR.-In the Virginia Convention, on Wednesday, when the Suffrage question was under consideration. Parr made a speech, as follows: "Gentlemen, I'm a Virginian ; and there is one thing I've seen that I didn't like, sir. I've seen men come into my county-and I reckon they've come into every other gentleman's county on this floor, sir-with a black carpet- bag, and only one coat in the world, and that was on their backs; and I don't know but what they didn't have but one shirt, and that might have been ragged, if we could have seen it, sir; and these men ain't been here a day before they want to dictate to Virginians, sir." Somebody from behind, on the Radical side, made a remark which we did not hear. Parr: "Nevermind, sir. I've got a pint to make, and that pint is a pint, sir. I don't know how to encourage the immigration of men who come here and and make out like they know how to make brains for me. I tell you, colored men, you will find the true-blooded Virginians your best friends. When you see a man coming along with black bag, cast him off." | Another interruption here. | Never you mind, sir; I mean all I say and can't say half I mean, sir. I wish I had the vocabulary to express all I meant. If my face was as black as a tar barrel, I'd sooner go to that man for help (pointing to Mr. E. Gibson) -and he's a hard-looking man |laughter|- than to one of these men with a black bag. I don't believe the colored men will vote for the men with the black bag. I tell you, colored man, there's a snake in that bag, and you can't see it till it bites you, That man ain't doing anything but running around me country for office; and, my goodness, I do hate this sort of thing worse than I do the devil, sir." "Alexandria Gazette," Vol. 69, No. 71, Mar. 24, 1868, p. 2, col. 1 A SCENE.-For an hour before the conven- tion adjourned on Saturday Capt. Parr, the radical delegate from Nansemond, endeavored to get the floor, holding in his hand a neatly put up bundle, which excited the curiosity of everybody. The gavel of the president, how- ever, drowned his sonorous voice, and only his gestures were observable, which seemed to say as plain as words, "I'll speak or die." He was, as usual, ruled out of order six times, which makes forty-nine times in six weeks. The convention finally adjourned to get rid of the importunities of the Captain, when he ex- claimed, "I reckon Parr can have the floor now," amid shouts and rounds of applause. He advanced, with beaming face, to the clerk's desk, producing nothing less than the famous negro toy jig dancer, an invention of George Francis Train, and calling to the president, who had not left his seat, said, "Here, sar, is a piece of my mechanism, sar," and made it dance, to the infinite delight of himself and the spectators. Cries of speech, speech, and more applause, but the Captain didn't speak.- Rrichmond Whig. "Alexandria Gazette," Vol. 69, No. 207, Oct. 3, 1868, p. 2, col. 4 CARPET BAGGERS-A SERIOUS JOKE.-The Richmond Whig of Monday says: "Little did Captain Parr, of Nansemond, dream of the importance of his utterance in the Convention when he dubbed the hungry office seeking Northern adventurers, carpet baggers, for the result is that the term, coined in the heat of eloquence, has been adopted North and South, and promises to live as long as one of these men remain on the soil of the South with his unwelcome presence. It has broken up the trade in carpet-bags, and they are now as dead a stock upon the Southern merchants' hands, as last year's almanacs or second hand tooth brushes. Nor is this all. Those who had them already have put them out of sight, as Abraham did his dead, and use instead sad- dle-bags, pillow cases, and, for the most part, trunks without regard to size. This is very amusing to the public, but is a matter of very serious moment to the baggage agents on rail- roads." William PARR, Nansemond Co. representative (Radical) in the Underwood Convention, reputed originator of the expression "carbet-bagger," 26 Feb 1868, VA native, d. Dec 1874 Additional information: A death notice ("Alexandria Gazette," Dec. 18, 1874, p. 2, col. 4) for Parr is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/p600w1ob.txt The term "carpet-bagger" appears before Parr gave his speech. "The Home Journal" (Winchester, TN) used it Dec. 12, 1867, citing the "Columbus (GA) Sun," and again Dec. 19, 1867, citing the "Montgomery (AL) Mail." "The New Orleans (LA) Republican" tried to glorify the term, Jan. 25, 1868, claiming Jesus' disciples "were all 'carpet-baggers.'" "The Daily Phoenix" (Columbia, SC) stated on Sep. 10, 1868 that, "The name, itself, is of Northern and not of Southern coinage." The Virginia Constitutional Convention met from Dec 1867 until Apr 1868. The presiding officer was Federal judge John C. Underwood, a New Yorker much despised in VA. Parr was one of only 14 white, native-Virginian Radical delegates; there were 33 non-native whites & 24 blacks, opposed by 32 Conservative delegates. The "Alexandria Gazette" usually headed their coverage, "The Unconstitutional Convention." The "Underwood Constitution" enfranchised the freedmen, disenfranchised many former Confederates, and restructured the county courts. Commanders of the military occupation would not allow a referendum on the new constitution until Jul 1869, after a deal permitted separate votes on the disenfranchisement and government- reform provisions, which were blocked. ("Hornbook of Virginia History," 4th ed., pp. 52-53) Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/newspapers/p600w1cb.txt