Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1865-03-09
Great Meeting in Richmond.
The largest and most enthusiastic NEE

The largest and most enthusiastic meet
ing ever held in Richmond took place last
Thursday in the African Church of that
city. Hon. R. M. T. Hunter, who was one
of the Commissioners sent by President
Davis to ascertain the feeling and purpose
Of the Lincoln government in reference to
the war, presided, and opened the proceed.
| ings in an address for which we make room
below. A number of other distinguished
gentlemen also o'spoke:
Mr.. Eunter said: Having called you
to order, it is proper that I should explain
the object and purposes of this meeting
We stand here to consider the most mo-
mentous public issue that ever agitased
nation. One in which is involved the very
life and being of a people, the existence Of
their laws and government, their life, liber-
| ty and honor. Whatever.is sacred in hu'
man affections, or dear to the hearts of men,
is involved in this contest; and may God
grant US the wisdom to devise, and the
power to execute, those measures which,
under His hand, shall effect our deliverance
in this great crisis of our affairs. We are
not responsible for the lives that have been
given up in this contest, and our skirts are
clear of the blood which have been she'd
We entered it to maintain the right OF
self governments right which should
have been as dear to our enemies as to us.
1t is great American idea-the growth of
American soil-and should, in their eyes,
be as sacred as it is to d. For four long
years we have been engaged in war, 1.-The
like of which has not been. seen in modern
times the only approximations to which
were the wars of Wallenstein and Attila
and the Thirty Years War Of Germany
and now, after those years of waste and
destruction, we have been latelysinformed
by the President of the United States that
there can be no peace except upon the con.
dltions of laying down our arms and abso.
lutte submission to come in as rebels, and
submit to laws confscating our property,
and awarding the death penalty to our cit
izens. Nor is this all. We are required
to submit to an amendment, adopted to the
United States Constitution, to turn loose
the thousands of slaves in our midst, with
ont restraint and without the education
which they would require for selfpreserVa-
ton. If anything more was wanting to
stir the blood, 10 was furnished when we
were told that the United States could not
consent to entertain any proposition coming
from us as people. That Government
which makes treaties with the meanest and
weakest of nations, tells us-a nation Of
seven millions of men, with arms in their
hands,-that it cannot entertain any propo-
sition coming from rebels. Even upon the
theory that VIC were rebels, upon what au-
thority could they refuse to treat with us Z
Thsre has been no civil war of any magni-
tude which has not been terminated by
treating. In 177S, the British Government
sent three commissioners to the rebel colo.
MES, authorized to treat even with any "as.i
sociation of individuals" and toproVide for
truce. It has been habit with all strong
governments, after a war is over, and after
it has vindicated its power, to render the
future as little gloomy, and its yoke as easy
to its subjects, as possible ). but nothing, of
this sort comes from the United States
Nothing comes from it to soothe our feel
ings, nothing to alleviate the terms Of, a
settlement, if it were possible for such a
settlement to be made. 1t would seem pos
sible that Lincoln might have offered some
thing to a people with two hundred thous-
and soldiers, and such soldiers [applause]
under arms. Gould it be probable, to him..
that we could go into the United States
Government as rebels assuming the respon.
sibility of all the blood that has been shed;
confessing that We have kept up wicked
and useless war; submitting to laws conis-
eating our property and taking the lives Of
our people? 1t is true, he said, that these
laws would be administered by him in a
spirit Of kindness ;.but when did men ever
give to one man the power over their lives
and their property, and all that they hold
dear, trusting to his spirit Of kindness and
divesting themselves of the power to resist
his tyranny [Cries of "Never," "neVer." ~
And it is to be remembered, that wheneV.
er we go into the Union as as a conquered
people, We give up the laws Of the United
States and must take such as they choose
to make for us and we 90 in without rep
resentation in the, making of those laws, for
MIR. Lincoln told us-told me-that Whils
we could send representatives to the Yam
kee Congress, yet it rested with. that Con.
gress to say whether they would, receive
them or not. Thus we would cast every
thing away snd 60 to them as subdued,
subjugated and degraded people, to be held
in subsection by their soldiery.
Morris all told yet More than 8, 100000
slaves ore to be let loose and s1,5O0,000,- !
600 worth Of property destroyed at one fell
swoop. These slaves are to wander about
and become the lazzaroni of the land. The
Congress would be constantly interfering |
between the white and black man. The
laws would be made by Congress hostile
to us, and any attempt to make these thrift
less wanderers useful would be interfered
with. If, under the old Government, they
with our domestic institutions,
what would become of US if We were help
less in their hands holding the power to ar
bitrate in all questions concerningus. They