, 1866-01-13
Speech Of Gen. Saxton.

last week prcvrn'ed US giving but u brief syn
opsia Of the speeches.
Mr. Fn1gHDs:
This is the fourth time That i, hrs been my
happiness IN meet the freedmen of South Caro-.
lima to celebrate Emancipation Day. The first
meeting took plnce onJnnunfy Hrht. 1863. that day
when the great md good Abraham Lincoln
(pyer l,onnrrd aud blessed be the memory nf the
Statesman. the patriot aud the ,nRr'yr) declared
your race 10 be forever free. and pledged ,hr ma
tons honor and faith Ia ,nnin,min thn' drclnrn-
ton all through the coming future. we met on
TINT dnv hrn, alh the mos>.diMprd live oaks Of
Port Rnyal-somc live thousand IN numb'r-to
rejoice over that proclamation which had just
declared o people Tree. and pledged our lives md
fortunes, and our sacred honor, u keep up the
glad shOut.,we are free" until an cci,ninv clio
rus should come back from every h"mc i'll the
South, "we IRE free" Although The Union
troops had scarcely E%ninel u tno,hold on tn, Sea
Islands. aud your cuusp ser,niu almost hopeless.
there va. both hope and inspiration i'll tina,
strange asscmblnYc nf du>ky tnce.. herring for
the first time, of liberty under thc stntt y banner;
and there WAS determination in every move
mcnt OF those black .nldicrs, who, for The first
time. hud its honor committed 10 'hti Keeping;
and when that spontaneous song Of thankful
ness ..
u s"n",ry us q thee, sweet land Of liberty,
went up 10 hravrn from three thousand vuiccs.
some Of us who heard 1t Eel, TINT II wn, an m.
them Of pruise foreshudowing your inul hi.
umph.
In January. 1861. when We met a, Ecnnfort.
clouds and darkness seemed to hun. over on,
country's cause. Faint hearts looked doub,inu.
ly. Drt.en The 4rin,rs OF freedom aud slavery
the fortunes ct the fight seemed vn,ivd aud in.
decisive. The land wA4 drcnchrd in blood and
filled with mourning. Bu, b, lirving thu, n
cause founded in Justice and righteousness could
not 90 tmck ward. we ,nsctimd Hope on "uI
banners. in letters Of light. aud were not fn,n'-
hearted.
Again We me, on The FIRST Of January. 1866
and still the mighty struggle was sweeping on.
hlurc than n million Of men Mere enrolled under
The Hug of the Union, fighting for ii aud FIR
liberty. Blu, the cloud were lifting. !" There
WAS victory at las, = Since TINT time III. ar.
mics that fought for slavery have been d, >land.
ed, and ,hrr" las been a glorious triumph Tor
the cnr-c Of lihrtty.
we n.ce, again to-day in Charleston. Cor he
fdtt'h line. 10 celebrate our anniversary Win
brighter hopcs. Pence now Irisns ,h,nurhou,
the las.d, and The Constitution ~: The United
States has hy thu votes of three tnu,,hs n, ,h,.
STATS. been 80 amended rs IN prohibit slavery
fn!rrer. Pni,ti",t n last i thu, @sloiiou- docu.
nient, "a" ark Of our s,fr'y its "Ily b., III tn.
past h"f''g TINT it did no, p,osihi, slavery.
ffenccf"rth IN" oppressed Of all nations can
hook II z "crics and wien he sinv, rnm.s
within IN, f"id>"! orr starry banner. lis chnins
arc t,rirEr;' If !or,v,r.
III" Un STATES O, America dues rut ,ccoy.
nizr ,hr rig' II, nm. -" hold ~;,,uprtt, il. human
FISH. Gu fig Is irr !! h., u mnk" III. wrlktn
ring. ''Thrtri- vict"'y ~ lust You may wrll
rj"cr';Nrr"!, IL, You have l"rr now to rhIrr
you on. ~ ha, were he i,"pr> of u -iav. NJ.
thing hu,.tayrry- rrdl,-> slavery. Whu, may
not n fr'etiin"t hop. To ,iu aud to l., Hon.
cheers The present, ~ r,l'i> 'hr iu'urr. NM! .,vr,
a hr'chsrt lining :" every cloud. THINK iicr-
YEN that to-day YOU can hope. Your %cliltr,n
can now z" 1" schnnl. ni.h h,vr the .~rnu,, ~,
kno"ledpc. which have h"nn closed to y.uI
fathers. opened tn you. tn,ur,d ri.ldr,,i. IN
1866. how j'ynu> an graft ul You should be
diligcnt "ad pumciunl 1T scnoni-M in, good
resolutions you should nuke ~ YOU ,r,rt mon
the me-" year. Tor no" you may lave Il chance
III the rRcc of life. II YOU have been car.irS.
and nistri. idlr or mi-rhi-vou. when a, school.
resolve to-day that this shall he 20 no more
that ynn, Val y" n"'t, attentive, .,n!.a.=.- la:
you will he grateful for aud iint,uvv tho>r adj.
VantaHer which y.u ha We nov, which your ia.
theirs did no, have. Let the wu:nrn mo are
listening, tc me resolve iha, they will be better
wives and mother. ,hnn they we're las, YEAR
TINT your houses. or hut-. or cabins. shall be
cleaner than they were last yrar-,hnt your
children be better dressed. shall "a TO schno',
that your husbands clu,hts Shall BE- mrndra,-
'hat you VIII lie lnrcr women. Bet tina, girl
whose voic+ | have Just heard in thr song make
so "o"S "Stc ochulIul ny thcu uhf becoming
a better and a puIet girl. Lei her. By hr, con.
auet. 90 honor TO her parents. Let TINT frthcr
VINO has neglected his wlfc aud rhil !rr,,. resolve
10 80 u work at once tn earn them food and
clothing. II, through his own neglect, his chill.
dren have not been at school let HIN see ,hut
they are thrFe tomorrow. and are MOI ab,rn,
another day tn the venr 1866. The commence
heht OF me yrss Ia TIE time more than cvrI
when II Is proper and ,iring ihn, We should
square Up OLE accounts. futsakc all evil wAy- and
Practices, and form tt.osc bette, resolutions, for
the coming year. Freedmen. women mud ELL.
dren, | call upda YOU to do this now.
We have n,et together will, music, banner.
ana Il grand procession. see Young and old
before me with joyous faces; the burden o. their
song is liberty. You ar. celebrating a ,no,t
glorious annircrsarv,fa day To b. remembered
throughout all succeeding generations 1T freed
men, Us a Slitter'ng land along the pnii, of
human progress. Year human progress that is
the word. Resolve tllAt you will lea the van II,
that great procession where Humanity, in The
path OF frogrcss. is marching To the sounds o!
joyful music, let us hope. 1T .tnublc-1,l,ck sisps
towards freedom and political cqaaIity. Without,
progress MI We are doing is II srnsrlcss, n,,rr.
able farce. Ii in freedom You do MOI advance in
virtue a,'s w!sd IN, in everything thai adds hon.
or ana dignity 70 human nature. then van have
gained nothing by liberty, md might as well have
remained IN slavery. NON you u.c free, nav
that you own yourselves. vbti must increase lie
value OF ourselves. II in slavery YOU wrrc
worth one thousand dollars Ia your ma. ,rs. I,ow
muci, 40 you intend TO he Worth to Yourselves III
freedom You mus. le more. industrious, for yon
hIe 70 nave tne fruits Of your owl, Industry. When