The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-11-15
The Republican Convention.
SPEECH OF UNITED STATES MARSHAL EppINa.

| SPHECH OF UNITED STATES MARSHAL EPP1NG.
| The following is correct version of the speech
Of United States Marshal Epping, delivered at the
Republican Convention held in Columbia some
time since, and of the resolutions offered by him,
which were rejected by that Convention. Nc
member Of the Convention spoke in favor of these
resolutions, with the exception of the mover and
B. F. Randolph.
AS Marshal Epping was severely criticised in the
columns of the NEWS before it passed into the
hands Of its present propretors, it is but just that
its readers should have before them the address
upon which that criticism was founded
| RESOLUTIONS.
| ResoLred, That organization s indispensable TO
| the success of Republican principles in this State,
and that the organization of the Republican party
must be maintained upon solid basis and upon
| correct principles.
RESOLVED, That capability and merit honesty
and fidelity, are the only test for office among Re-
| publicans.
Resolued, That every citizen OF the State who is
| loyal, and whose devotion to the Union and Re
publican party is beyond question, is entitled 30
far as the late Reconstruction Acts will permit, to
the support Of Republicans for places OF honor and
| trust.
Resolued That we profoundly deprecate any line
of policy which will array race against race and
clllZeuS OI Ouo clHSS apdluSU duOlueT.
ReSOLued That we, as citizens of South Carroll
ma, profess no other aim than to restore to her
people the inestmable benefits and blessing Of the
Union
Mr.. Epping spoke as follows:
FRIENDS AND FELLow-C -CITZENs While fear too
many harp upon the past and excite the prejudices
and passions of one portion OF our citizens against
the other, by recounting the evils which existed
prior to the late war, allow me to say few words
about the glorious future which is before US, if We
will only profit by the opportunity now offered to
us by the Republican party organization OF this
great country.
And while many demagogues strive to ride into
places and power by dianolical Vaccinations and
corrupt influences as we'll as by pandering to the
prejudice of caste and color creating generally dis
trust and misery all around us, will try and pour
oil upon the troubled waters, and thereby help to
restore confidence and prosperity to this bighted
State.
Demagogues and renegades from Southern as
we'll as Northern States, having in view only their
own selfish interests, keep pratpg and bowling
still among us, as if we only had to look to the
past and not to the future, and all for what2
will tell you-they want Office and want spois.
They think they can get all this by throwing
but they will find that the colored man is not so
ignorant as they wish him to be, and their nefari-
Gus schemes will al come to nought. They will
find that they will be repudated by the great,
good and sound sense O all classes and races alike,
but particularly by the marvellous good judgment
and integrity of the newly enfranchsed coored
For why should the men freed by the rebellion
hate their former masters for having turned reb-
els2 Would they be what they are now, free citi-
zens Of this great country? Would they not have
been in slavery STILL if this great rebellion had not
been started?
Surely, my colored friends ought to be grateful
to the Almighty for having nstilled the crazy idea
of secession into their former masters, so as TO
make war upon the country and to cause the de-
struction OF their cherished peculiar institution,
as they called slavery.
Instead Of hatred the colored men should look
with Christian charity upon their fallen and broken
down masters. Extend the hand of good Citizen
ship to them, and thereby prove to the world,
that while they are thankful to the Almighty God
for their liberty they bear ill-will and malice TO-
wards none. Let us be charitable to the impoy-
erished widow and orphan OF our former foes. Let
us show, then, that while you are watchfu OF your
rights and your liberties, you will say, as my col
ored friend from Greenyie said few weeks ago
"If old master does not love me, will love him,
and if he will not take care OF me, will take care
OF him." Truly noble words, spoken by noble
man. And surely, if you make others happy, you
will be happy yourselves.
No country no community, wherein different
races dwell, can be happy, can be prosperous, if
there is not general good feeling and confidence
between theDl-strifc and dissensions amongst
them create distrust and rancor and all trade and
are not prosperous; money does not circulate and
the laborer cannot find dremunerating employment.
Look at the city Of Charleston, look around you
here in Columbia, and see the hundreds nay the
thousands, of mechanics and laborers out OF work
and out Of employment, hardly knowing from day
to day wherewith to feed and clothe themselves
and their families, all for want Of confidence, all
for want Of trust.
The future welfare of our people, both whites
and colored is in their own hands, but particular
" Just now in the power Of the vly enfranchised
citizen Of this State they being temporarily in the
majority, 1t is in their power to mould their own
destiny, as well as the destiny OF their brethren
ia the other States of the Union. II they conduct
theme .lves with moderation and modesty, the con-
tinue5 success of the party of liberty and OF
progress, the great UniC. Republican party of the
North is insured. ] mean the great Conservative
Republican party OF the country.
II they themselves raise the question OF race,
and assume powers which they do not know how
to WELD; if they elect themselves into Offices
which they do not know how to fill, or elect bad
men, demagogues and outcasts of this, or rene
gades Of other communities, to high position, for
the mere purpose Of aggrandizement, then the
doom of the colored man, not only in this State,
but in all the States Of the Union, is sealed. The
reaction which will then certainly take place,
sooner or later, at the North, will surely raise
their enemies, the Democratic party, again into
power, by beating the Republicans at the cleo
tions, and under the cry of 'white mans Govern
ment," this country will be made too hot for the
colored man to live in. Their rights, their privi-
leges and their franchises will be swept away, one
after the other that they will be left to exc out
a miserable existence or be forced to leave these
States.
AS have said before, the destiny Of the colored
people is in their own hands. II they conduct
themselves SO that the Republican party can main
tain its power ut the North then all will be we'll
all will prosper at the South not only the colored
race, but the white race as wen-for the welfare OF
both are IL these Southern States so indissoluby
linked together that when one fourishes the other
pl ospers also-where one is poor and miserable,
the other is poor and wretched also.
Remember, my colored friends the preponder-
ance Of the white men in this country. Remember
the constant accumulation of the white race by
immigration, while you will increase but slowly,
There are already nearly eight whites to one
colored man in this country. Even in the South
ern States there are eight millions OF whites to
four millions OF colored people; and in twenty-five
years the whites will most likely have increased in
the South to twenty-five millions, while the oolored
will not number mu Ii more than five millions.
Remember that if you create q hatred of race
against you now, by abusing your temporary
power, and by electing ignorant men and low
demagogues to high Office, who surely will abuse
their short-ved power, you will arouse terrible
reaction against you before long, and when this
reactonary party gets into power: then God have
mercy upon you. But all this is only one side Of
the plcture-on the other hand, it must be consid
cred what duties has the white man of the Sonth
to perform?-what must he do, or not do, to avert
the threatening dislntegraton OF society Ill the
Southern States?
While the laborer cannot prosper without the
capital OF the rich man, nor without the intelli-
genoe OF the learned, so can the rioh with all his
lands or capital not prosper without the bone and
sinew of the laborer. Without labor his lands
would be barren wilderness, and without en-
| ployment his capital would bring no interest.
When both work in harmony, general good will
| and confidence prevail. Without this, commerce
| languishes manufacturers ale idle, no work for
the mechanic, lands lie waste, and prosperity is
nowhere to be found. And is not this our present
copoliion? Is not the want Of harmony between
| tue races and between the capitalist and land
owner and the iaborer, the caIse e. all ourmisery
just now? Is not trade stagnahtf Arc not
manufactures at u stand still? Arc not thousands
nay, even millions Of acres OF land, lying idle for
want of money to employ labor with?
Yes, my friends, such is our condition. and the nc
cause Of all this Is want OF mony and wan. OF
confidence. GL. cepital has been wasted by the
the suicidal war these statSc have waged against