Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-03-27
Freedmen's Celebration,

bv the coiored men of the city of the passage
of the Shermau-Shellabarger Bill, investing
them with the right of suffrage and recog
nisipg their political equality in the eye OF
the law.
The Carolinian says:
In anticipation of the event, their iom-
mittee of Arrangements selected the speakers
for the occasion, and it is a significant and
noteworthy fact that, notwithstanding the
presence in the city of their Northern friends
and sympathzers, the gentlemen called upon
tn address this assemblage were our own cit
;z,ns. who had been identified in person with
tho war-men who have been DISTINGUISHED
by the same act which has created this polit-
ica! equality between tie two races, and yet
men who heartily possess the confidence OF
the entire community"
The speakers on the occasion were Hon.
w. F. DeSaussure. formerly Seuator in Con-
o-ess Hon. Edward Arthur, Hon. W. II. Tai
lev, James G. Gibbes, and Rev. David Pick
cit and Beverly Nash (both c9lcred).
The Car9linian, referring TO the speeches:
says:
The sentiments uttered Oh the occusion
are worthy OF the time, w3rthy OF our pco-
plc. black and white. and are Il living evil
d.nce of that honor which, thank God, still
s,;-s the common heart. The speeches By
Rev. George Pickett and Beverly NASH lboth
rol,red). were models of excellence aid de-
serving of all praise as emanatlons of sensible
rhoueht from source that should be appre-
ciated. Speaking for their race, they treated
in the present condition Of afi.irs in spirit
Of common sense, which we confess was not
anticipated, and which encourages the belief
,ha, the relations between the white and col
cred men Of the State are too intimately con,
nectcd 10 permit au antasonlsm or diversity
of interests now or hereafter.
Gen. Wade Hampton made an effective
address, which will be published in full. He
said:
Recognizing fully the new Obligations
imposed upon the colored man as citizen,
he advised him as to the manner in which he
should hereafter conduct himself as mem
Der of the community. Tie alluded not only
to the necessity Of education, but of an den
ttv with the people among Whom the negro
was born and reared, whose interests were In
no way different from his own, and whose
policy was to be in the future as much the
work of the black man as ofthe white. The
speaker referred likewise to the Importance
Of harmony in all the relations between the
two races, as essential in determining the vel
fare Of the people and securing permanent
peace aud prosperity"
The following is the substance ofthe speech
made by Beverly Nash (colored):
Fellow CITIZENS: have been taken some.
what by surprise and am not prepared to say
all that want to, on this occasion but We
know what We have come here for. We have
come to celebrate the right of suffrage-the
one thing needful to place US on a common
platform as citizens. The question has been
asked. whether we are prepared for this con-
d;tion of things or not / do not blame our
people for their doubts on this subject, because
our former condition was calculated to make
them doubt but whether we are prepared or
not. we are now entitled to vote, under the
recent law. must confess that do not like
that law in all respects, because 1t dlStran-
chises gentlemen in whom We have more con-
fdence than anybody else, and forbids them
TO represent our country az it should be re-
presented in the councils of the people. Ny
doctrine is, that every man, whether ignorant
or not. who is compelled to pay taxes. Is
entitled to vote. 1t is matter Of public pol
lev that we should be, because there is dis
coptented element in our midst, composed Of
the ignorant people of both classes, which
would be greatly disturbed if they were pre-
vented bv Convention Of the State from eX
ercisinr the right to vote, and we should have
a revolution in a tea kettle. For the purpose
of ueace end quiet, therefore, i'll our State, |
want to see everybody vote except the wo
men. I believe, my iriends and fellow ci;i
z-n<, we are not prepared for this suffrage.
But we can learn. Give man tools, and let
him commence to use them, and, in time, he
will learn q trade. So it is with voting W
may not understand 1t at the start, bat, in
time. we shall learn to do Our duty.
1t has been said that Calhoun was master
of South Carolina Clay the dictator Of Ken.
lucky, and Webster the emperor OF Massachu-
sets. But hereafter We arc to vote for prin-
ciples, not men. And we have good men in
our midst; men We can trust; men who arc
our friends, and have proved, by their acts,
that they are the friends of the State. In
these gentlemen we must hav' CD nfdcnce
unit; they have proved that they do not de-
serve it. do not believe that there is man
IN this district who, if you will reason with
him about these things, will not agree with
what say. Wc recognize the Southern
white man as the true friend of he black
ma l. You see upon that banner the words
United we stand, divided we fall" and, il
ycu could see the seal Of the society which
that banner represents, you would find the
white man and the black man standing with
their arms locked together, as type Of the
friendship and the union which we desire
We feel that the white man has not under
| l,l. l. l. u, HAL
derstood the white man aud if the citizens oi
South Carolina had all acted, after the close
of the war, as these gentlemen have done to-
day, and spoken their kind sentiments os free
ly, our State would not regret the loss oi
twenty thousand colored citizens who have
. gone abroad because they had not sufficient
confidence to stay. After the remarks we
have heard to-day, we believe there is a bet
. ter time coming. Twelve months ago, Mr.
Gibbes said Fellow citizens, we are willing
to meet you halfway; )" and we are glad to say
; that the representatives and public men ot
Richland district have done so on the present
! occasion. We feel that we are understood
. here, and we believe that coored men will
+ hereafter enjoy the rights and privileges which
now belong to their race. ThSre is less pre-.
judco everywhere South of the Potomac
against the colored man than there is North
of it. Applause.l l saw in Washington, a
few days ago, men more violently opposed tt
our advancement than any gentleman here
; and We know that the States of New Hamp
shire, Ohio and perhaps some others, have re-
fused tha, political equality which exists and
has been accorded in South Carolina. 1t is
our duty, therefore, to identity ourselves with
this soil. Here, we have grown from child
hood to manhood. Many of US, white and
black, have been brought up together; we
love the people, we respect their honor; we