The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-05-03
COLORED MEETING IN COLUMBIA.
SPEECH OF GOV. ORR.
ORGANIZATION OF A union PARTY.
[From the Carolinian.l

| UIluhNlLAIlUN UT Il UNlun lAul L
From the Carolinian
The colored men of Columbia, on Monday morning
held large quiet and interesting meeting with view
TO organize party and adopt platform of principles
looking both to their welfare and the interests OF tn
two races As OIL previous OCCASION number of citi
were invited to be present and address the mcctnR
Among these were his Excellency Governor Orr, Hon
james g. Gibbes Gel L. D. Childs Messrs. John Cald
well, T. j. Robe tson and \. NJ. Hunt. band was Ike
wise in attendance and discoursed its music between thu
various speeches made.
The assembly was called to order about ha.psst tel
O'Clock end s. B.. Thompson chosen Chairman, who il
few well timed remarks stated the object of the meet
ing to be the Organization Of republican form OF ,Statt
government that be acceptable to Congress- and
tho two races Of the South. An earnest prayer as her
after which, on motion. committee of thirteen up
pointed to draft series Of resolutions expressive Of the
The white members of this Committee were Messrs.
Gibbes, Caldwell and Robinson. The coored members
were william u Myers ~ F. Edwards saes Davis
Wilder, VIM. simons. The Committee retired to per
| form thei r duty.
Orr to address the audience (which, By this time
| numbered nearly 2OOOl, and he did 80 ae follows:
SPEECH OF GOVERNOR ORB.
MY FRIENDS: I have accepted the invitation to ad
dress you on this occasion with greet satisfaction but
regret that personal indsposion will prevent me from
celebrating the views had intended 10 submit aud that
shall be necessarily restricted to limited line Of re-
mark.
lam glad that you are taking some interest in the
present political aspect OF the country and are alive to
the importance Of the questions involved In your present
and prospective situation The conduct of your people,
commencing with the Inauguration Of the late war has
elected the approval of all rghtminded men, During
its progress you demeaned yourselves with quiet pur
suing your ordinary svocaons without the exhibition Of
turbulence violence; and when its close resulted IN
your you old not even then he give vent en- ,s
Southern States and no doubt hoped for by bad mon In
othern localities
Being in position which enables me to acquire nor-
nation from every portion of the State say further
and with much satisfaction, that during the present
year. those OF people who engaged In farm labor
pursuing their duties with steadnees and as-
siduity han during the year preceding Such conduct
shows that you properly appreciate the great boon OF
freedom which has been bestowed upon you, and are
disposed to do that which, while making you worthy
and useful members of the community, will command
the respect Of all good citizens. lhppl use-l
AS tho Executive Of South Carolina, since November.
18e5-when your lranumission had been but short
time decaredF have sought to hold these les OF justice
equally between you and the white race. havo thrown
starce where acts of oppression have come to my
knowledge. and where wrong has been dcne your people
by inconsiderate and vicious white men, have endeav-
ored to bring all such TO justice and to condsn punish
ment. have had equal occasion to reprobate the con-
duct Of persons of your color. So long as con-
tnue to discharge the duties of this posion-and its
sands running rapidly ou-I shall act in this imp
ia and didnterested manner but there be any lean
Tag required 1t shall always be to that side which is
least able to protect ITSELF fApplause)
You have accomplished great deal, but much yet re-
mains to be DONE those OF who aro able to read
viii refer the history OF the Israetes written in
the Bible you Will find that the progress you hayo made
ainca yon have been relieved from bondage is much
greater than theirs And you will learn somo instructive
lessons tracing that history, which will admonsh you
to attempt to make too rapid progress lest In so do
ing, you fall by the way-side.
According account given in the Scriptures, the
Jews were In bondage four hundred and th1rtT years.
and when tho Almighty had determined that they should
rai6V6d de D R1le6 the klng OF EIyp-
ans that he might be induced to ulow them to depart
In peace for the Land Of Promise He turned the water
courses into blood and afflicted tho Egyptians with
ocuss lice and frogs and when Pharaoh st refused 10
comply With the promise made to Moses the first born
ct the s. as Ssye Seat N ese eop
with all thes worldly pbssesaona tho 1sracesset forth
upon their pilgrimage to the land Of Canaan; pharaSh
lad BEEN sent upon him. determined to pursue, and
found upon the shores the Red Sea; but just
they appeared to be In his meshes the waters parted the
Israetes passed over dry shod and when Pharaoh and
his host followed God in his wrath caused the waves
to come together again. and tho mighty army vanished
from tho Of the earth Yet tho 1sraeltes did not
reach the land Of Canaan for long time Suffering and
prva ion was their lot Tor many years
Now, my theory Of the object Of the detention is this:
That this people, having been IN bondage four hundred
and thirty years, were disqualified by their want Of self
reliance, Of knowledge OF intel gence and training to
occupy ct the country that had been set apart for
them by Divine Providence. They travelled in the viii
derness forty years. and when they finally entered the
land Of Canaan, Moses had fallen. Aaron had been gath
Joshua Caleb Of an that vast host OF males who were
numbered ut Sinai. above the age of twenty years.
The distance ron Egypt to Canaan was loss thrn 800
miles distance that may be travelled, by railroad.
in twenty hours but fcI forty years they marched and
countermarched, passing through period Of preD Dina-
ry training, until another gene, ahon came upon the
stage and entered the land Of promise II IL conclusive
10 my mind that the former generation was permitted to
pass away because they could not be trusted with the
possession and It reserved to the more enlightened
and experienced generation which followed to enjoy the
tnher,tan
Now, my friends, comparing your own condition with
short years ought to excite your surprise and
late you to fresh exertions, that you may more fully
merit the signal which you have been blossed
since the hour -FOUR freedom; commenced. -
Hgh and important duties are before you TO perform.
Freedom secures to you the fruits Of your labo it is
true; but there s something more 70 be done You have
got ~ look out for your households ind To educate
your families and until another generation grows up
II am talking frankly with you-will you hnd that
amount of intelligence among your race shcn will emit
tie you to take the front rank In civilized life. presume
there is not one in five hundred among the coored peo
pie Of the South who enjoy the advantages of educaon
These who have done have improved their opport-
nities and profted largely from the increased inte
genoe and Influence which has been derived. Your first
great car therefore, in looking to the future is to- cdu
your children not rely to teach them to read,
write cypher and the elements Of knowledge byt to
impart to them lessons In morals poencss aud self
government and to inshl principles into their hearts
them an ornament to you, and blessing to society
These lessons must be ncucatd by the teacher in the
schoolroem. by the father and mother around the
hearth It is there that the most favorable impressions
are made upon the young mind and heart and charac-
ter is formed which, In the future becomes pride or
curse. .iSs :.
now no compulsion upon you TO labor at the will of an
other but your Of propriety your interests
require that you shall labor assiduously than you
have ever done. There is no now to provide for
your wants. Whatever there Is In around your little
family circle, whether II be money or food comes from
YOU IF there be comfort there you bring IT. there be
own affairs et your chief am be to make each one OF
your homes happy one. To do this, you must be eco
nomca industrious, energetic. civil and respectful
Save your money put 1t into small house. or, If you
desire FARM buy i've or ten acres and commence its
cultivation. Yon will feel that you havo stakc in the
welfare OF the community. There will be something
for you to live and labor for; and my life upon It, when
you have thus become the possessor OF property honest
y earned and paid for you will enjoy more respect for
yourselves and feel that you entitled to the respect
OF Others repeat 1t again-husband your resources;
save the odd pennies; indulge In unnecessary
rsysgance in drcss living otherwise. Industry and
economy will tell but they must 60 hand in baud If
suit viii be that when your heads have grown grey. you
will have pro6tsd by mcre industry than II you
had led an idle and dissolute lite.
lam ello to observe another improvement, namely:
that very many of your most intelligent and respectable
people, who have themselves experienced the awakening
Influences of the holy religion OF Jesus Christ are devo-
ting themselves % your spiritual welfare These per-
sons hsYe It in their power to do your much good
or If hey take the wrong direction, much harm Those
who have less intelligence must necessarily look to their
superors and it is therefore, important that you should
be so instructed by them as that you may not 6e ai
into trouble, and that designing men may not DO I'D
vanced or aggrandized at your expense.
great DIAL to say The who devotes himself to poll
tics embarks in very poor employment. have been
atit for twenty years. and therefore have right
to speak with some experience upon the subject But
the days Of my political existence have nearly out
and when retire from my present p0sitOn-I may add
here that am both disranchised and ineligible never
l,N1In olo0l,