Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-04-10
THE CHARLESTON FREEDMEN.
Speeches by 5olon Robinson and
Gen. Siokles.
Correspondence Of tho N. Y. HeraId.I

Correspondence of the N. Y. Herald.]
CHARLESTON, March 29.-The attend
ance at the freedmen's meeting has been
estimated by impartial judges at between
5000 and 5000, including men, women n
and children. The crowd was very or
derly, though their excitement was
wrought up to the highest pitch, princi-
'pally, however, by the appearance on
the platform and address of Solon Rob-
inson, of the New York Tribune. His
long gray hair, gray beard, in addition
to his sepulchral voice and upraised
hands and eyes TO heaven as he stepped
forth to address the assemblage, seemed
to act like an electric shock on the null
titude. AS his speech was a brief one,
| append it. He said:
"Where am II Will somebody pinch
me or kick me so as to awake me2 Am
/ dreaming2 1t cannst be true / am in
Charleston. Why, this is where | used
to come to witness great slave auctions.
Is this South Carolina Has South
Carolina brought all her slaves here to
be sold2 Very we'll; will put them
up at auction. will sell you all to-
gether. / never divide families. never
tear wives from their husbands. never
separate children from their mothers,
and / will sell you all together Now
am going to put you up. Here is a
good plantation hand. [Great laughter.
Here is first rate house servant and
good cook. Come up here, strip your
selves, show that you are sound. Now,
going, going, going. OH look upl Do
you see that spirit with usY 1t is the
spirit of Abraham Lincoln Abraham
Lincoln! God Almighty, look on Abra-
ham Lineolnl He bids for all the slaves in
South Carolina He has bought you with
HE blood and now declares you are free.
TGreat shouting and cries Of 'hallelujah. ]
Oh look up; look up and bless God
that Abraham Lincoln died for you.
Kneel down by your bedside tonight and
bless God that Abraham Lincoln died to
make you free. Oh what sight is this.
Oh that have lived to see this sight.
1t is what read of all through the war.
| often read that the rebels were deter
mined to die in the last ditch. believe
this is it. This is the last ditch. Oh !
Mr.. Chairman, that | had voice 10
speak to you for an hour. / have only
come to show myself, 10 show that man
from New York, from the Tribune office,
can come to Charleston and stand before
10000 people and declare that all the
slaves are free. This is one of the proud
est days of all my life. | will remember
it while live and think of it upon my
dying bed. / shall look upon the day as
one Of the most glorious of all my life.
Bless God for this day"
During the delivery of this speech
some of the females went into mysteries
and we're carried of the ground The
enthusiasm of the men was indescribable.
The shouts and waving Of hats coRtinued
for FIVE or ten minutes after the closing
remarks Of the speaker.
The press and citizens generally at
tribute the csr riot that followed in the
evening to the above and other addresses
of violent character, denuneiatory of
the aristocratic whites, delivered at the
meeting. This disgracefal affair, how
ever, is repudiAted by the colored men,
who assert that il was commenced by a
drunken colored barber, followed by
some so or 60 colored boys, returning
from the meeting, whose conduct was
instigated BY some two or three ignorant
colored women. The colored leaders
say they do not wish their people to
ride on the cars, and that they can az
ford 10 wait their time They claim
6OeO voters, whilst the whites have not
more than half their number