The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-07-29
The Great Meeting In Ward No. g.

| pers, the memt,rs Of the Democratic Cluo ol
Ward assembled last night in front OF the
Washington Engine House, where they we're
met by large number of members OF sister
organizations.
at a few minutes after the procession was
formed and, preceded By Muller's well known
Eutaw Band, marched to the place appointed
for the meeting. Several hundred persons
were in the procession, including the delesa-
ton Of fifty members from the colored Demo-
cratic Club Of Ward S, which was organized on
Monday night, and strong delegation from
the Pioneer Colored Democratic Club of the
9Th Ward. As the procession marched through
the streets the band played "Dixie," and cheer
after cheer made the welkin ring.
THE MEETING.
At the corner of Warren and Coming streets,
in large open lot, the stand for the speakers
was erected. It was decorated in front with
United States flag, above which was
transparency with the inscription, "WEL-
COME TO THE Hon. A.. P. ALDRIoH-WARD
No, 6.-On one side was transparency
with the names Of oar future President and
Vice President SEYMOUR and BLAIR; and on
the other side was another transparency with
the words "UNioN AND CONSTITUTION" The
interior of the stand was brilliantly light
ed, and around the place of meeting
were number Of rejecting lamps and burn
ing tar-barreis, .hich made the whole arc as
light as day, and brought out in forcible rel:et
the expression and changing faces OF the i'm
mense crowd. About thiee Thousand persons
we're on the ground, and before the speaking
began three rousing cheers and "a tiger we're
given for Seymour and Blair. The arrange
msnts for the meeting were admirable, and re-
fsct great credit upon the officers and com.
mlttee who had them in charge. Ward No. 3
was the first to form and organize Democratic
Club in this city, and the banner ward seems
determined to maintain it's prestige and snow
itself worthy of its reputation.
TIE SPEECH OF JUDGE ALDRIcH.
At half-past eight Judge Aldrich came on
the ground, and was received with vociferous
cheering. With him on the platform were the
Hon. Alfred Huger, the Hon. G. b. Simonton,
and a number Of other influential citizens.
Colonel simonton then came forward and in
troduced Judge Aldrich .as a distinguished cit
izen, born in our midst, and whose every hon
or and distinction had been source OF pride
TO the city which gave him birth. When the
cheering had subsided, Judge Aldrich spoke as
follows:
:.FeQop Citizens: I never come back to this
grand old city, with all its great aud glorious
memories, It's courtly and genial hospitality,
its high sense of propriety, and the scrupulous
integrity OF its leading men in all departments
of business, but feel q just pride that here
I was born, and. ceived that moral and men
tai training which has enabled me to achieve
anything Of usefulness in life. f,s ~
Even now, when look at her, blackened,
SCARED and defaced ,hy the demons ofawar
and fire, the sadness which fills the heart is
tempered by the proud reflection that belea-
guered and attacked both by sea and land,
she held out .tosthe last, and never lowered
her her flag until the cause was lost and our ar
imies, yanquished and broken-hearted, laid
down their arms and returned to find their
homes in ashes and their families in almost
hopeless poverty. ~
There stands Fort Sumter, fought down to
thu waters edge, and when not a. stone was
left on which to mount gun, her immortal
defenders, burrowed under the ruins, flew
their flag defiantly, and bravely beat back every
force that was sent to tear it down. Itwas the
very poetry Of battle-the5 defence of that
fortress is q grandepic. We may be deprived
Of liberty and property, but, thank God! they
cannot deprive us Of these glorious, thesetim-
mortal memories. Fellow-citizens, it could
not well be otherwise. The men who fought
that fort rememberedthe great ancestors from
whose loins they sprung, and could not afford
to tarnish their memories by submitting to de-
feat; remembered the heroic women whose
prayers in their behalf asoended'to the Throne
Of Grace by day and by night, and could not
afford 10 ,betray their trusting confidence.
There was but one way to take it, and that was
not to leave man to fight it. loud cheer
mg.l
] These are our memories Of the past-what
are our hopes Of the future2 -, -.
The struggle now before US is the grand con-
test for constitutional liberty, in Shich we have
always been engaged, and in which we shall
now be successful. We never desired to break
up this Union. remember the words OF John
@. Calhoun, who painted, in prophetic words,
the consequences Of the legislation then being
pursued by those Of whom the Radicals are the
representatives. When he had pointed out the
horrors which must ensue, his vision failed,
and the curtain fell before his eyes; but with
our country and our people do not believe
that the future can continue DARK. lCheers.]
Tho people OF the Northern States now see
that the Radicals we're leading them to des-
truction, and are organizing for the fight for
freedom, and they have 30 organized that do
not believe there is any chance Of our defeat.
II matters not who are the bearers Of the stan
dard upon which shines our motto of Truth,
Justice and Constitutional Liberty, for as long
as we fight undaunted for the principle of
right we must and shall succeed. It may seem
absurd that we, who have been ground down
by satrap whose word was law, should say
what is the duty of the hour. But the day at
last is dawning, and it is our duty at once to
marshal our hosts and assist those men OF the
North who have fearlessly come to our assist
ance. These are not Wilson, and Stevens, and
Butler tories of 'ispoons. and three groans, not
tba man who did all the LEGISLATION and all the