Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-10-09
The Mass Meeting at Washington.

j. said to havo been tho largest ever
]:cld in that section of tho State
Large delegations were in attendance
from Elbcrt, Lincoln, Colu nbia, Ogle,
thorpe, Warren and Talitcrro, and the
extra train brought large number
from Augusta. The crowd was va
'ious!y estimated from $500 to 4,CC0
persons, including 1890 colorcd Dem
ocrats. Quite an Interesting fcaturc
OF tho occasion was the procession OF
tolorcd Democrats, who camo in
wagons and on horseback, with music
apd waving banners, and manifested
Hreat enthusiasm.
Gen. Toombs presided, and success
hivcly introduced, Judge Aldrlch, Gen
Colquitt, Gen. MCGOWAN, Hon. Ar
,nistcad Burt, and Gen. III. Wright.
from the Chronicle & Sentinel VIC
sxtract tho following notices of the
speeches of our townsmen:
Tho frat speaker was General Sam
nel McGowan, of South Carolipa.
Tho General made an eloquent, dig.
ni6ed and telling speech, and made
very marked impression upon tho au-
a:ience. Wo wish that this fine ad-
dress could have been heard by tho
Northern poopie, particularly that
portion in " hich he exposed and rid :
died the hypocritical cant about Sou
Ihern loilfy.
Colonel Armistead Burt, of Abbo-
vile, followed Gen. S. MCGOWAN in d
oalm, clear and we'll considered ati-
dress of about thirty minutes. Col
IS. is an eloquent and effective sposk
.r, and engaged tho earnest attention
:f tn , audience from Tho beginning TO
4he close of his beautiful and aprro-
iriate address.
A correspondent CT the Consiitu-
aionulist furnishes tho follow ing short
abstract of tho same:
After tho dinner had received full
justice and much praise, tho CROWD
returnod. to the stand and listened TO
Tho torcible and earnest speech Of
General Samuel McGowan, of South
Carolina. His terse, compact and
logical argument cannot be answ ored.
We admired especially his manner of
dealing with the subject of loyalty, co
much used as an argument against us
f'y the Radical party. Investigating
tho moaning of the word as lawyer,
,noralist and statesman, he showed
that the Interpretation that had boon
placed upon it by Stevens, sumucr,
Wade and others, was false in fact,
base in practice, and not sustained by
Jaw. lie asserted that large pro-
portion of thoso blinded or wicked
men, who, Of Southern birth, yet cup
ported tho designs of the Radicals,
woro during the late war filing posi-
lions of safety or profit, and that no
true soldier, lover Of tho South,
could 30 far forget his country or his
honor as to
"crook the supple hinges of the tEes,
That thrift; might follow fawnng."
ue spoke Of the we'll known fact,
that Whenever any man among us for
l.ase or sordid motives, gives his sup
Port to the Eldicals, perfect hurri-
cane of sound goes up that Le has
become at last loyal to the Govern
lnent, and one to be trusted and hon
orcd. lie closed his speech with
grand appeal to bear onward the bar.
nor of the Constitution and plsnt it
upon the dome of the National Capi-
tol that wo may overmore bo restored
10 those blessings cf peace and liberty,
without which no people can be pros.
porous.
Fishers Band then gave us some
pleasing music; after which, General
Toombs introduced that statesman OF
south Carolina, the Hon. Armistead
Purt. His speech was full Of strength
and power, being a searching aud
3e'i'hg review OF the cause of the
Aadical party and the evils which it
has brought upon us" lie expressed
his qualification for the great good
which had accrued to tho Democratic
party from the oxertions of our noble
women. They are not only power
in the land, but # is due 10 their &c,
voted efforts that to-day we stand
with them q solid pbalanx against tho
.ncroachmcnts of Radical power, and
resist SO successfully tho efforts to
destroy our liberty and rights. Ho
fully. sustained the fiue reputation he
gained in the Congress Of The United
states before the late unhappy strug-
g'e, and was listened to with marked
attention by oil. i.
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