The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1868-01-18
From the Charleston Mercury.
. THE NEGRO CONVENTION.
TUEsDAl,1lTH.s!

| .ir'ti, .tW-tG N iStii' "tf''
E,rn o:uY TUESDAY, ,1lTH.d .ad -1
Eos According to announcements, the grcnt ringcd,
/ strcaked land stipcd convention, callctl to-
,gcther.to providc,a new Constitution for the
once great State. of South. Carolina, assembled
in,. and thereby deseeratdl, tho Charleston
Club House; a, building erected by-a society of
Charleston. gentomen, fur Thea enjoyment of
each other $, company nthe pursuit ofaploas-
ure: Z -id u ~ hw s5i. '.,frt-
| :,Atten pinstes past twelve % clock, T. FIur-
| ley, Mhto delegate from ,fBcrkeloy District,
called. the convention to,iordeE and Requested
tho spectators to withdraw mthout the bar.
i except the representative of tho pr So, who
were requested to press themselves around the
tables prepared for thcmH The plain delegate
/ from Eolkely thus brought the convention to
ordery and established an indiSpdtnble claim to
be- regarded as the funny man or harlequin Of
the body. @',.ai.: so 49,: '- iai
~. Thomas j. liubcrtzon, white, dclcen.e from,
\ Richland, Was tlleh unanimously choscn tenn
porary eharninir,, and>W. J.p.nlckmley Of
ONnSebufG. requested to act rs secretary pro,
tomni ',.i =, edo (" ;ri7 nno1 - u
i-Ihc c:etary pr, scm,iihen read thc c:a-i'
log the assembling oftu convention and called
the list bf ,loL,gr,os :sf ";f~ So p !
i" Df h@guorc white, dele delegate ,iy.u
r".lingtsh:f thea ,a9,v,:c,, that commitit,cc be
dIpoihs1 on ptS.nissassnt' t'I1 Organization, whose
duty it would Be to report the. ngmes Of suita-
bio persons to fill the Offices of convention.
This motion gave ris;c: to great discussion. !.
1t was hn,ily agreed that the chair should
appoint co:nmittec Oh certificates of idcntiE-
cation, who should report Who were entitled to
seats in, the convention. '' A>
I b. 0dclr Duncan; wF.itc, HLloeato FROM New
fbcrry wishcdithc wl6l6 matter postponed un-
I'll Thursaayht , o'clock, t5 give tidio for The
1ne,iibcrs to become acquainted With Zach other,
and form correct opinions as to who were fit
persons to act AZ officers Of the convention
He was of opinion taat ii great deal cf the Cue
cess and influence Of the body would depend
upon the administration of'thc president Of tlc
convention, and he wanted ample time given
to the members TO make wise choice.
aE l.. b.. langley, delegate from Beaufort, but
awoolly- ly-hcadcd Negro from tho North, here
suggestcd that the 'tohvcntion was hot in
condition to organize, as there was no telling
whether the members who answered. their
names were the real members 81 not and he
thought that the members ought to be ident-
| fed in somc way. This led to more protraccd
discussion, during which great variety of
opinions wcrccxrressed,i and number of nio-
tons made and Observation-Disclosures. 90 ojinE
TIE committee having rctihGq, it vas moved
that Tie convention take a recess for twenty
minutes. This was; Voted itlown amid much
laughter as if it was very funny; There boing
nothing else to do, n member Suggested that
the chairman pro tcn entertain the convention
with a speech during the absence of tho COM
mittcc The chairman not conscrtn to this
pastimc, various suggestions wore made for diff
fcrcnt members to speak, but none accepted
The proceedings Mt this stage were character
lied by some irregularity great want of
dignity? Z" 4" hN'"" it r.
The secretary pro. tenn, evidently dcsrous of
preventing the convention from exposing itself
] T. further rideulo, moved that tho convention
take areccss for three quarters of an hour, and
tar the information oil tho ignorant he OK
planned that three quarters OF an hour meant
forty five, minutes. This motion was al>o voted
down amid shouts of, daughters. .as if it was the
extreme Of wit, nto keep the members in the
room. ,ui,., lA ~
AT length, to the great relief Of those wish
ipg to leave tho hall, messenger from tho
Committee o.. Credentials appeared, and in
formed the chairman that the. Committee
wished the presence Of all tho members IN tho
committee. ..rocn, except The chairman and secra-
tary pro. tom: .i9. a.aSt, s.4 LHl
This created an actual, though not formal,
recess of aAput halfaap hour, after which, the
Committee and, other Notwithstanding and
rcspming their seats, B.Q4ell DUNCAN, as
ehpirpan of tho committee. waIe a verbal 10