The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-04-11
Remarks OF James G.. Gibbes, ESQ,
Delivered at Tho Democratic Mass
Meeting on Thursdny Might.


With no pretensions as public
speaker, J. come before you. with
great diffidence. But the impor-
tance Of tho occasion demands that
all personal considerations should
be thrown aside, and that every man
should do his duty; and as, from the
force of circumstances-not from
choice-my name has been put for
ward to represent you in the councils
of the State, 1 feel that it is my
duty to explain as we'll as I can, the
position of the two great parties that
now divide the country, and to do all
that I can to correct and refute the
misrepresentation of designing men,
who have knowingly, maliciously
and wickedly tried to array the color
ed people of the State against those
who ever have been, are now, and I
trust eue,' ,oiN be their best and truest
friends.
Is there one of you within the
sound of my voice, lyon, my colored
friends, I mean who can doubt for
q moment on whom he can best rely?
Those whom he has been raised
with-whom he has known all his
life-or the foreign adventurer, who
is now doing his best to stir up ill
feeling and dissension, and to run
into Office and position by your
votes, who is trying to cajole and
deceive you by false promises and
high sounding words that mean no.
thing? Do you not know in your
heart, thatwhen you arc told that
the Democratic party-that your old
friends and masters--are only wanting
the power to put you back into slave
ry, or at any rate, to deprive yon OF
your just rights, do you not know, I
say, that they arc telling what is as
false rs false can be? OF course you
do. Why is it that such efforts ore
made to trap and entice you into
pledges to stick together and leave
your old friends? Why is it that
these false friends prescribe and
threaten those who do not vote with
them? Is this the freedom that they
preach up so highly? You are told
that your old friends and masters
would like to make you slaves again,
but they nre not willing to even let
you vote as freeman. Is this liber-
ty? Is this friendship? No, my
friends, not bit of it. You have no
doubt heard the story of the man
who told lie SO often, that he got to
believe it himself. Now, this is like
ly the case with many of your radical
aspirants-they have told you lie
after lie, about the Democratic party,
till ut last they have come to believe
some of them themselves.
Now, my friends, let me tell you
nay position. Nearly three years ago,
/ told you that advocated the same
laws for the colored man as for the
white man. 1 told you that 1 advo-
Gated impartial suffrage. I told you
SO then, and I tell you so now; and
defy any man to say that L have
ever done otherwise; and more than
that, 1 know that you kno,D ii. How
many of you present have had deal
ings with me? And can any of you
say that I ever deceived you? No.
never.
Now, my friends, let me ask yon a
few plain questions. Suppose one of
you were (like most Of us have been
of late) in tight place-in want of a
little corn or bacon, or something to
help pay house rent with, who would
YOU 90 to with most confidanca of
getting aid? I, whom you have
known, or one Of the imported adj
venturers, who is so anxious to turn
you against old friends, and at the
same time get fat Office by your
votes? Suppose you want, as many
of you do. mule to help work a
crop, who would you apply to?
Would you go to one of those, who,
in old times, was a hard and tight
master-but who has now got loyal
and claims You as his friend-or
| would you come to him YOU have