The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1870-02-19
Doings i'm Columbia.

versatiou here has been the great speech
of s. w. Melton, Esq, before the caucus
of members of the Legislature, Thursday
evening, and the. election which took
place Friday, and resulted in placing
Mr.. Melton upon the bench. The speech
is acknowledged by every one who heard
it to have been one of the ablest and
most remarkable in sentiment yet de-
livered upon the subject. of reconstruc
tion by a South Carolinlaa. The caucus
was held in the Hall of the House oi
Representatives, and was largely attended
by members of the Legislature aud the
friends of the respective candidates who
were expected to address the assemblage
DeLarge presided as Chairman. The
first speaker was Mr.. Thompson II. Cook
of Olangeburg, who sought to Impress
upon the members the fact that he was
Republican, and that he believed in this,
as well as IN every other Office to be filed
by the party now in 2owor, it was i'm
portant to them as party that they
should elect Republican. Even if they
did no, elect him, he hoped they would
elect Republican.
Mr.. VIM. L. Earle, of Grccnville, next
rose to speak, but after simply ailuding
to his record in connection with recon
structiun, gave way to Mr.. Melton.
MIR. Melton, commenced his speech hy
stating that lie occupied the same position
then, that he did three weeks previously
when his name was first announced as
candidate. He wanted it to be under
stood that he was nat member of the
Republican party, nor vas he a member
of the Democratic party. He never had,
nor would he on this occasion, simply for
the purpose oil getting Office, say or do
anything that he did not honestly and
candidIy believe. aln,allsdiug to politics
MIR. Melton said he had always been op-
posed to the extreme Calhoun party and
doctrines, that the FIRST he knew of
politics was whaa As&wasb bpt a youth
aud was then called soap tail" utter
wards he was known as Union man
and coopcrationist. lie was u Unionst
u secede md the war commenced, no
one went into the war; fought rore
earnestly for the State and Confcderacy,
aud came out of the fight later and with
more rclu ia ce than he did But when he
was conquered he yielded aud admitted
the right oi the conqueror to dictate
terms He accepted the Reconstruction
Acts and measures as the policy which
the couqueror had right to make. No
sensible man, he thought, would pretend
for moment that the Constitution of
the United States was ever recognized
in the settlement Of the great questions
that had divided the country. When the
armies met upon the banks of the
Potomac, that instrument was torn into
shreds and scattered To the four winds of
Heaven. The result OF the war was
freedom to the colorcd man, civil and
political equality before the law, which
meant no matter what color, tn At every
man had the same gifts as citizen to
vote and to hold Office That result he
regarded as one Of the inevitable results
of the war-ennncipation and the terms
of reconstruction, which the conqucror
had right to dictate New issues aud
new questions might arise in the future,
but at present Democracy meant ''give
me the oaves and the fishes" and Re-
publicanism meant "yeu shant have
them"
extremely regret that your reporter,
believing it to be but an ordinary caucus
meeting, did not go prepared to take the
speeches in full. The views expressed
by Mr.. Melton were, that the war having
decided the great questions for which
the opposing parties met upon the field
of battle, it was duty every man owed
to the country to "ally to its support, and
assist in placing its flag upon II pinnacle
so high that it will ever remain and
command the admiration of all the
nations of the earth.
The speaker was greeted throughout
with enthusiastic applause. In reply to
question made by Mr.. Neagle, how he
voted in the Presidential campaign? Mr.
Melton said he voted for Seymour and
Blair, but bet on Grant and Colfax.
THE SCENE IN THE HOUSE
The scene in the House, on the meet