The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-07-28
The Radical County Convention.

It was our desire and intention to be present
at the meeting of the Radical County Conven-
tion, held in this place on Saturday last, but
We were completely outwitted in the attempt,
and it occurred in this wise. The Radicals
have generally held their meetings in the
scho1l-house, formerly known as the Anderson
Male Academy, and thither we bent our steps
for the purpose of making enquiries as to when
and where the Convention would be held. Af-
ter interrogating several influential colored men,
it was ascertained that the meeting would take
place in that building, as they were informed,
but that township meetings were then in con-
sultation, and an hour might elapse before the
Convention would be called to order. In COM
pany with friend, we took up position in
the new church edifce now being erected on an
adjoining lot, to await the developments of the
hour. 1t was not long before we heard loud
talking in the school-house, and returning there
we found Gen. Worthington making speech
to the colored people. He was followed by
colored man named Parker, who explained his
position as Republican and occupied consid-
erabe time in a sensible and moderate speech.
When this was concluded, the audience began
to disperse, and not being able to obtain any
further information in regard to the County
Convention, we were retracing our steps to-
wards town, when in front of lis there appeared
large number of colored men, headed by two
or three white Radicals. Meeting the process
sion, we stated to the recognized leader of the
party in this county the object of our search,
when he complacently informed us that the
Convention had been held already, and they
were going back to the school-house to have
more public speaking. The delegates had been
convened (whilc VIC were listening to the
speeches already mentioned) in an old work
shop on Mr.. Cochran's lot, and had transacted
their business of selecting delegates to the
State and Congressional Conventions. We in
cline to the opinion that all this secrecy was
intended to exclude the majority of the colcred
people, while the leaders quietly manipulated
the whole affair. At any rate, the delegates
were chosen, and resolutions adopted instluc-
ting them to vote for Scott for Governor, and
Wright for Lieutenant Governor, and Hoge for
Congress Messrs. John R. Cochran, E. W..
Everson and Henry Kennedy were elected del
egates to the State Convention, which met in
Columbia on the 26th inst, and Messrs. John
r. Cochran, Jones Brown and Samuel Johnson
were authorized to represent this county in the
Congressional Convention which meets in Co
lumbia tomorrow And thus ended futile
attempt upon our part to report the proceed
ings of a Radical Convention.
Speeches were subsequently delivered in the
grove opposite the school-house by Gen. Wor-
thington and Maj. Eyerson. Having devoted
so much space to the Radical pow-wow of the
night before, we will abstain from any report
of these speeches. 1t was plainly discernible,
however that the work of the Convention was
not relished by some colored men, and when
we left the ground several white Radicals were
seeking to reconcile prominent colored indi-
vidual and gain his assent to the proceedings.