The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-05-05
TIE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT.
Grand CelebratIon-Torchlight Pro-
cessten.

Yesterday the colored people of the city and
County OF Charleston had grand celebration
in honor OF the ratification Of the Fifteenth
amendment. The order was for oil who IN
tended to participate, to assemble near the
corner OF Mary and Meeting streets, at So'clocE,
but the line was not formed until about 10
O'Clock. The line was composed OF the first
battalion OF Charleston infantry, the various
fire companies, and large crowd Of ununiform.
ed people, both on horseback, in carriages and
on foot. Several OF the companies were headed
by bands Of music, and from every part OF the
line nuttered the United States and company
fags.
The line OF march was up. Meeting to Line
street. thence to King street, down King to
Wentworth street, through Wentworth back to
Meeting street, thence to Broad street, through
Broad to East Bay, and thence to the battery.
AS the line reached the Battery. the artillery
men commenced firing salute Of one hundred
guns, from two twelve FOUNDER Napoleon guns,
loaned by the United States authorities. During
the salute the line was marched on the battery,
and the members Of the various organizations
mingled with the multitude around the speak
e,s' platform. The number OF persons present
could not have been less than seven thousand.
The stand was tastefully draped with the nation
al banner, and q canopy OF bunting protected
lne Speakers neads rrom tre sun.
In the procession there were between fifteen
hundred and two thousand persons, only six OF
whom were white; among these were T. j., John
G. and I'd. W. NJ. Mackey, Lafayette Woolfe and
Lieutenant Taft On the stand, however, the
white men were more plentiful. Among them
were Mayor Pillsbury, G. s. Kuh, white member
OF the Legislature; Alderman Collins, Collector
Clark, T. ]. Mackey, ]. G. Mackey, E. W. NJ.
Mackey, NJ. N. Laughlin, L. I. Woolfe; the follow
ing colored members Of the Legislature: A. ]. Ran
sIer, R. B. ElliottssA E. Hayne, R. II. Cain, 3.
A. Bosemon; and the following colored Alder
men McKinay, L. F. Wall, E. P. Wall, Hampton,
Howard, Brown and Small.
At l2 O'Clock the sssembiage was called to order,
and after prayer by Chaplain Brown, letters Of
congratulation from DR.. A. G. Mackey, D. Kelly,
r. {. DeLarge, and regrettng their inability to be
present. were read. After this, W. d. MlshaW
delivered the opening address, and was followed
by several other speakers OF no prominence.
Their speeches generally were temperate; con.
graduating the celered people upon having OBJ
tanned their rights under the amendment, and
advising them to remain true to the party through
which these and all other benefits TO the colored
people, they claimed. had been obtained.
ToRCHLIGHT PROCESSION.
Last night those who had participated in the
procession during the day, supplied themselves
With torches and transparencies, and paraded
through Mary street to st. Philip street, up ST..
Philip to Cannon street. through Cannon to Rut'
ledge, down Rutledge to Calhoun street, through
Calhoun, back to Meeting, and down Meeting to
White Point Garden. Upon their arrival here, q
large number Of red, white and blue rockets were
set on.
The transparencies we're few in number, and
moet OF the inscriptions were illegible. One was
inscribed "The bottom rail- am on top now;" ano-
ther had the Cross bones, and "Phosphates, save
our bones.n
The procession did not reach the Battery until
II O'Clock. large crowd had assembled, and
while waiting had passed the time in dancing and
singing. After the arrival OF the procession,
several persons attempted to speak, but the ma
jority Of the assemolage paid no attention.