The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-09-15
Reform Meeting at Sandy Run, Lc1ing-
tom County, q. O.

Reform Meeting at Sandy Run, Le1,ng-
| tom County, SO.
Mr.. EDITOR: The citizens of the ex-
treme lower part Of our County met on
the 10th Instant et the Sandy Run
Academy. e II sf
The object of the meeting was to
afford an opportunity to our oolored
population of hearing the principles and
objects of the Reform Party explained
and discussed, and at the same time to
organize all of each color in on earnest
and untiring effort in the political strug-
gle, which now agitates our State from
the mountains to the seaboard.
The meeting was called to order at II
o'clock a., M, DR.. G. Muller, presiding,
who, after making few remarks upon
the object of our meeting, gracefully in
troduced to the audience Mr.. Rice, O.
promising young lawyer of Lexington
Court House, who, alone of the several
speakers who were expected to be pre-
sent and addeess the meeting, had suffi-
cient pluck and enthusiasm to ride the
twenty-five miles, which has to be
traversed in order to reach this distant
and isolated portion of the County.
The limits of this communication will
not admit of anything like IN adequate
report of Mr.. Rice's eloquent and in
structive address. Never before had the
subject been presented so thoroughly and
forcibly to the people of this communi-
ty. With master hand lie placed be-
fore the eyes of the audience, the happy
aud prosperous condition OF the country
before the late war, and having portray
ed with almost painful dstinctness the
unfortunate results of this most cruel of
all civil conflicts, and the political neces-
sites which thence arose, he gave us the
history of the Reform party in South
Carolina, its origin and progress, its dis
tinctive traits as contrasted with radical
ism /; thoroughly exposed the actions! of
the party In power, and calling to the
memory of the audience the heroic strug-
gle and unselfsh sacrifice of our mar
tyred soldiers whose graves dot almost
every plain from Gettysburg to the Rio
Grande. He closed with IN earnest ap-
peal to his audience, by all that man
hold dear in this life, to unite, irrnspcc-
tive Of color, in determined effort to
redeem our beloved State from her pre-
sent political infamy, to restore an honest
and economical Government, to place
honest and capable men in Office, and
restore the days of prosperity and happi-
ness.
Mr.. Rice retired amid much applause
from the audience. a Reform Club was
then organized, to cooperate with the
club at Lexington G. H., and throughout
tho State. The audience quietly dis
persed, we'll pleased with tho able ad-
dress of Mr.. Rice.
In conclusion. it is but an act Of JUS
tice to say that Mr.. Rice also attended n
Reform meeting at Zeigler's Store, in
Orangeburg County, about six miles from
this place, where, from causes unknown
to the writer, the speakers having failed
to appear, Mr.. Rice having been called
upon, entertained the very large audi
ence which had assembled in an earnest
and enthusiastic speech, for nearly three
hours, during which he was frequently
applauded I hear, from those who were
present, that the colored people were
also we'll represented mt Z.iglers. The
colored people in this vicinity seem more
willing to listen to the arguments that
are now being presented to them than
ever before, which think can he count
ed among the many signs nf saccesa for
the Reform party. SANDY RUN.
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