The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-07-06

was grand political demonstration at
Edgeield Court House, on the I'd.
Speeches were delivered by Representa-
tive jackson, Congressman Hoge. AS
sistant-Adjutant-G General Elliott, Colonel
Delaney and General Worthington, on
the Republican side; Hon. r. B. Car
penter, General Butler and Colonel Ba-
con, of the reform party. The speakers
avoided all personalities, and the whole
affair wound up with barbecue. A cor
respondent of the Charleston Ne,os gives
q full report of the proceedings, from
which we extract the following:
Hon. r. B. Carpenter was then intro
'duced by Mr.. Eiohelberger as ga Demo
crat, land the candidate of the Union
Reform party"
Judge O. said he did not come here to
discuss political questions, but rather to
join in the celebration OF that event
which had legally secured to the colored
race the blessings of civil and political
iberty-the fifteenth amendment He
then briefly ''let out" on Captain
Eiohelberger, late of the Confederate
army" for calling him n Democrat,
--hereat the captain turned very red,
very white, and perspired copiously, at
being made to appear 80 ridiculous in
the eyes of his heretofore faithful con-
stituents, that they absolutely laughed
and jeered at him.. The colored people
say they never had an idea that he was
such mean man before, while the cap
tain says that he intends to name his
next baby after the Judge, 80 that he
won't forget him in a hurry. The gen.
eral impression produced on the opposi
ton speakers, Judging from the guarded
and courteous way in which they alluded
to the candidate, evidently is that they
would rather be chased by wild Ca
manche than cross swords with him in
anything but legitimate argument. After
finishing this side-play, the Judge re-
marked that he regarded the fifteenth
amendment as the grand elimination of
the war, the statutory paciication OF the
country. But with universal suffrage
there ought to be universal amnesty.
agree on that point perfectly.] The ff-
teenth amendment secured for all time
the right of citizens to vote without re-
gard to race, color or condition, and
without fear that the privilege would be
abridged by any State. Itconferred po-
litical freedom upon the colored man,
but it was not freedom whom Lis heart
and conscience is controlled by those
who seek to use his vote for their own
ACKNOWLEDGMENT and ambition. "Do you
ask (said the speaker) what will put you
on the platform with me? I answer, a
determination to vote as you please!
For there is no feedom in being dragged
by chain to the polls, to have tickets
thrust into your hands which your own
consciences tell you will elevate bad
men to power. Who has authorized this
man or that to administer on oath that
puts fetter upon your hands and
your hearts and makes you the slaves
of tyranny that debases your manhood,
by compelling you to vote for A, B or
G, because your party says so? Nobody!
and the first duty you owe to yourselves
as men, and as citizens, is to cut loose
these shackles and stand forth unrc-
strained. in that true liberty which is,
thank God, now the birth-right of every
American!" Your freedom, your citizen
ship is a fixed and accomplished fact,
and cannot be disturbed. Talk about
the Republican party protecting it, or
the Democratic party, as it has been
called, destroying it. Why you might
US we'll talk of COMPRISING the ocean
into drop, or eternity into an hour-glass.
It is the keystone Of our immortal con
stitutional arch, and forty millions of
people are pledged to sustain it. One
point more, for this is not speech; it is
only brief talk. Is it not true that o
certain cless of persons, who mingle in
the politics of the State, have tried to
keep you apart from the white people of
the country-have tried to induce you
to prevent our speaking, to shut your
ears to truth and fact-ever since the
meeting of the Convention in Columbia?
leave your consciences to answer the
question. Let me say to you, then, that
it is your prime duty to harmonize
promptly with the white race There
are but four millions of colored people
in the United States, and if, from one
disturbing cause or another, you permit
yourselves to be used for the partisan
purposes of those who seek to array you
in opposition to what is just and right,
you will find weight of thirth-fve mil
lions OF white people upon you. Such a
result, however, only can follow from
yielding blind obedience to those who,
taking advantage OF your Ignorance, are
even now trapping you with their oaths,
nh