Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1870-10-21

their own welfare.
The speaker next discussed the tariff Gues-
ton and charged that the Republican party
had always legislated in such manner that
the rich were made richer and the poor poor
Ter. He dwelt at considerable length upon
this subject and illustrated by the two articles
Of salt and iron the unjust and oppressive
working of the tariff law, and in conclusion
he urged upon the whole people to let the
dead past bury Its dead, and to unite in the
grand and glorious object of maintaining the
ascendency Of the Democratic Conservative
party.
Judge Merrick, throughout the delivery of
his speech, was listened to with the most
marked attention both by his white and COL
ored auditors. and was frequently enthusiast
tically cheered.
The Chairman, Hon. F. Stone, next intro
duccd the Hon. Montgomery Blair and spoke
of him as Democrat Of the school of jack
son and gentleman known from Maine to
Texas. Judge Blair then assembled the stand
and delivered one Of the most eloquent, effec-
tive and interesting speeches we have ever
listened to. He spoke of his high apprecia-
ton and respect for the people of Maryland
and of the ties which bound him, descend
ant, on one branch of his family, of Maryland
ancestors, to the noble old State. He next
recounted his efforts for more than twenty
years in behalf of Emanci patton, at a time
too when within the broad limits of the State
there was not a man who was an open and
avowed advocate of the measure. His past
record, he said, was a living speaking testi-
mony of the feeling he entertained for the
colored race-a pledge that the advice he now
gave them was honestly given and best cal
culated to promote their interests. 1t is true,
he said, that after success had crowned his
efforts in setting them free-after he had seen
them secure in all their rights of person and
property, be was yet unwilling to extend them
the right Of suffrage; yet this was because he
feared that they would allow themselves to
be led astray by designing men-men who
would lead them, not for the interests of the
colored race, but for their own purposes of
self-aggrandizement; but he would now frank
ly confess that he had been mistaken, that be
had unwittingly done them an injustice
North Carolina and other Southern States had
proved that the coored man could and would
vote inteligently.
To vote intelligently, it was only necessary
to divest their minds of all faint of prejudice
and passion; to look upon the past as past !:
to consider we'll with whom their interests
lay, Vote with those sshana. -cammon
interest makes common friends. He next
showed that the Radical party was not the
true friends of the laboring man-that its
legislation was designed exclusively to pro-
mote the interests of the large manufacturers
and monopolists at the expense of the agri-
culturists. Judge Blair next elaborated the
unjust determinations of the odious tariff, aud
gave many forcible illustrations of its oppres-
sive working.
In conclusion, be reminded his colored
hearers of the true feelings entertained for them
by the carpet-baggers and scalawags who now
protested such undying love and affection for
them, and instanced what he had heard Mr..
Poole, Radical Senator from North Carolina,
say on the floor of the Senate, that the XVIII
Amendment was all a sham-that the colored
people were ignorant, superstitious and de-
graded, and required Federal bayonets to
make them vote right.
Judge Blair's speech was received with
deafening cheers, and, undoubtedly, made a
most favorable impression on his colored audi
tors.
Hon. Barnes Compton was next called upon
and made most eloquent and thrilling speech,
of which, want of space forbids US to say more
than that he fully sustained his already we'll
earned reputation as one Of the most brilliant
and effective orators of the day. At the con-
clusion of Mr.. Compton's speech, the meeting
adjourned with three cheers for the standard
bearer of the party, Hon. VIM. M. NJ srrick,
which were given with deafening huzzas-the
colored people pining in as enthusiastically
and with as much zeal and earnestness as the
whites.
After the crowd had left the Court House
we saw large numbers of colored mer ap-
proach Judge Merrick and congratulate him,
and as we passed up the street we met groups
of them cheering for the Democratic cand-
date and vehemently asseverating their inten-
ton to vote the Democratic ticket.
Democratic Meeting at Bryantown.
On Wednesday last Hon. VIM. NJ. Mer-
rick and Hon. Montgomery Blair addressed a
meeting of the Democracy at Bryantown.-
We learn that large crowd, composed of
both white and colored voters, was in attend
ance and the meeting most decided success.
A Significant Fact.
On Tuesday last, as the Democratic meet
ing was about being organized, squad of
colored men numbering about dozen march
ed several times across the Public Square, to
the music of drum, evidently with the in
tent to entice and draw off their colored
brethren. The ruse, however, did not sue
coed and the squad had finally to depart with
IL IL.