The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-07-06

report of the Com rllttee on Plat1ofm De tahen
from the table, which was carried:
The president announced as the pending
question before the Convention, the report OF
the Committee on Platform.
REMARKS BY MR. KEITT.
Mr.. Keilt referred to the solemnity Of the oc-
casion on which they mad convened. and which
alone had impel!e cd him to speak. DE dld NOT
| like the platform which had been reported. 1t
contained within itself only a recognition OF
the past, and vas confined to the limits OF this
| State. He referred to the history OF the past.
| and drew al analogy between the position OF
onr forefathers hundred years since and the
colored people prior to the war. By the reVo-
luton our torefathers secured freedom. Which
they did not concede to their slaves. Ghough
they had eyes and ears, they neither saw nof
herd that which was demanded in justice to
| an oppressed race. And as the Almighty mao
hearI their prayers, so. nearly hundred years
| later, He heard the prayers OF the enslaVeo
| black people, and they were given freedom
which had been vouchsafed 10 the white race
| throughout the war Of the Revolution. The
| speaker compared the slavery Of the coored
| race to the bondage OF the lsraelites in Egypt,
| and President Lincoln to Moses, both ofWAom,
when they had led the ensayed people out OF
| bondage, had been gathered to the homes OF
| their fathers before the trultion CT their hoprs
was realized.
| At the request OF Mr.. Y. J. Pope, of New
berry, the report Of the Committee ON Fiat
| torn was again read.
In sustaining the report, General j. =. Ae1-
| shaw said:
| REMARKS oF GENERAL KEgsaAW.
.M' Pi'ssident-I desire, and think 1t pro-
| per, TO say somethiu" explanatory OF the view
! aud purpose entertained by the movers in the
| u,attor OF the platform. aud the precise idea
! which they endca1ored to express, and 10 dem
onstratr if can, that they have, III the result
OF them labors, embodied that idea. You, Mr.
| President, and all the gentlemen OF this Con-
! YeniiOn. are we'll aware that 1t Is pecn!lar
and difficult thing which we propose to ac-
| corplish in this platform. Up 10 TINS time,
there have been two peoples IL South Carolina
whose interests are identical whose feelings
| and svmpathies upon almost all subjects are
| identical, but who have been brought INTO
direct and even angry antagonlsm upon polltl-
| cal subjects. And that antaSonlsm mas oeen
| wrought, not upon any sound o. trutn1ui oasls,
| but by the artful interpostion OF a dtereat
people between those two fraternal races OF
inhabitants OF South Carolina. That different
people have artfuly seized upon and luterpos-
| cd certain pre-e3istinS facts to lay tie founda-
| ton CT perpetual dlscord betwean this JACOB
and this Esau, in order that they may lnlqult,
ously profit thereby. [Appiause and laughter!
! I am sorry ID say, for my race, that ths aftIul
l
extent, cnsendered antagonisms IN the nearIs
! of the whites toward tho colored races, an
| artaeonism that did not exist before they ln-
| teryened. On the other hand, we Know tnat
| our co.ortl friends have acquired false iGeaS
as to the lntents. purposes, sentlmeats anu
| feelings O! their white brethren from Ino same
| source, and that when we approach tnem ID
the words OF Cancellation and Kindness, they
| are assidlousy taught to regard us as SER
pents in disguise, who seek to enter lnto anu
| disturb that political paradise which these
| parties nave constructed for their own Oencnt.
| IApp.ause.l Therefore, when we approach
Them to oter the hand OF conclllatiou to our
| friends on the other side. we have 10 guard
| against double nl!sconstIuctlon. we nave
to Guard against our extreme but honorable
| aud cvar-to-be courteousy AMI kindly re-
| ferrad to old State Rights Secessonls's oi
South Carolina. We have, on the one hana,
TO Convince and demonstrate TO them tnaI
| when We do approach our brethren on inc
| other side it is not with the view 10 ehIfap
them into position OF dishonor and d'sreputc.
| On the other hand, We have to convince our
colored friends that We approach them in all
| sincerity, kindness and fidelity, TO stand ny
| what We say here to-day, [applause and TO
| ask them to unite With US in all houest, IRA
,elna effort to upheaYe the old State OF Souta
| Carolina and place her upon a greater emil
| neuce than SHE ever attained te5ore. lap-
| plduse. ,.o
We'll, sir, what haye We t. do the first thug!
! We have first TO demonstrate to the white peo-
| pie OF South Carolina that there is no trap IN
| this thlun ior them ana lntir ideas, tnat iheu
| dignity aud iileir honor, ahd even tAef sclIl
| Elents (becausp sentiments are sometimes 81
| cred things ure not CON ~ ~ 'i''o
| movements, How do we DO thatf We du IL
by meeting this objection. That class Of ln"h
! say we reeard this Fifteenth amendment as
| law as much as YOU do. We know that II 4
| fixed fact. We know ii because, II our every
| DAYS experience. we go to the pols anu as
these people to vote for our Candidates, ana
| We know that they exercise tAe funcuoES u
| office, and that they are liked upon US ss law.
| But We cannot say IN Cur conscience tha1 VIC
! approve OF the process by which this thing has
been brought about Now, Mr. freslient
| when pe construct platform. We must LAY its
| foundations broad and deep. We must respect
| the acquisitions ot the most extreme anu the
! must conscientious scrTp.es or DotH paitiss.
| With that view, the language OF these re@o!n-
| tions has been framed. They deal with these
things as facts, having the sanctitY OF law se-
! uuired b7 that vast change III Our system,
| Erou2ht by the war and the clrcumst 4uces
which ensued. We did hot go back anu say
that we can trace we do no. require these paf-
ties to subscribe 10 torn that they can trace
constitutional arguments il favor OF every
| proposition contained in these measures. We
| IL
seiyrs 10 tho 5snctity acquired by turcc OF riI-
| cuulstaneos; aud think any man VINO REGARDS
| tuenl as facts accomplished, mnst regard Them
as having acquired the sauct:ty and the ob;iEa-
| ton and force Of law. II they come up and
| take their standpoint there, they have ZIG NJ
| to claim the cooperation Of every honest col
ored man in the State OF South Cal DINA in this
| movement. Because it says, although some OF
us NAV not agrea with these things as right
fully done, We regard them as having acquired
| that sanctity which belongs to acknowledged
| law, and We are going to deal With them as
| law, and we n:2an 10 carry them out practical
| ~ in oil the relations OF political Life. Lap.
| plause.l
Mr.. President. am not going to infict
speech upon this Convention but felt it
| duty to explain the idea upon which this plat
| form was prepared. The language was care
| fully weighed and considered before the paper
was brought to this city. They were twice
| written aud rewritten, and amended and cor
rected. lhey were read and weighed word by
| word by Your committee to late hour last
night. 1nete ~ but one verbal criticism
| which bas been made upon Iuesn resolutions.
| The committee in order 10 meet the most OK
| treme sensitive views which could be enter
tanned on the subject, have determined to re-
| commend verbal alteration in the resolutions
| bv striking out the word "yerities," where it
| occurs in the last line Of the second resolution,
| AMI to substitute therefor the words accom-
plished facts so that ii will read that they be
regarded as accomplished facts having the
| obligation OF law"
MIR. President, few words more. The ques-
ton came up before the committee as to wheth-
| er they should recommend any course in re-
| gard to the nomination; and, inasmucA as that
question will be discussed before this ConVen-
tioD, avail myself OF this opportunity to say
that regard this whole movement as being
| blown TO the wind it this Convention should
| separate without nomination. loud ap-
plause.l If it is true that thsse evils exist
which are the occasion Of the assembling of
this Convention, then, sir. it is true that we
should labor faithfully and earnestly to over
| t1,r,, those eNils [AnnlAnsn | III Is trne that