The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-05-30
A Political Speech.

The citizens of our town were somewhat
amazed, about the hour for the assembling of
Court on last Monday morning, at the approach
of carriage on Main street, from which was
unfurled large United States flag and whence
issued the roll of bass drum. 1t was soon
ascertained that Mr.. Edward f. Stokes, of
Greenville, who is the champion National
Democrat of South Carolina, was the possessor
of the unique establishment, and had come un-
heralded to ventilate his peculiar views upon
the political situation. The carriage, with
colors flying and drum beating, paraded up and
down the street, and we are informed that some
of our inhabitants, remote from the public
square, at once concluded that Federal troops
were making raid upon the town, their minds
reverting quickly to the memorable 1st of May.
1865. But these disquieting apprehensions
we're speedily dissipated, as the truth became
known, and broad grin of mingled satlsfac-
ton and dludicrousness overcast the countenances
of the public generally. Hating in front OF
the Court House, Mr. Stokes suspended ban
ner from the railing on the western side, upon
which the announcement was made that ne
would deliver political speech to the citizens
of Anderson at y o'clock in the evening As
the hour approached, it was manifest that con-
siderable interest had been excited as to the
mission and purposes of the Democratic orator,
and when the evening shades appeared, there
was gathered goodly number of white and
colored citizens in front of the Court House
Mr.. Stokes opened, at the appointed hour, by
reading few verses from the Bible, and then
offered fervent prayer in behalf of his coun-
try, as we understood from persons present at
the beginning. He was fully launched out
into regular speech when we arrived upon
the ground, and from it we gathered that he was
strongly in favor of straight-out Democratic
nomination at Baltimore which he predicted
would win the Presidential race and redeem
the country from Radical misrule. He was
unequivocally opposed to Horace Greeley for
President, and ventilated that gentleman's re-
cord for the last thirty years, declaring 1T
shameful that the Southern people should be
led to the support of their lifelong antagonist,
who was responsible in great measure for the
woes and expressions visited upon the South
in the last few years. Mr.. Stokes animadver-
ted with particular severity upon leading poll
ticians of different parties in South Carolina,
who advised the people to any other course
than an unwavering support of the National
Democratic party, the success of which he re-
garded as the only panacea for all the ills now
inflicted upon the body polite. He earnestly
| urged upon the people of Anderson County
the necessity for thorough and complete or
ganization of the National Democracy within
its borders; advised the people to send dele
gates to the State Democratic Convention at
Columbia, and TO maintain and uphold the most
effective organization throughout the pending
canvass. He lauded to the skies the patriotism
and frmness of Mr.. VOORHEES,, together with
the sagacous craftsmanship of Mr.. A. II.
Stephens, both of whom concurred with Mr..
Stokes in political opinion. These are the. prin-
cipal points of Mr.. Stokes speech, profusely
interlarded with comments upon the advice
recently given by prominent individuals, whose
names were freely used in this connection.
The speech was occasionally interrupted by
questions from persons in the crowd, and once
or twice Mr.. Stokes received prolonged applause,
when he made reference to the Omitted Breth-
ren." After speaking about an hour and half
Mr.. Stokes returned his thanks to the audience
and babe them goodnight. Thus closed the
evenings exercises, which we have recorded as
an episode of the curious times in which we
| live