Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1872-07-04
5 For the Advertiser.
The Radical Gathering at Pleasant

y
The Radical Gathering at Pleasant
Grove:
PLEASANT LANE, July 1st, 1872.
Mr.. ED1rcR, ,-Happening to pass the
Pleasant Grove.C Churehon last Saturday,
the 2sth ult., on my Way to tho Village,
I found an immense, crowd of colored
people. assembled there: Since the col
ored people. have been made free and
allowed all the privileges of the white
people, they have purchased this church
and hold their meetings here regularly.
Being anxious to ascertain the cause OF II
the assembling of these new-made cit''
zens, turned my,horse and rode across
the grove; and under the; hill beyond
the CT. .rch found everything ready for
barbecue ;and, as 1 was informed, 2.
agrand ratification meeting There
were about 500 negroes on the ground OF
both sexes. Pitching my horse, con-
cluded, by the kind invitation OF Tom t'l'
Miller, who seemed to be the boss OF aI
the affair land who by-the-way is 2 man aaq,
of great deal of self respect, and treats
the white people with: the same urbanity
as before the war, } to remain and hear the
speeches, as understood there were sew
eral to be made. "a. m
About II o'clock, Miles Yeldell, vel.
low man, came marching down the road
at the head of about 500 men and boys,
mounted upon stallion, which pranced
and capered to the tap Of the drum in
his rear. Miles, understood, was the
officer of the day, and without uniform
and using stick for sword, ne bore
very much the mien Of Georgia Major.
His commands were very readily obeyed
however, and as he filed left and halted
in front of the stand, he was greeted With
loud cheering. .gi,,.a,.
The meeting was then called to order
by Tom Miller, and Lymas Simmons
formerly a slave Of Ex-Gov. Pickens)
was called to the Chair. But some OBJ
|decions were raised to this by one Au-
gustns Harris, a pc, Of your town, who
expected, itseems, by previous arrange
ment with his clique, to be Chairman of
the meeting. He raised terrible howl
and swore therewas conspiracy between
the white pen and negroes against him,
and that he would leave and not have
any thing to do with the meeting. After
! trying to raise disturbance Az getting
no notice.. he soon became quiet and the
meeting went on. No one was elected
or even requested to act as Secretary.
Simmons upon taking the Chair, in a
manner which did credit to himself, very
/ elaborately explained the object of the
meeting in few welI-tinfed remarks.
and then introduced Capt. P. A. Eichel-
berger. who after few words in regard
to the object of the meeting, read the
platform of the Philadelphia Conventions;
after which be offered few resolutions
endorsing it, and inviting all law abiding
citizens, without regard to past political
differences, 70 come and join them, and,
forgetting the past, strike hands for a
successful, glorious, and happy future.
These resolutions were unanimously
adopted with loud cheering. During
Capt. ElchelbergerS speech, the effects
of bad whiskeys which was very freely
used, could be seen in another fuss, on
different part of the ground. This out
break got to such pitch and the noise
anu confusion were. so great thatEichel-
berger had to cease speaking. The Chair
man in manner becoming his dignity,
(?) then arose, and appealed to the citi-
zens to !" behave,like men and not like q
parcel of barbarians," and at once ap-
pointed Committee of twelve to assist
the Sheriff, who was present, in keep
ing order. This Committee, cutting for
themselves large clubs from the woods,
"wcnt for'' the peace disturbers in such
u way that good order was soon restored.
Eichelberger now resumed his speech /;
he spoke of our State affairs, but took
good care not 70 touch upon the financial
condition. He sdd' nothing about ma
tional politics more than to endorse Gran:
and Wilson. he spoke Of his connection
| with the Republican party as follows:
That in 1868 lie was in the Democratic
Wagon which hal inr its driver EX-Gov.
Bonham. In that wagon We're also Gen.
Gary, Gen. Butler, Gen. Dunovant, mld
"littlo jim Racan;" and that he IlIiclcl-
berger was sitting Oh the hind gate of
the wagon which was then on small
slant going down hill. He asked the
driver where they were going, and "lit-
tie Jim Bacon" answered and said that
they were going down after Dutch and
Irish to work our lands and drive the
negro out the country. Eyes," Gen.
Gary replied "that this is white mans
country, and must he ruled by white
men," Eichelberger told them if that
was the case he would st'off.; and bade
the driver to "wlioa," but BoAliain paid
no attention to him and drove faster.
And he saw they were going to hell as
fast as they could, so he boldly jumped
off. And although the driver abandoned
it, it is still, with its passengers, going
down the hill with such rapidity that it
will soon yet to Ihe bottom. And, he
hoped, never to rise again! He dwclt Mt
some length upon how he had heen os-
tracised aud yillitietl by the white people
of South Corolna, but thai nked God that
some of the very men who were his
worst enemies are now languishing in
loathsome Northern prisons, while he
was still here to speak and work with
the colored people, for their own interest.
Paris Simkins,, formerly belonging to
Col. Arthur simkins, was next intro
duced and made very appropriate
speech. He spoke with great deal of
earncstness as to Greeley's predictions
about Grant, &c. He had little to say
about State affairs, but seemed to con-
fine himself entirely to the National
nominees with whom he seemed to be
quite convorsant R) He also alluded to
the secret caucus at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel, in New York, in which Carl
Schurz was the pimenover, to consider
whether they world endorse Greeley, or
endeavoi' to influence the Baltimore Con-
vention to nominate apure Democratic
ticket. He strongly advocated that the