The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-08
OUR INNOCENT GOVERNOR.
THE RADICAL RdBBLE REFUSES TO
HEAR HIS MEDICATION.

THE RADICAL RdBBLE hErCSEa ~
HEAR HIS VINDICAITON.
APieasant Political lMeeting-Governol
Scott Has u Warm ReCeption-Wha,
He Said, or Tried to Say-The RePub.
dcnn idea OF Free Speech-A Jolly
Row at the Close.
The Radical State campaign was character
isl:caly opened last evening by a "mass meet
ing,n which would be better described as s
mob meeting. In Military Hall. It had beer
announced that Governor Scott would address
his adherents at that time and place, and &C
cordiugly crowd of perhaps two hundred
colored men, with small sprlnkltng of pale
faces, gathered In the hall, and at about nine
O'Clock the Governor, escorted by Judge
Mackey, Sheriff Mackey, Trial Justice Mackey,
Coroner Taft, Marshal Wallace, and few
others, made his appearance.
The audience was scattered In groups ab ut
the hall, which was bare of seats of any kind
and had In 1t only a rude rostrum at one end,
and a few booths around the walls, which had
been arranged for fair lately held there.
ct.ored man mounted the rostrum, and call
Ing the meeting TO some semhance of order
by q few vigorous thumps of cane on the
railing, proposed Lieutenant Governor A. J.
Ransier for presiding officer. This was enthu-
siasticaly carried, and the lieutenant-gover-
nor mounted the stand ard proposed the elec-
ton Of secretaries and vice.presldents. This
was then proceeded with, amid considerable
confusion, and resulted In the cheice of B.
B. Artson, W. N. Taft and John r. Mushing-
ton, secretaries, and NJ. R. Delany, Judge
Mackey, Marshal Wallace and Sheriff Mackey
as vice-presidents.
This being accomplished, there were loud
shouts for Scott, and the Governor being es-
corted to the stand, he was vociferously ap-
plauded, and began h!a' speech. When he
commenced there was some approach to
peace and quietness in the hall, AID he pro-
ceeded without interruption for about five
minutes. He said that 1t had been four years
since he had the pleasure of addressing his
constituents In Charleston, and during that
time events full ofintereet and Importance had
transpired. He had deemed 1t his duty to be
present at that meentlng for the purpose of
reYiBwIng his own administration. The po.
sltion of Governor had not been sought by
him, and when it was first rendered he was
not insensible to the honor, and also appre-
clated the grave and serious responsibilities
involved, he was aware Of the difficulties,
and shrank from them because he believed
man should be selected who had had q long
experience. In the, administration Of civil of.
s,tx ua hou hof dnrfn0
the first two years there was far more &C.
compllshed than he had expected. The party
opposed to the administration, and the news:
papers Of the State, denounced the govern.
ment as illegal, and declared; that they would
not recognize the obligations contracted by
the government. Many people outside OF the
State did not believe 1t possible tnata gov
ernment organized by colored men just re-
leased from slavery could exist, and General
Blair had declared that at the next 4
election for President they would all
be swept away and overturned. The
treasury was empty. There was not
dollar to meet the current expenses of the
government, and everybody looked to the
head of the executive department to raise
some money. They could thus see the diff
culties and embarrassments of his position;
but he did not. intend to 60 into any defence
of his administration. except to correct mis-
representations so far as they cOicerned him
self. It was necessary to provide means by
which the government could be sustained, and
the Legislature provided bonds on which loans
we're to be raised. They were Issued and hy-
pothecated, and at the end OF the two years
the bonds stood at eighty to eighty-fve cents
on the dollar. His great. hope was then to
make reputation by building up the credit of
the State, and he believed it would have been
possible to do 1t If it had not been for the de-
termined hostility of those opposed TO the gov
sr9ment.
Up to this point the speech had proceeaed
quietly enough, ellcitlng no more dsmonstra-
tive remarks than an occasional "Ht yi,'
4sDat's so, "Bress de Lord" but now COM
motion commenced on the outskirts of the
crowd, and one voice was heard above the din
calling upon the Governor. The chairman
Justify piled his improvlsed gavel and de-
manded order, but all to no effect, until the
speaker, by raising his voice, managed to be
again heard and To command, for few min
utes longer, the attention of the crowd.
He said he was not In the least anxious to
speak, but having been Invited to address the
meeting, If there was any person present who
did not wish to hear him speak 1t was his duty
to leave the hall. He said, moreover, that he
was not making political speech to advance
his election. He ss!a: ~ will not accept,
under any circumstances whatever, the re-
nomination for Governor. am candidate
for no office 10 the gilt of the people. I say
this not from any feeling of spleen, but as
matter of justice to myself and to you. will
not accuse anybody, and do not arraign any
set Of men,"
Here the disturbance increased, and the
voice of the speaker was again drowned. A
coored man, named Henry Thompson, shout
ed II want to ask you question? ?" The chair
man decided that the question was out of or
der, and the Governor said that after bis
speech he would answer any question that
might he put. This did not satisfy the ques.
.tioner, and he continued to shout that he had
right to ask question; while all around
there rose perfect Babel of cries "put him