The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-02
THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT Pa
RdDE.
The. Military and the Lengue--The
Procession Experimenting on tho
Battery-An Orderly Day.

1 III N
Procession -speech-making on the
Battery-An Orderly Day.
Yesterday was celebrated generally among
the colored people CT the city as the anDiVer-
sary of the sdoption of the fifteenth amend
ment to the Constitution of the United states.
But little excitement was manifested in the
early part of the day, and the only indication
of ANYTHING unusual was the occasional ap-
pearance of some smartly dressed militiaman
of the national guard and the general move
ment on the part of the old peanut and candy
street corner vendors towards the Battery.
The procession assembled 10 the upper part
of the city, in Meeting street, with the
right resting on Mary street. 1t consisted oil
the First Regiment N. G. s. O." about three
hundred strong, under arms, and about slXty
members of the Union League.
The column moved at allttle after 10 O'Clock
through Mary and down King streets. At the
head was the music in the shape OF a few
drums and flies. Then came the militia,
marching in credltable style, and lastly the
Union League, headed by PresidentM n. Adams,
with book and candle, In the approved mys-
FERROUS manner. Abreast Of the music swarm
! ed a crowd of colored men and women With
innumerable urchins, whose sole aim and duty
on the occasion seemed to be TO Increase the
confusion as much as possible and make the
greatest noise. The column moved dow
King street to Basel, through Hasel to Meet
Ing, down Meeting to Market, through Mar
ket to Ea.. Bay, down the latter street to
Broad, through Broad to Meeting, down Meet
ing to Tradd, through Tradd to East Battery
to the White Point Garden.
At the garden the array of civic and MILL
tary societies (the N. G.. 8. G. and the Union
Leaque) of the colored citizens was quite
small, when compared with the members par
tIcipating in the last years celebration. Moth
ing daupted, however, the Union League
closed up around the speakers stand, "nlcn
was parnished with several flags and the
hook and candles borne In the procession. 1t
was occupied by a number of Radical dlgnl-
tarles and officials, among whom were a lieu
te%nant.goyernor, an ex-alderman, two or
| three trial justices, &C., and lastly the officers
| of the parading regiment. The latter had been
| detained for some time while accomplishing
| some difficult evolutions under the insplra-
| ton of the vociferous orders and soto Toce
| eiaculstlons OF Major Samuel Dickerson, who
was in command.
Everything being In readiness at the stand,
q colored man, with q good voice, read out o
long list OF names, which, the listening throng
were informed, had been elected officers. No
opposition being made, the Rev. E. J. Adams
then offered up a prayer, after which the
fifteenth amendment, with the accompanying
portion of the Presidents message and the
| proclamation, was read aloud.
The orator of the dry was then Introduced
in the person Of Wm. y. Burke, q respectable
| looking black man. He launched forth INTO
| what appeared to be a most brilliant exordlum,
but his words could only be heard by q favored
few within a radius of ten feet from the
speaker. Those beyond this distance looked
on with thirsty ears, and watched with wonder
his animated gestures. This had a depressing
| effect upon the speaker, who began TO talk
| more slowly and finally halted. The silence
WAS oppressive. The crowd never Wills
| pered. The orator turned the leaves
| of The Bible, until some old politician
kicked the pitcher of water. The speaker
seized upon The Idea and the pitcher simnlta-
%neously, and, in a twinkling, was watching the
| audience through the bottom OF the lumber
| The crowd was still cruelty silent, and once
more the orator raised his arm with a gesture
as If 10 command silence. This was the end
of 1t. The break in his speech was too DANA
| cling to be repaired, and the speaker retired
! among the shadows. 1t Is reported that the
orator was suffering from a pulmonary al
| Fiction, which might excuse his sudden failure
in the midst of the grafton OF the day.
Robert Purvls, Of Pennsylvania, was her
introduced by Chairman Adams, and began to
speak. His voice was better than his logic,
and could be easily heard. He proved to the
| satisfaction Of all the ce!ebrants that this
country belonged, first to the colored people,
next to the Indians, and. lastly, to the white
people. Then, by an apt illustrst ton from
| Shylock's defence, he established that the COL
! ored people were human beings and not anil
mails, and excusing himself from any further
| effort, on the plea of a bronchial affection, ne
/ retired.
The Rev. E. J. Adams was next called, who,
notwithstanding the e%xtravagant compliments
which he paid the preceding speaker" made
a far better speech. His allusions to the day
and its associations were made with dignity
and ylgor, and suited the tone OF his hearers.
One sentence (where he pointed to Fort Sum-
ter and rejoiced that, in slghtot that fortress,
which had been for years the guardian strong.
hold of slavery, they could now llfl up their
voices and cast a free ballot, and that a gov
| eminent existed wherein the right OF all men
were respected) was received with shouts.
During the speaking the want OF interest
manifested was striking. The militia were
marching about, stacking arms, &C., others
we're strolllng through the garden, laughing
and talking. Some who had been drawn up
near the stand had quietly dispersed, and only
a small circle seemed anxious to hear the
orators. After the speech last alluded to, the
want of enthusiasm compelled a stoppage o.
all speech-making, and many an orator had
to smother his eloquence until a more pro-
| pItlous occasion. The stand was dismantled;
the companies and the Union League formed
and sought their various places of muster; the
---,.-,r at,ooroa6 ond ahnnt half-DaEt