The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-07-24
REPUBLICAN MEETING AT ABBE
VILE.

VILE.
HccoraiSs, to previous announce
meht, q Republican meeting was
helE Oh Saturday last, and was ad-
dressed by R. B. Elliott, member
of Congress from this District, F.
L. Cardozo, Secretary of State, and
others. The procession was form
ed about 12 o'clock, and headed by
the Abbeyille Colored Brass Band,
marched to the pleasant grove of
Mr.. j. w. Fowler, near the Depot,
where a stand had been erected,
and where several hundred persons
principally blacks, were assembled
to listen to- the speeches. There
was fair representation Of our
townsmen, especially Of our young
men; and of the colored element,
q noticeable feature was the large
proportion Of the female persuasion,
as if the women We're pressing their
claims to the ballot, and other
masculine rights.
The meeting was quite orderly,
and in every sense of the word the
blacks formed a very sober crowd,
nanifesting but little enthusiasm,
and scarcely much interest in the
proceedings. This we attribute in
. great measure to the fact, that
the speeches Of Elliott and Cardozo
were in the main above their COM
prehension, discussing as they did
in an argumentative way, the polit-
ical issues now before the country,
and sbstaining, for the most part,
from an appeal to the prejudices
and passions of tho hour. In this
respect their speeches were in COM
mendable antagonism to the tone
and temper manifested by the only
white speaker of the occaaion-one
Barker, member Of the Legisla-
ture from Edgefeld, who sought to
make capital with his aew allies, by
sbusing the most respectable of
his own race. This is characteris-
tic Of the new convert. Turning
his back on old friends, and old
principles, and associations, be ''out
IIerod's Herod" in their abuse, and
by way of showing his fealty to his
new allies, stickles at nothing in
the way of protestation or profes-
sion.
Congressman Elliott, rs a thick
set colored man, Of dark complex
ion, low statute, thick lips, and re-
ceding forehead, without anything
in his countenapce to indicate "the
transcendant abilities" which Sec
retary Cardozo in his speech at
tributes to him. He is a man Of
good education and fair abilities,
and speaks grammatically and SEN
sibly, and fuently, but with so
much repetition, so much verbosity,
that it requires an effort to keep up
the attention, and follow him in
his long disquisition upon the his
tory and principles of Republican,
ism. He speaks more like some
long-winded preacher, than q poll
tician, and needs only a different
subject and the formal divisions o1
firstly, and secondly, and thirdly and
lastly, to make the parallel COM
plete.
His speech presented an elabo-
rate review of the history ofRepub-
licanism, and was designed to show
how much the party had done 10
elevate the condition of the labor
ing man, whether white or black.
He said that the interests of the
two were identical, and were alike
fostered and protected by the Re-
publican party. He failed, how
ever to advert to the frauds and
corruptions in the South which
backed by the tyrannous Govern
ment at Washington, and by the
strong arm of the military, have
fastened upon MS the most corrupt
government which ever disgraced
q free people, and which is now
weighing as down under a load of
3ntolerable taxation, grievous both
to whites and blacks. 1t is the cry
of the oppressed South, which is
now ringing in the ear of the peo-
!, N..xb op1 which 10