The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-09-27
ASSEMBLY HALL CROWDED TO
REFLECTION LAST NIGHT WITH
THE FRIENDS OF HUGHES,
RAMSDELL AND FULTZ.
GLORIOUS SPEECHES BY COL. HUGHES,
HON. JOHN II. GILMER AND COL
l ONEL JOHN Il. POPHAM
SKIES bright AND FRIGHTENING
SERENADE TO col. HUGHES
AT THE ExCHANGE-ETC

sembly Hall, that capaclous cdlhce being
crowded to its utmost capacity. The hour
Of meeting was u O'Clock. by which time
the hall was pretty we'll filled, when q
delegation of some four numbered white
Republicans marched into the hall in body.
A prominent Republican was heard to
observe in slightly sarcastic tone, HThey
say there are no white Republicans in
Richmond"
/ Colonel Hughes arrived at the hall at
fifteen minutes to eight o'clock, escorted
by Judge Morton and Colonel Rush Bur-
CESS.
| McCann's famous band were meanwhile
treating the auditory to selection from its
repertory Of patriotic and soul-inspiring
airs. N
| We append below The Dispatches ac-
count of the after proceedings, which in
the main are, correct and dspassionate
though not very full.
| The meeting was called to order by Judge
Morton, and on his motion DIR. Charles s.
Mills was elected chairman. Before taking
the chair he said the Republican party has
! not earned the name Of negro party. We
have to avoid division of races. The col
| vote for good men, whether they be white
course of the other party. The cry is
now raised, /" Be true to your race"
What does it mean but blood? 1t was
raised by Rome when they deluged Europe
with blood Look at conquered Hun
gary--yes, look at depopulated Ireland.
While this cry may be heard, every
man feels within him sympathy
for the oppressed everywhere. There is
tie OF brotherhood between man and man
no matter to what nation they may belong.
There can be no peace while in this country
so large portion of its people are held in
partial slaverv--never while the colored
men are not permitted equal rights. lie
would not 60 so far as General Beauregard
social equality has never been enforced
anywhere, and never can be. lie then
introduced Colonel r. w. Hughes.
Colonel Hughes was loudly chcered
when he arose to speak. He said /:
The canvass involves the fortunes of our
commonwealth. He had found in this
great state of ours land he had never before
been so impressed with its greatness) that
the people are alive to the issues involved,
and will vote independently. Sometimes
he had come to Richmond and found the
people under the influence of the able and
powerful Conservative press. at Lynch
burg, too, he had found the same to be
true, but when he went to the country he
found the people were going to vote with
out reference to party ties. Asapolitician
of many years. standing he did not hesitate
to say that the Conservative party--the
party of SO many aliaSes-wil be de-
stroyed in the coming election.
The great growth Of this great nation is
due to the fact that this is a land of freedom
to men of all nationalities and creeds. The
strength and power of our government IS
4 due to The principles upon which it is
founded-that all men are, aud OF right
ought to be, free and equal. Though our
forefathers did, with patriotic motives,
allow principle in antagonsm with this
to be placed in the constitution, which
time has proved to be wrong, that prnc-
Pile of wrong has by the process of war
been wiped out.
The Republican party reconstructed the
4 Union on the principle of freedom to all =
on principles that will ensure its prosperity
| for ages to come. Angry controversies
have existed in the last few years in the
whole country about the three great
amendments to the constitution. When
secession sprung up and the Union was
threatened, the Republican party saved the
: country, and is responsible for the amend
ments to the constitution. 1t is now IN
/. power, and it is the strongest party that
: ever existed in this country. and it Is
| so because its principles are right
The party opposed to it is devoid OF prin'
i ciples.
Our principles are embodied in the -Four
/ teenth and Fifteenth amendments. The frs
declares that every man shall be citizen 0
!; State and of the United States mar
shall have voice in the government oi
which he is part. The second declares
that no state shall discriminate between
> classes of citizens on account of race, color
or previous condition. These two have
: been and are now the whole subject OF con
/ troversy between the two parties IN Vir
gihia. tr
We are accused of attempting TO estab
lish negro rule. This is not true; we only
I wish to establish government OF right ant
I. Justice to all. 1t has so happened that tn
], / colored man has derived the principal ben
y eft. :,
The party could not and would not es
tablish negro rule in this state. The whit
people are more numerous and NOR
y wealthy. They have more education, an,
Q indeed more of all those accidents whicl
Vt % to make up power. The colored peo
A. Die have very little intelligence, and hay
t. not real control in more than ten countle
i in the state. 1t is therefore impossible 70
!. us to place them in control if we would
u We wouldn't if we could. The conven
3 ton at Lynchburg did not attempt il
lie There were more whites than negroes i
that convention We don't even hay
negro rule in our party. All the candi
Il dates are white. There will soon be abol
/, $50 candidates in the field. and there wi
" y. not be more than twenty colored me
m mong them.
But our principles have been accepted b
: the Conservatives in their platforms
right and essential to just government
= Yet we are abused for holding and adyoc
- ting these very principles. He carr
m not for this abuse he would say tn
he stands now where they stood
1872.
!. Our party is the party of progress
ur- party of internal Improvement. While t
ne ne war of rebellion was in progress 1t W