The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-09-27
REPUBLICAN MASS MEETING AT
ASSEMBLY HAIL.
SPEECHES OF COLONEL HUGHES
AND OTHERS.


marched through the streets and collected
enough people in their wake to fill up the
ball.
The principal, indeed the only speech
worth noticing. was that Of Colonel Hughes,
who spoke at great length in quiet and dis
passionate manner.
The meeting was called to order by Judge
Morton, and on his motion DR.. Charles 5.
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 colored
people have always been willing to vote for
good men, whether they be white or black.
Prescription has marked the course of the
o her party. The CRY is now raised, " BE true
10 your race" What does it mean but blood ]!
It was raised hy Rome when they dcluged
Europe with blood. Look at conquered Hur.
gary-ycS. look at depopulatcd 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 IN
country so large Il portion of its people are
held in partial Slavery-neVer while the col
orcG lnen are not permitted equal rights.
He would not 20 50 far is General Bcaure-
gard-Social equality has never been en-
forced anywhere, and never can he. lie
then introduced Colonel X. w. Hughes.
Colonel Hughes was loudly chcercd whcn
lie arose to speak. He said:
The canvass involves the fortunes Of our
Commonwealth. He had found in this
great state of ours (and he had never before
been so impressed with its greatneSS) that
,ba Ia oii tn
and will vote independently. Sometimes ne
had come TO Richmond and found the peo-
pie under the influence of the able aud
powerful Conservative press. At Lynch
burg, too, he had found the same 10
be true. bat when he went to the country
he found the people were going TO vote
without reference to party ties. AS poll
i,,ciian G. MANY rr-a.-' var. standing he did not
hesitate 10 say that the Conservative party
the party Of so MANY alianccs-Wlll oe de-
stroycd in the coming election.
The great growth Of this great nation Is
due to the f.ct that this is a land of freedom
TO men of all mtionaitics and creeds. The
strength and power Of our Government is
due to the principles upon which it Is found
cd-that all men are, and of right ought to
be, free and equal. Though our folefatherS
did, with patriotic motives, allow principle
in antagonism with this to be placed in the
Constitution. which time has proven to be
wrong, that principle of wrong has by tie
process Of war been wiped out.
The Republican party reconstructed the
Union on the principle Of freedom to ali-on
principles that will ensure its prosperity f'r
ages to come. Angry controversies nave
existed in the last few years III the VINO e
country about the three great amendments
TO the Constitution. When secession sprung
up and the Union was threatened the he
publican party saved the country, and Is re-
Sponsibie for the amendments to tue Constl-
tuition. 1t is now in power, and 1t Is the
strongest party that ever existed III tins
country, and it is so because its principles
are right. The party opposed to it Is devoid
of principles.
Our principles are embodied in the four.
tceuth and fifteenth amendments. The first
declares that every man shall be Il citizen of
a State and of the United States-cvcry man
shall have a voice III the Government OF
which hc is Il part. The second declares
that no State shall discriminate between
classes Of citizens on account OF race, color,
or previous condition. These two lave
| been and are now the whole subject OF con-
| trovcrSy between the two parties i'll NIrgl-
| MIA.
We are accused of attempting to estab-
| sh negro rule. This is not true; we only
wish TO establish Government OF right and
Justice to all. 1t has so happened that the
| colored man has derived the principal benc-
| fit.
The party could not and would not cStab-
lish negro rule in this State. The white
| people are more numerous and more
| burD c1llpltlnn-
| indeed more of all those accidents which go
to make up power. The colorcd people
have very little intelligence, and have not
| real control in more than ten counties i'll the
State. 1t is therefore impossible for us to
place them in control if we would. We
| wouldn't if we could. The Convention at
| Lynchburg did not attempt it. There were
| more whites than negroes III that Conyen-
| ton. We don't even have negro rule in our
| party. All the candidates are white. There
| will soon be about $50 candidates in the
| field, and there will not be more than twenty
| colorcd men among them.
But our principles have been accepted by
the Conservatives in their platforms as right
and essential TO just government. Yet we
are abused for holding and advocating these
very principles. He cared not for this abuse
he would say that he stands now where they
stood in 1872.
Our party is the party of progress party
of internal Improvement. While the war
of rebellion was in progress it was push.
ing on the great railway to the Pacific. The
people of Virginia are greatly interested in
! the completion Of the James River and ha.
nawla canal, perhaps more than i'll any
other subject.
General kemper could not get an appro
pliation. The people must elect Cmor
Governor, and thereby prove to the country
| that they are Union pcople-that the. State
| is not only reconstructed in law but in fact
that she is now loyal. Then that good and
amiabe man Uncle Sam would kill the
fatted calf. But he is man who had never
been and can never be cocrced into any
| thing.
| Ours is Door, undeveloped, impoverished
State. Pennsylvania has all the evidence OF
wealth and prosperity. Why is this differ
| ence between States alike? 1t is because the
! politics of this State have been wrong. The
| Conservative party had kept out Immigration
| by social ostracisnl.
| Richmond has depended on its own natu
raj increase of population, and has not in
| vited people from abroad, but has applied
social ostracism. Richmond had coarsel!
and brut1,sy prescribed those who come
| from abroad as Yankees. Wives and chill
dren of Conservatives say with scOrn to th'
wives and children of Republicans, 6 You
father is Yankce-your brother Is Radl
cal" Richmond and Norfolk would never
gather population and wealth under Con
>errative rule. He had always said ht
wanted carpet -bagger nominated on thu
ticket with him. He wanted it to be known
that he was opposed to the prescription 0
any man.
The Rcpublican party is q party of pro