The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-05-29
Radical Meeting al Lots Chapel.

Being advised by white men of that vi
cinity, that there was to be "league meet
ing" at the head Of Randall 5 River, on wed
nesday night of last week, and that the
Radical candidates would be present, your
correspondents mounted their horses ABOUT
seven O'Clock in the evening, after seeing
A NJ Hughes Jr., and Albert Green. color
ed, leave town on the santa Fe plke-aDout
fifteen minutes apart, and started Iot tnaii
point. Having taken supper with friend
| in the neighborhoOd, we, in company WIN
| a gentleman acting as guide, arrived at this
| t-Of-the-way colOred Church about nine
| o'clock, too late to hear Maj. Gregory
| speech. While hitching our horses in front
J Of the Church, we heard Rev. BaIaam FRI
I erSOn, cOlored, lwhO opened the colOred
civil Rights Convention at Nashville, with
prayer announce himself as candidate
| for Trustee, and declare ia taYor OF soolat
as well as political equality. He advised mis-
! congregation TO secret their tickets, which
would tie furnished them perhaps month
I before the election, even in the bottom OF
their shoes, and 20 let nobody finger them
TO listen to what white men might say, but.
10 Keep silent and vote the right ticket
He said that they had waited long enough
for their rights-thaj they had, under the
advice of sO-called friends, thrown away
two or three years, and that the time had
now come fcr them 70 demand their rights,
and SOfOrth, and SOtOTLh.
George W. Blackburn, (whitel then took
the pulpit, and after announcing himself
candidate for County Court Clerk, and in
favor of every Republican measure; in the
most approved style event for the clock
bOX,-the theiVing, lying lawyers, sWind-
ling cOunter-hOpperSand the HERALD man."
He denounced the latter, at must have been
FlguerS-wl-O cant lieu for having said it
would be a calamity to have his sort elect
ed to office" unworthy to black his
boots He believed the trying of negroes 10y
white jurors to be an "eXcrescence of bar
barrie ages which he hoped to see soon
swept away" He "knew the infamous
lOck-boX election to have been gotten up to
defeat the Republican candidateS-himSelf,
Mr.. Hughes and Mr.. COnner-triend GRECO
~ not then having announced himself as a
At this point we entered the church and
asking Blackburns pardon for interrupt
ing him, requested permission of the con-
gregatiOn to enter and see what was going
on, giving our names and politics, and stat
ing that we would not intrude unless they
were willing. The invitation to enter was
cheerfully and promptly given By The coH0re-
gGtiOH. Taking a "back seat we looked |
men and about dozen women crowded in
the dimly lighted church. Black burn oc-
Cupied the pit, \. NJ. Hughes, jT., was
Sandwiched between James II. Gregory and |
Albert Green, colOred, on the front pew in
the lett hand amen Corner with the Rev. |
Balaam Immediately behind them. Greg
DRY, Hughes and Blackburn Were the only |
IChne u men present. Oar presence seemed |
to nave caused Blackburn, in the express
sive language of "Funding Bill" to "loSe his
cud." He seemed paraly ged for some five |
minutes, and then after splitting cot |
ton" little while, apOlOgized for being on
hand by stating that he was there by "in-
vitatiOn and had nothing to do with getting
up the meeting.
Hughes beiig next called for began by
making an explanation that he was there |
by "invitatiOn' also, that he was a candidate
for Circuit Court Clerk; that his opponent
was the present clerk, and had been clerk |
long enough, &c, &c, and being evidently |
hacked" made quite a different speech |
from what We might have heard had we |
Played 'eaves-drOpper." Ills opponent !
being called for, replied to the remarks of /
Mr.. Hughes, and advised those present TO |
place but little confidence in the white man |
who profeSSed to favor equality of the races, |
that the white man who had particle of de- !
cency OF selt-respect who would say that he |
wished to see them riding in the same pub |
lie conveyance with whites, occupying the |
same hotels and churches, and the children |
of both races occupying the same benches /
in the school room, certainly telling /
then. q falSehood; and the white man who
could say such thing and speak the truth, !
was too low and degraded for the meanest of |
their race to associate with-mQCh less elect !
TO places of honor or profit. lie then called /
upon Hughes to say whether he was a Dem
Ocrat or q Republican, to which he replied, 1
~ am an Independent He then called |
upon Mr.. Hughes 10 say whether he had |
kept his promises made ct his mid |
night meetings when candidate for
the Legislature and reminded him of |
his having asked him TO introduce |
a bill TO have separate cars for whites and |
blacks and called attention to the fact thai |
these white Radicals were willing enough |
to hug 'em and preach equality, particular /
" when elections were pending; but they |
were the last ones to contribute dollar or |
a dime to the church, or the hospital, or the |
burial-0rOund OF the black man. That he /
was a Democrat, and favored no such thing |
as equality of the races. Mr.. Hughes, in re- /
ply, said that he was an Independentand as /
such meant to vote against and work /
against the nominees of the Democratic 4
party. That he had not introduced any bill |
for separate cars for the cOlored people, De-
cause lie knew the law better than his OPP |
ponent; that Mi. Grant and Congress had |
made a law that gave the black man the !
right TO sit in the sam cars with the whites [
aud that whenever he was mOiested or dis /
turbed- or rejected therefrom, he could re- |
cover damages il the Federal Court ut (
nashville, and that at was not optional |
with Jarles-they were bound TO give them |
verdict, and that coIored men had recov- |
cred ana could recover from 81 coo TO 5000 |
damages Tor being put out of white folks |
cars. Hughes also claimed TO have nut |
through the free school law and 10 have
thereby mainly benefited the coIored peo-
pie.
After Hughes was through. Albert Green.
col, announced himselfa candidate for Pee ,
lister. He denied that he had been 'bOu6iiT /
or in his race for the Legislature two wears !
ago; that he withdrew because lie Thought /
he couldn't be elected, and "tn consequence
OF this Mr.. Hughes beat Mr.. Atkins Albert
declared in favor of cOlored Jurors and on
GERS, etc.
AIexander's opponent was requested to
speak, and said that he would discharge his
duty faithfully if elected, etc