Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-02-26

levied upon him. The executive com.
mittee was charged with the duty of
preparing constitution, and the dele
gates from the various counties were
appointed committees to carry out the
plan anl effect all organization.
A>yoICE FROM PORT ROYAL.
NJ. J. G. Thompson, editor of the
Port Royal COMMERCIAL, a Republican
newspaper, and delegate from Beau
fort. spoke as follows: "
Mr.. President, have taken less inter-
est than most of you In the immigration
report, in the memorial to Congress, and
in the memorial to the Legislature: We
have at last reached the object which l
d, EN- the most practical and from which
hope for the greatest, results. The
proposition to appeal to Congress for
e'ief would have been proper enolgh-in
US if we were the inhabitants ofan unie..
constructed State, or of an unorganized
territory. AS it is, however, the app al
of people who have not yet exhausted
the means at their disposal to- redress
their owl wrongs, | have not tav red 1t.
Grant has just received the piaudlts OF
the whole county for refusing to Interfere
in Texas and Mississippi, and he will be
justified in pointing to his action IN those
States, and in telling MS to 60 to work
and help ourselves. All this State should
ask for is to be let alone. As long as we
look abroad for aid. we will not use the
meaus we have. We will continue the
mastery inactivity which has inflicted
upon us the present administration. l
stand among you as one OF four or hve
delegates who have generally acted with
the Republican party. If, during the cam
paign of 1872, there had been disposl-
tion on the part of the Conservatives to
choose a uIan for Governor because he
was an honest and capable man, without
inquiring where he was born, there
would have been in this Convention
Republican delegate from every county
in the State, representing twenty thous'
and votes. The only way to rid ourselves
of dishonest and incompetent rulers Is
to vote them down at the polls, unless it
is to be done by resort to violence. Ii
you wait for help from Congress or this
Legislature, death will relieve you from
taxation as we'll rs other evils, before you
get it; and the same re ieving officer
will come round before immigration
brings into the State enough men to
effect the equilibrium so much desired
by you. But appeals for extraneous
help are to that extent an assertion on
our part that VIC have tried all the means
in our power to remedy the evils under
which we labor. This | do not think is
true. 1t is my belief that the masses OF
every people and of every race, in all
ages, and in all countries have been, and
are, anxious for good government. The
higher classes are Usually disposed to
distrust the people. The universal belief
prevailed among the highest class in
New York, during the prevalence OF
Ring governments, That the people could
not be aroused by appeals to their patrl.
o:ism and sense of justice. This fear for
years prevented a thorough organization
of leading citizens ii favor OF reform
But when proper appeal was made,
th ,se distruSted masses voted down the
thieyes--watched the progress OF the
effort to unoarth the frauds with M
interest equal to that of ih3 wealthlest !;
as jurors they vindi a:ed the law, and
testified in every way their JOY in the
downfall of the villains. These masses
were the same as had been pointed at in
Europe and America as those by whose
votes and by whose degradation the
Republican experiment was to fail. Let
me repeat my belief that this result
would have never been attuincd but TOR
the hearty sympathy Of tho multitude.
No event in our history is so strong au
argument in favor OF our theory Of gov
meut. Let US apply this lesson to our.
selves. We find ourselves surrounded
by some of the same peculiar circum-
stances We have, | believe, suffered
detriment from the same want of conf
dence in the good intentions Of the
masses, and let us seriously consider If
we may not reap like results from endeav-
oring to instruct those by whom we arc
surl ounded in the real facts of our bad
government, Let us not begin such a
wo~k with feeling of contempt for their
understandings; let Us not work among
them with no belief in their patriotism
and love of good order; let us not con-
tinue our effort while distrusting their
honesty Of purpose but let us appeal to
them as men, as citizens, rs taxpayers
with us, to make common cause with us
in our efforts to dep)se from the high
places Of the State those who are as false
to their professions Of love for equality
and the colored rice as they arc to the
duties oil the Offices which they hold.
There is no man here present who does
not know Of colored men with whom he
would trust his money, his houses, and
his crops aye, and dearer things, his
wife and children? Any movement
which does not &c k aid from the honest
part Of the Republican leaders and the
votes of the colored and white members
Of that party, will assurcdly fail. That
there are men in that party anxious for
change was evidenced in the last election.
At least twenty thousand Republicans
resisted the powerful ties Of party aud
the more powerful inhl eaces of race in
vo:ing against the regular ticket. Let
us 'oid The mistakes of the past. Let
us organize State Taxpayers League.
lie. each county have a county league.
Let each neighborhood have its subor-
dinate league. Let us encourage the
hopeless tt ulat. the indiff ut, al d
lqme the cowardly. Let our local as
well as our State politicians. know that
the days of maclirity arc over. Let us
seek to include in our ranks every tax
payer, whatever his color. There are
twenty-five hundred colored men who
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