The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-02-28

'"@o 'iSOiJ aVCOIueu- % q
But, fellow citizens, it is unnecc Lsary
4 for me ITO recall at this time the Incl
dents connected with the other occasions
on which l. hadathe honor to address
the Forty-sccond Congress-. II am
admonishcd sof the fact that you are
: assembled to do me honor more particu
larly for my recent effort in the present
Congress in favor of.equal civil rights.
1t is, Indeed, pleasant to me to know
that my remarks on that question, on
the 6thrsof january last, have met with
the highest COMMUNICATION throughout
the country 1t is'gratifying to know
That my utterancos on that memorable
occasion have been endorsed, not only
by the five millions of people that are
: enost directly concerned in the result o:
the issue, but byn vast majority Of the
dominant race. That pleasure is in
creased tenfold by tho warm aud hatter
ing manner in which those whom I have
the honor more directly to represent
have signified their approvalj My graft
fication g is also Increased when I re
member that in our own Legislature the
Conservative Senators and Representa-
tivcs, with but two exceptions, recorded
themselves in favor Of resolution in
structing the Senators and requesting
the Representatives from this State in
Congress to vote iu favor of the Civil
Rights Bill, and expressing sympathy
Tor the National Convention of the
colorcd race! w itlttllis fact before us,
who is there among us that can fail to
understand &the signs of the iiuies !?
| Which of as can refuse to 20 forward
I chrered and inspired with renewed
hone aud confidence il. the complete
triumph of true Republican principles
in our9 State, promincn Mt among which
are these cardinal points :llibcrty, fra
Eternity, justicr, 'rhir ahd political.
AIn,lity? Pcs Sa-FiT haf STaa' 7aE
Who aninng yau can reasonably
.
Doubt that the .Xn gio-Saxon and the
! ,Aogip- 'ricln races. who are here
round tosc her l'y the ties ,f c,nmrn
de. tiny, al VIII IS, heart. have been in
scribcd by the '>Un>cen ,Iunl" Kindred
feelings oi' iell"sslip, viii! yet live to
sefher III contcmtmcnt anl happiness,
and mutually enjoy the victories OF
peace ?
. In tho recent debate on the Civil
Rights Bill, the privilege of replying to
the elaborate, legal and institutional
argument Of Mr.. Beck, Of Kentucky,
and more particularly of the Hon
Alexander H. Stephens, of G Georgia, was.
by general consent, accorded to me.
This privilege, of COURSE, brought with
it tho highest responsibility. It was
felt by all our friends that this was an
occasion on which it became the co!ored
race to be represented Wy one its own,
members TWAS felt, too, that the legal
and constitutional arguments must be
fully met and answered. With pro
found sense of my responsibility to my
race, to my Immediate constituents, a nd
to my own reputation as q Representa-
tive in Congress, addressed myself to
this great task. No man could have
had more inspiring theme, or a more
exciting occasion. | must speak under
the eyes Of crowded gallries, in the pre-
sence of a full house and of many dis
tingusked strangers, attracted by the
novel interest OF such an oc casion.
l may confess to you, fellow citizens
that trembled for the result. That
result | need not ATTEMPT to describe. It
has more than filled tho measure of ny
ambition. The praises of that effort, as
you all have observed, have been numer
GUS and wide spread. Friends have
been delighted and enemies have been
forced to conccdc that the Vice Presi
dent of the Southern Confederacy-a
man rack knowledged to DO the greatest
intellectual force, aud long public
experience = has been met in debate,
and tLat his sophistrics have been ex
posed, and his constitutional arguments
overthrown, by one Of that race which,
twelve years ago, he described as fit
only to bo 'hewors ofswood and drawers
4 lofs ofarO fn ho t,,l>
This triumph | do not chiefly value as