The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-08-16

THE following very Interesting &C.
count of the affair at Edgefield on
Saturday will, we are sure, be read by
every reader of the Press and Ban
ncr. 1t is the fullest, and seems to be
the f~airest, account that we have seer
of the meeting. We are indebted to
the Register for it,.
Editors Columbia Register:
The statements published in the
U7aion-H Herald and the Ne,vs and Cou-
rier of this date, regarding the Repub-
lican meeting in Edgefield, on last
Saturday, abound in gross misrepre-
sensations. About two hundred white
horsemen paraded on the occasion,
armed with pistols, only according to
their custom. Some of these gall0ped
down the street, giving an occasional
yell, and were passed and repassed by
u number of colored men, also mount
ed, and hurrahing as they galloped.
These last were Republicans, and NO
attempt was made to modest them.
The Republicans marched in. process
sion about eight hundred strong, with
the United States flag and many party
banners flying along their line,
which was preceded by the Aiken
colored band, and the white horsemen
opened their ranks promptly, and al
lowed them to pass through without
molestation or insult.
No one mounted Democrat appeared
at the platform. On the contrary,
> lo,, oil lso~oOVnfaI urban Tho
Republican procession arrived on the
ground, and the whites stood on the
right and front of the stand and the
blacks on the left; throughout the
entire meeting not the slightest at
tempt being made to disturb the COL
ored auditors either by word or deed.
The Democrats did not take forcible
possession of the meeting. Two
hours before we assembled, = commit
tee of Democrats, headed by J.. G..
Sheppard, Esq, called on Governor
Chamberlain and myself, and request
ed the privilege of meeting US OH
joint discussion. Both the Governor
and l expressed our cordial assent to
the proposition, but stated that the
matter rested in the hands Of Senator
Cain, the Republican County Chair
man, who had arranged the program
me, and that we would communicate
with him and request his consent
thereto, and inform them Of the re-
suit. They again called Oh US after
the lapse of about an hour, and we
informed them that we had not been
able to see Senator Cain, upon which
they retired, with assurance that
we did not object to dividing the
time with them at the meeting. Gov.
Chamberlain and Senator Cain, (col-
ored) and I mounted the stand at al
most the same instant with Generals
Butler and Gary, the latter of whom
stated to us that the Democrats of
Edgefield had demanded the right to
be heard at the meeting, and that we
had shirked the demand, and that
they intended to be heard, and wanted
a definite answer" I sprang upon a
chair, and addressing the audience, I
declared the readiness of Gov. Cham
berlain and myself to meet the De-
mocracy of Edgefield, then and there
in joint discussion. Gen. Butler then
asked how many Republicans pro-
posed to speak on the occasion, and I
answered six or seven. We then
agreed, Gov. Chamberlain, Generals
Butler, Cay and myself, that each
speaker should be limited to thirty
minutes. It was arranged that Gov.
Chamberlain should speak first, Gen.
Butler next, and that 1 should follow
Gen. Butler, and he replied to by Gen.
Gary, and that Mr. ]. e. Sheppard and
others should reply to any other Re-
publican speakers in their proper Or
der.
Senator Cain then came forward to
introduce Gov. Chamberlain, but the
Governor suggested to him that he
should not introduce the speakers, and
for that reason, and that alone, the
usual form of introduction by the
county chairman was not had on the
occasion. I kept the time, and notified
the speakers when their time was up.
Governor Chamberlain was OCCASION
ally interrupted by questions from
Democrats in the audicnce-such as
How about McDevitt ?" (the default
ing County Treasurer; j "What about
the conversion bonds" &c.-but these
Interruptions were promptly checked
by Gen. Butler, who sternly rebuked
the persons who made them.
General Butler replied to Governor
Chamberlain in a speech which,
though thoroughly earnest, did not
exceed the just limits Of courteous de-
bate, paying a splendid tribute to the
United States flag that waved over the
platform, every star of which, he truly
said, had derived some of its lustre
from the heroic deeds of the white men
of Edgefeld, who had marched under
it to sustain the honor of the republic
in foreign wars. He also vindicated
himself from the false and malignant
charges of those who had traduced
him by coupling his name With the