Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1876-10-19

I was INTERRUPTED by the crowd Of
every kind. NICE 1siea during my re-
marks the confusl y anl interruption
was 50 complete tha after vainly APP
pealing to the crowd0 allow me to
be heard, General ButtSv had the de-
cency to come forward nd so far re
store order as to barely pt,mit me to
resume my remarks. Of t.e whole
half hour allotted to me I ce-toinly
was not permitted to occupy oyer
twenty minutes with any remaks
such as should naturally have mao,
on such an occasion. In truth spoke
under great constraint and con-
sciousness that any word might precip-
itate bloody collision, which I had
no meanso of preventing or controll-
ing. I was denounced by voices from
the crowd as companion thief with
McDevitt; was told I would never
come to Edge6eld again; was ;harg-
ed with getting up the Hamburg riot
to kill the white people, excite the
north and get United States troops
to carry the election, and with a va
riety Of other crimes of which these
are but specimens. }
was followed by General Butler,
who occupied his time without inter
ruption. Els speech was exceeding
ly violent and bitterly personal to.
wards me, on account principally of
my report of the Hamburg massacre.
Judge Mackey followed General But
Ter and he in turn was followed by
General Gary. Nearly the whole OF
General Gary's speech was directed
against me. In bitterness and vio-
lence of personal abuse. I have GER
tainly never heard or known its par
allel. Nothing short of verbatim
report could give an idea of its char,
acter. His attacks were not confined
to my official character, but extended
to my personal life and affairs, with
frequent threats against me personal
ly in various contingencies.
Judge Mackey next occupied about
fifteen or twenty minutes in replying
to some of General Gary's personal
charges against NJ, and he was fol-
lowed BY General Butler.
What have now described occu-
pied the time from little after eleven
until half-past 5-a fact which will give
an idea of the time consumed by the
Interruptions of which l have spo-
Ken. At half-past 8 left the grove
in order to reach the Columbia train,
at Pine House, the same evening,
amidst a torrent of jeers and yells
which continued to reach my ears
without cessation until I had passed
beyond the limits of the towr The
meeting, though called and arranged
for in every particular by the repub-
licans, was at no time and in no sense
under our control; only two OF the
six republican speakers from abroad
who were present were permitted to
speak at all, and under the pressure
of the white men who crowded upon
it the entire platform was brought to
the ground before I left the scene.
At this meeting the republicans were
told in the most emphatic terms that
the democrats had made up their
minds to carry Edgeield county and
that they would carry it; that their
leaders would be held to accountper-
sonally; that the white people must
and should rule the county. The
whole meeting may be justly describ-
ed as torrent of abuse of me person
ally, and an exhibition Of force and
threats designed to intimidate the
colored voters and their leaders. AT
ter we had reached the train, at the
several railroad stations in Edgefeld
county, number of the armed and
mounted men who had attended the
meeting at the Court House entered
the car in which we sat, and, with
rude and threatening manners, ad-
dressed their jeers and insults to
Ganaral Smalls and myeelf, especial
ly warning US not to come to Edge
field again.
will add that the foregoing ac-
count of the meeting at Edge
field has been made from written
memoranda made by me while on
my way to Columbia and after my
arrival at home the SANE evening.
Nothing has been overstated, though
much that was disgraceful has neces-
sarily been omitted in this description.