The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-09-20
ron closing up behind speakers, and

TOu CiOSlIlS up ucIlIu SptdheIS, utIu
officers of the day-Bradley closing
up behind Hodges-Brownlee behind
Bradley-The four bands and the
Anderson Battery doing efficient ser.
vice during the procession.
THE LINE
of horsemen was perhaps three miles
long on Saturday morning, as it re-
quired one hour and three quarters fol
them to pass any given point. 1t is
alleged that there were
TH1RTY-FIvE HUNDRED PERSONS on
HORSEBACK,
willie hundreds and thousands were
here lockers Oh at the great show,
The whole crowd has been variously
estimated at from six thousand to ten
thousand people. 1t IS said that Gen
cral Hampton and General Toomhs
considered this as the largest crowd
they had seen. \ noticeable feature
Of the day on Saturday was between
four hundred and five hundred
coLoRED PEOPLE ON HORSEBACK.
The attendance of colorcd people was
comparatively small. It is said that
the Radical headlights had appoint
ed that day as one upon which to hold
their own meetings and to have things
all their own way, otherwise, it is al
legged that n large number would have
been here. Many were seen on their
way to Abbeville, but were turned
back. How true this is we know not,
aud merely state it as q rumor.
THE MUSIC
on this occasion was furnished by the
Due West Band, the Anderson Band,
the Abbeville co1ored Band and the
Abbeville Silver Cornet Band, togeth-
er, furnishing quite ar attractive fea-
ture Of the occasion. The Due West
Band wagon was handsomely arrang-
ed with raised seats, the sides Of the
wagon body being covered with white
canvass, upon which were appropriate
notices. n of which was "There's
life in the old land yet" Each of the
Band wagons were drawn by four fine
horses. Mr.. G.. IT. Jackson, of Nine
ty-Six, drove the Abbeville colored
Band, which joined the procession in
equally as much style as the other
bands. Arriving
AT THE STAND
Col Cothran called the meeting to or.
der, and said that the speaking would
he preceded by
PRAYER.
DR.. Bonner, of Due West, who &C.
cupied a seat on the stand, was re-
quested to invoke the Divine Blessing
upon our present assemblage, which
he did in a fervent and well-chosen
appeal to the throne of Grace, praying
that the God Of nations, as well as Of
individuals, would deign to bless the
efforts of ~ people to redeem our
PROSTATE State from the oppression
and misrule under which she has la
bored for so many ~years-that He
would open the eyes of the blind and
deluded, to see tile truth and follow it.;
that the speakers might be directed in
what they were about to say, and that
ere long our united people might be
permitted to rest in tranquility under
the shadow of their own vine and fig
tree.
Colonel Cothran now introduced
GEN. WADE HAMPTON
as the standard-bcarer of Democ-
racy in South Carolina. While
some others who started with him on
this campaign, and are professional
speakers had grown hoarse, and In
some instances completely lost their
voice, Hampton's rang out in tones as
clear as a bell. For Y c an hour he
held the vast throng in perfect
quiet and rapt attention. Men who
have known him for twenty-five and
thirty years, and heard him. speak
many and many a time, say that the
campaign has brought out from him
au elo1uence mr surprising that of
his younger years. While the mere
critic might not class Hampton tech
nically rs an orator, no j with II
Feelings Of O Carolinian cnn listen to
his arguments without being convln-
ced and cnthused for the redemption
of the dear old State, and generally
made to feel like following Hampton
to the death! In all this, however, lie
made 10 effort at orutory or rhetorical
display no claptrap. lie. is calm and
courteous even to His opponents, hold
ing, in his own words, "personal vitu-
peration beneath the grand issues of
this campaign" He does not seem to
do anything or say q word intended to
produce excitement. On the contrary
he exhorts the people to RESTRAIN
their enthusiasm" He says ''let not
a guest of passion destroy in a mo
ment the edifice we have been SO long
and so Iaboriously constructing" He
cxhorts the people to obey the laws in
spirit and in letter, and to ''fear moth
ing so much as being in the wrong;"
to do nothing that is illegal or wrong
to others, but to maintain our own
rights just rs seriously. In this con-
nection lie paid a handsome tribute to
the good order that had SO far charac-
terized the campaign, and noticing
comments of Northern papers OH the
condition of things here, said that
though he had addressed $4,000 people
the campaign began, lie had not seen
since a single deadly weapon.
In commenting upon an alleged in
tcrview between Mr.. Chamberlain
and a reporter of O Northern paper
representing Mr.. Chamberlain as say
ing that there was evidence that I've
(Hampton) was connected with the
Hamburg riot, the General said 1t did
not follow that Mr.. Chamberlain had
said so simply because newspaper
had SO reported, but "if lie did say so,
it was a falsehood base enough to SINK
him Cham berlain) to perdition, and
he ment to tell Mr.. Chamberlain so
when he saw him !; and if Chamber
lain did ray so, lie ment to make CHAM
berlain take il back"
On his relations and feelings to-
wards the colored population since
emancipation, he said he was the first
public man in America publicly to
claim and advocate for them the right
of suffrage, which he did ut o meeting
in Columbia, and referred the colored
people for proof Of this to Beverley
Nash, the colored Senator from Rich
land. He went on to explain why he
had thus early and promptly advocated
the right of suffrage being extended to
tine colored people. Colored suffrage
would increase the proportion of rep
resentatiOn from the south. A COM
mon interest and common feeling
would cause the colored people, when
they would come to understand their
real interests. rs they are now doing
all over the South, as we'll as in South
Carolina, to vote with the native
Whites, to whom the government OF
the State and country belonged "Gy
nm, ,}os/j Tram the AbUi0ht mn