The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-07-20
Anasrsu1r gntelIiae:nt!el5r!,,. :!l5!,.
GOV. CHAMBERLAIN,S sHIBBOLETH
The sGlorious Fourth in Georgetown
Speech of an Artful Demagogue.

The iGlorious Fourth in Georgetown
Speech of an Artful Demagogue.
At early dawn of Tuesday morning, w
were admonished by the ringing of bell
and other noisy demonstrations, that tht
jubilee of America had come.
At II q. m, the usual unwashed crowe
that celebrates Independence Day.
assembled on Front street, and paradee
through the town with innumeranle ban
ners and hackneyed notices. A smal
company of ragged militia and severa
fire companies were conspicuous in the
procession.
Extraordinary preparations had beer
made to arouse enthusiasm, and collect
crowd; but year after year the number
diminishes. Even the anticipated pres.
ence of Gov. Chamberlain, with the Cen
tennial Brass Band and big dinner
failed to bring forth the full strength Of
the "party."
Greenwich, in the suburbs of the town.
was the spot selected for the exercises.
and thither we repaired, but too late to
hear the declaration read. Gov. Cham
berlain was introduced by Senator w. 81.
Jones, and alluded briefly to the separa-
ton of the colonies from the mother
country. His attention was principally
directed to party issues. He arralgned
the Democratic party for its failure to
develop true republican government in
America; lauded the Republican party
as the only agency whereby the true
spirit of the Constitution has been in
terpreted, the instrument itself vitallzed,
and become living reality
he declaimed eloquently and continu-
ously upon that familiar text of the had
ical party, GAIL men were created ree
and equal" He asserted with emphasis
that the trainers of the constitution, in
that undistributed "aH," included the
negro as we'll as the Anglo Saxon race.
This text had not, till within the last
sixteen years, been correctly interpreted.
He e>charged the nation, and the Demo-
cratic party particularly, with having
acted a lie for the last eighty-four years.
Since the Republican party came into
power, in national affairs, sixteen years
ago, they alone had promulgated the. true
meaning of the text, by abolishing slave,
nv, arming the negro with the ballot, and
placing them on an equality before the
law with the balance of creation. The
Governor emphasized the following as
sertion: Of the two alternatives, free
ballot or a good ballot, give me tree
ballot alwaysp He argued at length
the necessity of universal suffrage as the
only path to true political progress. 1t
matters not how ignorant the voter. 1t
became political necessity that he be
armed with the means for his protection:
In conclusion, he announced himself
as a candidate for reelection for Cover
nor of South Carolina, and plead with
his party the necessity of remaining $
unit in the coming election. Did ne
consult his own feelings he would throw
off the burden of responsibility of office
that rested upon his shoulders, and re-
turn to the peaceful pursuits of private
citizen; but the reform movement had
been inaugurated under his leadership,
and he would abate nothing OF effort till
he raised the Republican party to a
higher plane of purity and respect:
The Governor said many good things,
and said them eloqaeutly; some things
he said foolishly, that would not bear the
test of truth; but his audience, made up
of about one thousand negroes, was lg-
norant, and it suited them.
Just week ago, Gov. Chamberlain
stood on the rostrum of one OF our col
leges in South Carolina and delivered
brilliant oration before two literary so
cieties: he was there by virtue of his
intellect and his matchless power of elo-
cution, the cynosure of all eyes; to-day
he stands on the stump before an igno-
rant, preiudiced multitude of negroes,
the impersonation of a graduated dema-
gogue. e..,N
lei. Of his genius, literary culture and
fine personal appearance, there can be
no doubt; we would be delighted to
know that the inside of the platter were
equally as fair. The Governor challenged
his audience to find just fault with his
administrative acts. We have no doubt
that he has done many good things in
the interest of good government; but we
submit the question, why did he not play
the role of reformer as attorney general ?
He knew then, as well as he does now,
that the State had become the prey OF
corrupt officials, and yet he opened not
his mouth. Had he acted as vigorously
while encouragement as he does now,
the tide of corruption would have been
stayed.-Georgetoaun Times.