The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-21
Especial dispatch TO the Baltimore SUM-
SOuth Carolina.
MOTHER RECEPTION BY GOVERNOR HAMPTON

SPEECH TO TIE C0LOIED REPUBLICANS.
CHARLESTON, S. c., April 19.-Governor
Hampton held another public reception
this morning at the City Hall, winch at
tractcd an immense concourse OF whites
and blacks. The colored Republicans, who
formed the majority OF the gathering, hay
ing called loudly on the Governor fer =
speech, he said:
MY friends of Charleston, it gives me
great pleasure TO meet you. and particularly
to meet 50 many Of the colored citizens OF
Charleston. ] want you particularly, not
only here, but throughout the whole State,
to understand precisely the condition of
affairs and the policy That represented in
the late election. All that have to say to
YOU now, and say it when victory has
crowned our efforts, is that l stand now
precisely where [ stood twelve years ago: l
was the first man in America, certainly the
first man in the South. who advocated the
granting of the right to vote to the colored
man. That is on record.
"Only few days ago I saw in the New
York Tribune q statement made by the edi-
tor, Whitelaw Reid, that in 1865 told him
that the northern Republicans would want
to take away the right OF voting from the
colored people long before the South ever
u J
the late canvass I made prediction that the
colored people would very soon find that
the only protection they had for their cleo
tive franchise would be from the white men
Of the South. You will live to see it.
81 meant to tell you an incident which
happened since my election. When was
in Washington recently five or six, or more,
prominent Republicans, men high in posi-
ton, actually consulted me as to how the
vote Of the colored man could best be re-
strcted. tell you what is true. My an
swer was eve don't want the vote OF the
colored man taken away or restricted, for
aside from the friendship we bear their race
their right to vote gives us thirty more
votes in Congress, and when peace comes
we are satisfied that the best men in both
races and parties will vote together for the
common veal
"We don't want to take that right away.
want to sec the colorcd people educated,
and renew here the pledges that have
heretofore made-that we will give the col
ored people better facilities for education
than they have hitherto enjoyed. l shall use
all my influence to see to it that the means
OF education are placed within the reach Of
every citizen of South Carolina, and when
say every citizen do not limit or qualify
the expression. I call every man Caro-
linian, whether he is white or black; whe-
Their he is born here or at the North, or in
Europe, who is a good citizen and has the
interests of the State at heart, and he is en-
titled to all the protection that the laws Of
the State and OF the United States can give
him.
81 am pledged to fulfil every promise
made in the last canvass. / can only do
that il the people Of South Carolina will
help me. can do nothing of myself. / may
indicate to the Legislature what l consider
a proper course for them to pursue, but it
is for them to make the laws. My duty
is to execute them, and your duty is to
send the best men to the Legislature,
irrespective OF race or party. Select no
man for public Office who is not competent
to ill the position. l care not what his poll
tics or his race. Make it your rule that
you will place no man in Office unless he is
competent.
elf you give me good men to make the
laws, pledge to you my honor that those
laws shall be framed SO rs TO place every
man and woman OF both races and parties
upon an equal footing before the law. II
we wish to consult the best interests OF the
State, il we want to build her up and bring
peace and prosperity back to her sunny
fields, I would say to one and all, forget, for
awhile at least, all about politics, and de-
vote yourselves to the material interests
of the State. Go to work. Resolutions
will do nothing. Public meetings will do
nothing. Every man should place his
shoulder to the wheel He must 90 to work
resolutely, honestly, earnestly, and boldly,
in the discharge of his duty to bring back
harmony and unanimity between the races
at the South. know, my friends, you can
do it. tell you, my colored fellow-cltizens,
that have not one particle OF feeling OF i'll
will against single individual OF your race,
and it so happened that the first commission
that issued as Governor OF South Carolina
was issued to colored man, and Repub-
lican at that.
"When was in Washington a colored
Republican, an eX-ofice-holder OF this
State-Professor Greener, OF the State UNI
yersity-came to me and asked for recon-
mendation. I told him that Icould not UNI
derstand what value my recommendation
would be to him; but upon bis renewing
his request I gave him letter, and told
the President that had not intended to
give any recommendation OF the late adj
ministration in South Carolina, but as
Greener was a colored man, had voted for
Hayes, and stumped the State for Chamber
Lain, thought could afford to make an
exception in his case.
/" w hat / say to you here / wish every man
TO repeat. l only say to You, Judge the
administration by its acts. / don't want
you to become Democrats or Conservatives.
| ask you to forget NIL about politics, and {
lxr 4 t,,r. aL - rs,