Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-07-11

be equal under the law" You went to the
colored people and told them that their rig ghts
would be protected. You told them that we
had pledged ourselves that the Constitution
and laws of South Carolina should give equal
protection to ALL You appealed to them to
come and help you work out the redemption
of the State. They came by hundreds and
did help you. And now would you turn your
back upon them, and, after trying for ten
years to convince the colored man that bis
true interests lay with the Democratic party,
would you say, "Nov We have no use for you.
You shall not vote even at the primary elec-
tions." If this be the policy of South Caro-.
lima then am l sadly mistaken in the people
of South Carolina, and the people are mis-
taken in me, because L can carry out no such
policy as that. I stand uhere you put me in
1875. I have not deviated one aota, and des-
pite the criticisms against me, defy any man
to place his finger upon one single act of
mine that is not in strict accord with the pol.
icy of the Democratic party in convention
assembled in 1876. They gave me chart
and compass by which was to conduct this
campaign. Taking it as my guide, I went
before the people, black and white, and in
the name of the people I held up that plat
form and said to them: "Here is what the
white people of South Carolina have said to
the world: I'VE have accepted the National
Democratic platform which recognizes the
equality of every citizen before the law. We
have adopted our own platform of 1876,
which endorses the national platform and
guarantees equality to all men before the
law" [Cheers.]
From where the blue capped mountains
kiss the sky to where Old Ocean rolls upon
the coast, from North to South, from East to
West, went before the people, white and
black, and told them that if they elected US,
they would put men in Office who would re-
cognize all the pledges and would carry Them
out in good faith, and l tell you the men
you have placed in power-Hagood and his
colleagues in the State Offices -.oould cut off
their right arms before they auould violate their
pledges Prolonged applause.]
If it is thought that we can be successful
in this election by fraud, (and l have heard
rumors floating throughout the State occa
sionally, intimating that we had the machine
ry of the elections in our own hands and that
we could count in anybody we pleased,) I
tell you, people of Barnwell, and people of
South Carolina, that if you once countenance
fraud, before many years pass over your
heads you will not be worth saving, and will
not be worthy of the State you live in.
[Cheers.] Fraud cannot he successful be-
cause the chosen SONS Of South Carolina form
the Returning Board now. The men that
you have placed there as representing the
truth and honor of South Carolina would die
before they would perjure themselves by
placing men wrongfully in office. [Cheers.]
You can carry the election by standing
squarely on the plauorm Of 1876. Display
that hammer again Call upon all the citi
zens of South Carolina that want honest gov
ernment to rally to the standard, and my
word for it, you will carry the State, and you
will carry it overwhelmingly [Cheers.] Is
it not better to fail in doing right than to sue
cssd in doing ,orongi [Yesl Yesl You
can succeed by carrying out the principles
,pay. Do that and if | can aid you again l
will do it. But can only assist you by
standing upon that platform of rs. If you
are to inject into it any new and abhorrent
principles-if you are to 60 back upon all
pledges that have made to the people-if
you are to say that the colored men that have
sustained US are no longer to be citizens of
South Carolina-if you require me to 60 up
and give my allegiance to platform Of that
sort, then, my friends, much as | would do
for you and for South Carolina, earnestly as
l would desire to spend or be spent in her
service. willing as am to give even my life
for my State, should have to decline. |
would give my life for South Carolina, but i
cannot sacrifice my honor, no not even for
her. Cheers.