The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-09-15
The Republican Mass Meeting the 9th. .

The Republican Mass Meeting the 9th.
The leading Republicans in this
County made desperate efforts to secure
a grand mass meeting Ill Newbcrcy
Thursday, the 9th. Reports were sent
out asking all to come and hear Elliott,
Brayton, Sam Lee and other "distin-
guished speakers. About two hun
dred and fifty colored men came. They
waited about the streets till about l
O'Clock when they marched in process
sion to Cline's grove. There was some
cheering by small boys and a few men,
but the enthusiasm was at deplorably
low ebb; and when the audience found
that none of the expected speakers had
come and that there was nobody to ad-
dress them except Rainey, of George
town, their disappointment was mani
fest. S. H. Chappeli acted as Chair
man. Prayer was offered by Rev.
Nance, and Joseph H. Rainey, en-
Congressman from the First District,
was introduced. Rainey is . light mu-
latto, and man of considerable intelli-
gence. He is not good stump speak
er, and failed 10 produce much impress
sion on his audience. He said that of
the two chief means of obtaining infor-
nation, bearing and reading, the col
ored people were almost wholly depen-
dent on the former, and for that reason
he would point out to them the differ
ence between the two parties that divide
the country. One great point of differ
ence is whether State Sovereignty or
the general government should be su-
preme. States have rights, and the
doctrine of States Rights means home
rule and the power of the States to
make their own laws-so long as they
don't conflict with the Constitution and
laws Of the United States. The Repub-
lican party claims that the general gov
ernment has power over the State
similar 10 that of parent over child.
We, as Republicans, feel an interest in
this question-our rights are derived
from the general government. The
Republican party is the party that has
taken US to the front. We may have
done things that were unwise and
wrong; yet we have rights that must
not be trihed and that we should stand
up and defend. The Republican party
is the party that defends the poor man.
Colored men have no showing in the
Democratic party; we can't get repre-
sentation in that party. 1t is so hard
to impress upon their minds that we are
free and have rights. We prefer the
Republican party because in that party
our rights are recognized. When the
Democratic Convention met ct Cincin-
natl, out of over 600 delegates, there
was not one colored man; yet the col
ored men of this country cast one mil
lion votes. At the Republican Conven-
ton at Chicago white men and colored
men sat side by side. Hancock men
| will ask you to vote for him when at
Cincinnati they didn't recognize yoa.
Inasmuch as We are not good enough
to sit in their Convention the Democrats
ought not to expect US to vote for them.
They say the Republican party IS dead ;
it is the liveliest corpse you ever laid
eyes on on the other side of the Mason
and Dixon line. You may be counted
out here; but the wealth, the intelli-
gcnce and the power of other sections
of the country are in the Republican
party. In our party are some of the
bost men of this country. Do not be
discouraged and think you are forsaken
and down-trodden. The principles of
the Republican party are eternal; they
embrace the doctrines of personal liber-
ty and equal rights and Justice to all ;
don't know what is going to transpire
in the future; have many reasons for
knowing that we are going to be sue
cessful, but those reasons are two valu-
able to be given at this time and place.
The American people have determined
that the fundamental principles of this
government must be established. They
don't want man for President whose