The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-05-01
Ancient History.
Col. J. j. bargains Speech to
the Negroes at the Base
Ball Park, Charleston.

AS previously announced 10 The
Mws and Courier and BY band bills
freely distributed about the city Col. j..
J. Dargan, of Sumter spoke at the
Base Ball Park yesterday afternoon.
The speaker was placed on a stage
erected about twenty feet away fro"
and facing the grand stand. 20 this
platform we're seated Col. Dargao, the
Rev. Messrs Geo. c.. Rowe, j. l..
Dart, j. B. Middleton, F. P. Crum
and other colored parsons. The grand
stand contained probably a thousand
colored men aud boys; the press gal
lerv was occupied By about fifty colored
women and a hundred men ; the bleach,
ers held a handful of men, and on the
ground about The stage were probably
three hundred colored men. Counting
policemen aud reporters there were
lust about a dozen white men to be
seen. Ooly three Of this number we're
not obviously there on business.
The crowd on the grand stand was
quite an intelligent looking one and
seemed to generally understand the
speaker, but in she crowd around the
platform were macy who applauded aud
laughed quite often at the wrong places
The programme opened with a seiec-
ton from a band stationed Oh the staud
and az its not harmonious sounds died
away the chairman Of the meeting. the
Rev. George c. Rowe. came forward
and introduced the Rev. W. w. Beckett
and asked h:m to opeu the meeting
with prayer.
The Rev. Mr.. Beckett made quite a
lengthy appeal to the Almighty to
..he!p his people and not to let them
falter, but to 60 Harvard c%onsending
against wrong, uplifting right until
right shall prevail"
The band then played "Nearer ny
God to Thee" 10 a most doleful style
and the Rev. Geo. c. Rowe again ap.
peared, this time to introduce the
speaker who would give them warn
ing and advice and discuss the issues
that are stirring the minds of the peo-
pie" Col. Dargan, he said, would 60
down in history as q Of the greatest
men, not of the State, but the country
and the age.
Col. Dargan, who had been nervous
ly toying With a paper in his hands aud
impatiently tapping the platform with
his foot, advanced kriskly to the front
when the Rev. Rowe sat down, and
SAID
Fellow Citizens: I an here at the in
vi,ation of the Ministers Uoion, a body
of cclorea men. to speak to you. am
not ashamed of it. | am ready to look
any Caroiinian 10 the face aud say |
came With pride and pleasure. Voices:
That's good! Amen ?" He said he
would be proud if he could call bi~seif
the originator of this idea of advising
and discussing momentous questions
With the co!ored people, bat it was not
his.
Hampton had Instructed him 10 1876
to attend all meetings Of colored people
and give them advice and lead them
whenever they desired it.
When the slaves became freemeu
they asked for advice aud counsel.
Their formers masters would not give it
and as q result they went with the
s.carpes-baggers," With what result !?
[ would rot refuse you advice, not if
I had to walk here to give it to you
I have nothing to conceal. | wanted
light that l might see right. | wrote
to your committee aud asked them to
invite Joseph W. Baruwell to meet me
here and correct me if I said anything
wrong. What more could | do? He
is not here, but that's no fault Of mine.
and shall l then hide my light under
a bushel? Cries Of mo! no."
Amen! ="
White men. let US look back on our
errors. There are plenty of them.
Let US reuounce them aud do right.
How came these negroes here? Taken.
we're they? Did they come of their
W accord? a young buck to the
right: mo, they stole us aud
brought as here" If | were a mis-
sionary to Africa trying to teach the
Africans what a great man the people
would make of me. Laughter
Now. because talk with you. | meet
frowns aud unkinds words. But I am
not mad. I've done a little Of it my
self. Womeu Id the gallery: Come
on come 90 ="
Listen, white men The South was
not peculiar in holding slaves-ex-
cept that she held on longer than the
other places. When slavery was
first instituted it was a humane meas
ure. A murmur of surprise in the
crowd Yes. II was the alternative