Year: 1877

OECEIMB 10,


it, I will give them as good as they send
Renewed cheering.] I will add that | can
never consent to degrade myself to the level
of brutality, cowardice and blackguardism,
which characterized their conduct toward
me.


will not detain you longer but to make
one additional suggestion as to what, in my
judgment, is the one thing needful for our
whole people, irrespective ofrace, class, color
or condition for, in the discharge of my du.
ties, shall recognize no distinction. But if
there is one thing more needful than another
for the people of South Carolina to do, it is
that all questions which prevent her from re-
suming her natural relations to her sister
States of this great confederation, shall be set.
tied as speedily as possible. Her people and
all her interests require the benign influences
of peace and quiet, and, as far as may be con.
sistent with her future welfare, the forgetting
of the grievances of the past. Her ports re:
quire the reviving influences of foreign and
domestic trade Her rivers and harbors are
entitled to the care of the general government
and proportionate share of the public ap-
preparations for their improvement, and l
shall insist that no discrimination shall be
made against her in this regard. There is
one thing more, which pardon me for sug'
gesting, that in all of our dealings with each
other there should be spirit of mutual for
bearance and toleration. There should be
rigid and uncompromising obedience to the
only safe arbitrament between the people-the
arbitrament of the law. To that, and to that
alone, can we submit. with safety, all our dis
putes and differences. This is the more i'm.
portant, nay absolutely necessary, after hav-
ing passed through 80 terrible an ordeal. Ter
rible, did say? Why when l look back and
remember the scenes which we witnessed on
these very streets twelve months ago, when al
most the swapping of finger would have pre-
cipitated bloody revolution and war, and when
I remember how we have passed through it
all and what we have achieved without the
shedding of blood, l can ascribe it to no other
influence, but the special interposition Of the
great God of US all. Man. it appears to me,
is incapable of having achieved such results
alone. So far as am concerned and those
of US who happened to be thrown to the front,
we were mere factors, mere incidents, in the
struggle. 1t was the great heart of the people
of South Carolina rising and demanding their
rights. Cheers.] The leaders, as they were
called, were mere instruments. The people,
rising as one man, solid, irrepressible, car
ried the day by standing unyielding, shoulder
to shoulder


And let me commend to you for the future,
the lesson of the past. We can only succeed
hereafter by the same unanimity of action,
and by frowning down absolutely all efforts
at organizing what are now termed "indepen-
dent movements" We must stand together.
The Democracy of South Carolina must align
themselves in the most central, compact and
unbroken affiliation with the great constitu.
tional party of the country, the National
Democracy. Something has been said in Diff
ferent quarters of the country about new
party. As q matter of policy, it would be
midsummer madness, political suicide, now
that the Democracy is about to achieve the
control of the government, that we should at
tempt any new party in the South, to say
nothing of principle. For three-quarters of
acentury the Democratic party has preserved,
protected and guarded constitutional and
American liberty on this continent, and we
must keep fully in accord with it, if we would
expect to reap any of the benefits of the gov
ernment. Applause.] If you had seen
what have seen within the last two months,
in the city of Washington, the disposition of
the Radical revolutionary element, you would
stand appalled,, and could not be surprised
at any act of theirs to preserve their party
power.


My friends, I have been betrayed into
saying much more than l intended. In the
few days I have been here, I-have been in no
condition to make or prepare speech. My
ideas almost fail to respond to proper express
sion, so completely have I been engrossed in
warding off the attacks upon the rights Of my
self. and, through myself, those of South Car.
oIina. If it was essential that those who rep.
resented South Carolina in that body when
she was in the zenith of her glory, should
stand on the outposts and maintain her rights,
how much greater the responsibility now. that
she is in the dust of degradation and hu-
miity. I can only promise again that, to
the best of my feeble ability, I shall strive to
do my duty, and that, in the discharge Of that
duty, I shall do nothing which will bring the
blush of shame to any man or woman in this
State. I thank you sincerely for the honor of
this cordial welcome. I thank you sincerely,
not only for this cordial welcome, but pro-
foundly for the attention which you have given
me, and bid you good night. Prolonged
cheeriDg.]


General Butler was followed by General
Gary, Judge Mackey and Mr.. Aldrich, who
spoke briefly in response to calls from the
crowd.