Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-11-29
Gen. Wade-Mampton,s Letter..
re rHE.rEopEE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,

), Expecting tosTessve the State in "a few day:
. for an uncertain period, Icannot' do So with
out expressing to'fny 'citizens my pro
fduEd senscsof the e'honorpaid to me by tn
vote given -to.nae IN the recent election. TO
Governor. In Fe.urnipg. my thanks to then
for the late. pontaneous and extraordinary
manifestation. df their kindness, it is due t
them that i, shdnld state the. reasons which
induced. me, to decline to Be a candidate. = II
tho first place The Convention, Which gave tht
election Of GoTcrnor to the people, had with
Singular, unatitnity-though mot. in thci,
public capacity -Ere4uested the distinguished
gentleman whoihas ;been elected totbecome Q
candidate for. the Office. This. he. consented
to.do, though doubtless, at great personal
inconYepience;and.a a heavy sacrifice of his
| private interests. Under these circumstances );
I was uinwi1lingto do anything that might
cause q political contest IN the State. :.
thought that no good could arise at home
from such aseontest, whilst. II: might do US
infinite mischiefs:abroad.s The President OF
the United States had exhibited not oply q
strong dispositiondo protect. the South from
the radicalism of tue North, but to reinstate
US in our civil AMI. political rights. T feared
that my election1by embarrassing him in
labors and policy-might incidentally do
harm to. the State Superadded to these
considerations G0fa public character; deter
ring me from appearing as a candidate, there
we're Others ofaepriyate nature noless s'Fong.
My affairs, neglected'for iye years, impera-
lively demanded,my personal attention. Had
l believed that my election as Governor could
really benefit the. State, or subserye any of
her true interests, no sacrifice of private
nature, however great, would haFe deferred
me from accepting that Or any other position
to which she night have called me-; but. re-
garding my Incarnation only as a compliment
from some of my Sormer comrades L felt at
liberty to decline, though deeply sensible Of
the honor paid mesby the nomination, and
the manner in5which it was received through
out the State, These reasons, which hope
you will understand and appreciate, impelled
me to withdraw my name. Having given
the reasons for lie courae pursued, and ex-
pressed my thanks for ycur generous con-
fidencc in me, I should, perhaps, close. But
the evidence ydashavc given your.kindness
to and confdenceiin srne-eyidence as unex-
pccted as it is igratifying-authorizes me,
trust without .pEcsumption, to add a few
words of counsel. sl.....
For years it bas been the boast of our State
THAI there was but one party within her linn
its. Commendhble and vital as that state OF
affairs was during the war, it is scarcely, if
at all, less so nbR Every association of the
past, every dutE:of the present, every hope
of the future, bids,us still TO stand shoulder
to shoulder."a irhe work before US demands
all the patriotism, all the courage, all the
endurance ofodr whole people. Let no par
ty STRIFE, no minor issues, no party politics,
divert us from ssegreat and pressing work
OF the hour-thaI or rraI1ifua atns, 4ar as
possible, our PROSTATE and bleeding State,
and rchabitGting her, as speedily as may be,
with the forms, the rights, and tho sanctity
Of government and Of law.
That bark, which was launched a few years
ago amid such joyous acclamations, which
was freighted with such precious hopes, and
which was waited on by such earnest pray
ers bas suffered shipwreck. 1t bchooves us,
as wise men, to build Of lis broken timbers,
as best VIC may, raft whercon we may
hope to reach haven OF rest and safety.
It may be, thas when the forms Of govern
ment are restored, and freedom of speech al
lowed to us, your late Convention will be
subjected to harsh criticism and its action
impugned. Should such, 'unhappily, be the
case, remember that you, the people of South
Carolina, accepted this Convention as part
and parcel of the terms of your surrender.
The President had no shadow of authority,
admit, under the Constitution Of the, Uni
.ol Ct.to. ~ orj ar q convention o1 tbic or
any other State; but, as q conqueror, he had
the right to offer, if not to dictate, terms.
The terms offered by him you have accepted,
and you are bound, by every dictate of
honor and of manliness, to abide by them
honestly, and to keep, in good faith, the
pledges yeu have given. do not my
SELF concur fully in all the measures adopted
by the Convention, but l shall checrfully ac-
qniesce in the action i took to carry out
faithfully the Is agreed on and willing
ly accord toit Ugh praise for the manner
in which it discharged its ardpous and up-
welcome lators. No similar body ever rep
resented more largely than it did the dignity,
the learning the virtue, and the patriotism
Of the State, and am sure it was actuated
BY pure and high motives.
Entertaining these views, think that 1t IS
our duty to sustain the action Of the Convcn-
ton in recognizing the abolition of slavery,
to support the President of the United States
go long as he manifests disposition to re.
store all our rights as q sovereign State, and
to give to our newly elected Governor cor
dial co operation in his grave and response
BILE duties. Above all, letus stand by our State
her record is honorable, her escutcheon un-
tarnished. Here is our country-the land
of our nativity, the home of our affection.
Here all our hopes should centre; here we
lave worshippcd the God of our fathers, here,
amid charged and blackened ruins, are the
spots we once fondly called our homes and
here we buried the ashes Of our kindred. All
these sacred ties bind us to our State, aud
they are intensified by her suffering and her
desolatign.
",And, as child, when soaring sounds molest,.
Clings close and closer to the mothers breast;
So the loud torrent and the whirlwind's roar
But bind us to our native land tho more"
1 trust that you will pardon me for thus
yenturing to counsel you. Believe me that
It is in no presumptuous feeling that 1 do so,
but sslely in an honest, sincere and humble
,,,;to ~. ba x,al e. ra