The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-09-06
Speech of Gen. Wade Hampton.

At meeting held by the soldiers of An
derson District for the purpose of forming a
Soldiers Association, Gen. Wade Hampton
was waited upon by a committee, and in re-
spouse delivered the following speech:
BROTHER SOLDIERS OF ANDERSON: deem
myself fortunate that accident has given me
the pleasures of meeting with you to-day,
and Of participating in the laudable objects
contemplated by your meeting; and that
pleasure is greatly enhanced by seeing around
me many OF the brave men whom it was my
good fortune to command during the war
These mountain regions gave to the armies
of the South some of our best soldiers, and
it is due to them that 1 should declare, what
1 do here with infinite qualification, that I
had III my ranks none better drawer or more
devoted than the men of this and the adjoin-
ing districts. In your presence l desire to
tender to them my heartfelt thanks for their
conduct as soldiers They have the proud
consciousness of having performed their duty
to the State, and this will be some compen-
sation to them for the result of the ar.
And, brother soldiers, while we acquiesce in
the result, let us not admit that the cause Ii
self was unjustifable wrong. l accept the
terms upon which we laid down our arms in
good faith, and it is our duty to observe
these terms faithfully; but while 1 do this,
shall never say that we had not right on
our side-I shall never hold my State as gull
ty or her sons as traitors. The cause is not
to be judged by success or failure. Success
does not inevitably make right or truth or
justice, nor does failure always imply evil,
wrong or falsehood. If the justice of a cause
always insure success, Poland, Hungary and
Ireland would not ROW groan under the heel
of the oppressor, nor would the South be re-
duced to the sad condition in which she finds
herself to-day But sad as IS the condition
w
She has need of all her sons You know
that in years that are just passed You regard
ed it as your highest duty to stand by your
colors. So now it is your duty to stand by
your State. Her colors are nailed to the
mast and let US stand or fall with her. Give
her all the aid you can, and if she sinks, at
least let us go down with her For these rea-
sons / have discouraged emigration. 1 be-
lieve it is our highest duty to assist in the
establishment of law, order, peace to help
the widows and orphans made by the war,
and to endeavor to raise our prostrate and
bleeding country. We may not be able to
do much toward alleviating the suffering and
SORROWS of our people, but we can at least
take our share OF them and thus Tighten the
general burden by distributing it among US
all. To the accomplishment OF these objects
the highest that patriotism can inspire-l
invoke your earnest cooperation 1t Will re-
quire all your energy, all your strength all
your endurance, to restore hope to our peo-
pie or vitality to our State. We can expect
nothing from the Government of the United
States, whatever party May be in power
The Convention at ladelphia-where the
North and South, burying the past were to
reestablish liberty, equality, fraternity-has
declared the platform upon which the Con
servatives propose to enter the next canvass.
In the declaration of principles which com
pose that platform, see it announced that
nd
ed the Rebellion are entitled to the thanks of
the Nation that the debt incurred in that
holy crusade is to be sacred, and that all
Confederate debts are null and void. We
pension the men who forged our letters but
the soldiers of the South-men with empty
sleeves or on crutches, such as are seen around
me noW-are to be branded as outlaws, reis-
els ana traitors No fostering hand of a pa
tef1al Government soothes or cares for their
WIDOWS and orphans. The country and Coy
eminent Tor which they fought, like their
hopes, arc dead, and they are thrown on the