Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-08-18
Revolutionary Designs Of The Radical
Party Reconstruction in South
Carolina Advice to the Negroes.

| The following extract is from speech de-
livorod by General Wade Hampton at Aiken,
/ S. c., on the zlil instant
The Radical party, which proposes TO sciEa
the Government meets US with the bare and
bold imposition of chaTging US with being
revolutionary It was no longer ago than
Saturday that saw that the Radical press
had denounced mo as rebel and revolu-
zionist ON account OF some expression which
had used in Que OF my speeches. defy
them to put their iHgor on one word or IA
single place iu which I said anything which
could Justly be 30 construed. said III
Charleston that the clause in the Democratic
platiorm declaring the Reconstruction acts
Unconstitutional, revolutionary aud void was
one which we had put therej.I say 50 again.
This is not the first instance in history where
4; party designing to soize upon the govern
uent and overthrow the liberties of tho peo-
pls has charged its opponents with its own
crimes We arc not soeliog revolution
We only ask fur our States the Same rights
that Massachusetts enjoys. We merely de-
nland the right to regulate our oSn attAirs-
We do not seek war--we want peace to build
up our desolate places, to restore our altare,
TO regain our prosperity, to bring forth tho
energies of our people aud to re>establish up
on a firm basis the republic OF our fathers
That is what we want aud that is all that we
aim at.
The Radical party charges Us with being
revolutionary. They say through their stand
ard bearer. sIset US have pcaoe" Now, fell
low citizens, what kind of peace is it that
they propose to let us have? I'hore ID one
kind of peace, say it with all reverence,
that comes from the Godhead and surpasseth
all understanding. There is another peace
where the wnite-robed angel, aitor the din OF
arms has ceased and tho revcrberatlng boom
of the cannon has died away in silence, broods
over a smiling and ro-uuited country aud pro-
rouuces all men onco moro brethren. But,
iellow-ctisens there is yet another peace
the peace which the kite gives to the dove,
the wolf to the lamb-thc peace of death
Let tho Radical rule be once firmly fixed, let
them once grasp the reins OF government, aud
that peace of death will prevail forever over
this fair land Not here only, but over the
whole land will come famine, from Maine TO
California, from the Atlantic to the gulf, that
numb and pulseless repose, the peace of death.
The Government for which our fathers fought
will 20 down in blood, confusion and anarchy,
and in it's stead would rise the empire of
despot. 1t is then in the interests of peace
that | speak to you here. 1 wish to disabuse
the minds of my people here aud of some Of
my friends at the North.
1t was my good fortune when in New York
to dine with party composed OF many Fed
eral officers aud few Contederates. Among
the Fedcrals wero some of their most distiu-
guisled Generals, Ewing, Steadman and 9TH
ers. After dinner they drew out our south
ern people in speeches, and was one OF those
who spoke ! talked to them with the same
frankness that now speak to you. told
them at the commencement OF tho dIthculties
which immediately preceded the war, there
were some OF the leading men OF my own sec
ton who thought / was lukeyarm IN the good
cause. bad answered to these that L bo-
lieved that there wonld be o war, and that
when it came, intended to do my share OF
the fighting Here [ was interrupted by
Federal olfcer who exclaimed good -humored-
ly: .By God, think you did do your part
of the fighting'S I said that had gone In-
TO the war because thonght that | was right
and that now declared that l was in all sill-
| ce-ity one of the warneSt advocates OF peace
! l desired it from the bottom OF my heart /
was not speaking with false. and double
/ tongue bur IN perfect sincerity and franknes
These were the soldiers whom bad fought,
/ who told me and asked me about the battles
/ in which we had been engaged. They said
! that they would rather believe men who had
! fought tor their country anu VINO were VIII
( ling to declare tue issues past, and 10 stand
upon the same platform. than the men who
4 now proiessed TO be more violent than when
4 the war was raging.
want you now TO consider the rcconstrue-
ton of South Carolina as accomplished By
three years of Radical rule. In Columbia
you Gun see what is called tho Legislature OF
South Carolina. When served in the leg
islature they used to give US two and a-haiI
to three dollars a day. and we tried to finish
our work as soon as possible. The distin-
gnished gentlemen who now ell our places
find their time SO valuable that they caano,
work for less than six dollars a day, with
double mileage, aud taking four times as long
to do the work. That body, which was once
characterized by wisdom, honor, patriotism
and all the high virtues. is now only known
for its ignorance guided by malignity :.
did not know the degradation, my ina ag1