The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-07-26

that the right Of suffrage was purely
2 mai tier for State legislation. There
were men there too, who told us that
it was good Democratic doctrine, I
agreed that it was good Democratic
doctrine, but asserted that It was ne
cessary to define who formed the
States; to establish guards and limits
by which we could go back to some
certain period in our history, and saw
who were the citizens. I, therefore.
asked them to declare that the oues-
ton OF the right of suffrage belonged
to the State Governments that exist
ed up to 1866. Some doubts. how.
ever, were expressed of the policy of
such declaration. Gentlemen from
the North, South, East and West, all
showed the greatest disposition to act
in harmony. 1 am free to confess
that they met us everywhere with cor
diality and good will. In fact, thew
declared their willingness to give us
everything we could desire, but they
begged us to remember that they had
a great fight to make ut the North:
and they, therefore, besought us not
to load the platform with weight
that they could not carry against the
prejudices which they had to encoun-
ter. Help them once to gain the
power, and then they would do their
utmost to relieve the Southern States,
and restore to us the Union and Con-
stitution as it had existed previous to
the war. I could not fail to recipro-
cate their kindness, and I felt that I
represented my people in so doing.
l, therefore, withdrew my resolution,
and consented to that offered by the
distinguished Bayard, of Delaware,
that suffrage was q matter for State
legislation" provided that they allow
me to add three words. They agreed
to this, and L then added the clause
which you will find embodied in the
platform: "And we declare that the
Reconstruction Acts are unconstitu-
tional, revolutionary and void. That
is my plank in the platform. The
great Democratic party being pledg-
ed to that declaration, wanted no.
thing else. 1 could wait in patience
for their triumph, to show us how it
was to be worked out in their own
good time. That the right of suf-
frage belongs to the States, is q policy
that suits us, when the great Demo-
cratic party is pledged to the declara-
ton that the Reconstruction Acts are
unconstitutional, revolutionary and
void. Especially when every mem
Der of tae party, and the warmest are
from the North, is ready to take it up
and carry it out.
The platform breathes not only a
spirit Of kindness and conciliation,
but OF magnanimity. This same
spirit, TOO. actuated not only your
Convention, but that great body of
the sailOrs and soldiers of the Fede-
raj army that met in New York at the
same time. Men who believing that
they were right, us we thought we
were right, fought for their cause as
we fought for ours. The war being
over, and their ends gained, they
met us as brave and honorable men
should be met. They hold out the
right hand Of conciliation, and friend
ship, and for one am willing to ac-
cept the hand of a man who fought
for his cause and State as I fought
for mine, of the man who believing
as he does, stands now upon the
platform of the Democratic party,
and with the hand which once held
the sword now offers the olive branch
of peace. 1 accept all such as COM
rades in the great battle which we
are now fighting for liberty and con-
stitutional government. I yield to
mono in devotion to the lost cause.
[ would never be the traitor to ig-
more my past acts, and seek base
promotion by a dastardly denial of
my principles. But I am willing
always to welcome those, who having
fought only for honor and the Con-
stitution, now meet us as friends and
brothers.
(Here Gen. Hampton became very
hOarse. and desDita tho lono root