Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-07-22
General Wade Hampton.

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The following is the telling and forcible
speech delivered by General Wade Hampton
at the Democratic mass ratification meeting
held in New York on Thursday. the' 9th.
Fellowcitizeps Of New York I ara viola
ting f:uie;that / imposed on myself .wbensF
came on here, in addressing you-inspeaking
at all, and that 1 do violate it is due wholly
to the. people of New York;, who haze met
those of. the South with such kindness and
such scordiality. fApplause.l But, gentle
men, / come solely that might thank you
for the cordiality that you have extended to
US, and to all the Southern States delegations,
and that might explain TO. you why it wss
that we were here, and what good we hoped
might be effected by our presence. 1t was
determined by US when we came on that we
would take no part in this Convention-no
prominent part-not because We did not feel
that we were the equals of any other dele
gates, but solely because we were afraid that
we Of the South-cut off as we have been for
the last few years from the political world
we were afraid that if we should indicate our
preference, we might accidentally select n,an
who would bring defeat upon the great Demo-
cratic party. We determined that wewould
let the Democracy of the United States, in
Convention assembled them indicate who
was to be their standard-bearer, and then
that we would come up in solid phalaRx and
pledge our support to confirm the nonina-
tion. Acting upon that determination, we
cast our vote for the President of the United
States, Andrew Johnson [appiausel-wh0
had stood between US and ruin. We wished
to show him that we appreciated that kind:
ness, and to pay him the compliment that was
due him. Cries of "good, good." 1t was
then seemingly the work of the Democracy
to take the great young statesman Of Ohio.
When that appeared to be the case, North
Carolina rendered him her support When
thatdistipguished soldier-that honored Penn.
sylvapiau, whom I have met OH many
bloody field tapplausel, who l take pleasure
in saying was one of the most gallant Of your
soldiers-Gen. Hancock applause when
his Dame was presented we took hlm up, and
we voted until the last for him. Applause.l
And when the nance Of Horatio Seymour, OF
New York-[applausel-was presented, and
State after State rolled on, and swelled the
grand colnmn, our little State came next to
your own at last, and declared that he was
their choice cmphatieally and fully. These,
gentlemen, were the reasons that prompted
Us to take the course we did. II. we have
been mistaken am sure of one thing at least,
that you will believe that we have been IN
spircd by but one single motive, and That was
10 promote the success of the Democratic
party. Applause. 1t has been the carpcst
desire OF the South, since the war closed, to
Join with the Democratic party; and want
you all 10 know thatif we had beeh:wilins
to 60 with the Radical party, @e Could, have
made any terms that we choose But we de-
termiEed to take defeat for the Democracy
rather than by sacrificing oar principles to
gain success with the Radicals. tAppfause.]
We believed that if we were trae-that II We
were true to those principles-if we were true
to ourselves, that God would not forsaSe us;
and that these broad principles Of liberty un
DERIVING the principles 6f the Democratic
party would triumph, and that We would at
last be free, and delivered from tie ruin that
has been impending over us. Applause.
An now, gentlemen, you of'the North do not
know-you cannot conceive the condition Of
the Southern States.
A yoice-By God l can.
General Hampton-I am glad you can. =.
The Voice. have been theie,
General Hampton-I will only state' a few
facts, for it is thing upon which dare not
speak. In the Legislature of South Carolina,
composed of one hundred and fifty-six mem
beis Of that Legislature from whose halls used
to 60 as high intellect as ever came to the
halls of Oongress-of those one hundred aud
6fty-six members there. are nearly, if not
quite now, one hundred negroes. Hisaes,
and cries of .Shamc." From these negroes,
and all of that Legislature, the whole taxes
that they are liable to pay amount to seven
hundred dollars. Eaoh, oh;,' and laughs.
Of that about five hundred dollars have beer;
paid by one of the Conservative members, and
the two hundred dollars that are to be- paid
bY the negroes and earpet-baggersi half OF it
is under execution. Applause und laughter.
Well that Legislature composed in that way.
has the right to impose a levy or tax on South
Carolina to the amount of So 250, ,000 t laugh,
;er.} Now, gentlemen, if that state OF things
goes on, what will be the result? Why you
know it means that in few yearstrom this
time there will not be white man, woman
Or child in the State of South Carolina. Cries
of shame. only mention that as one of
the Southern States. Itis true that it is per-
laps in a worse condition than most of thA
others, but they are all afflicted by that sear-
(ul calamity that is hanging over us and We
can hayo no relief unless the Democratic
party will come out and pledge itself that We
shall have fair election; that the white peo-
ole of tue South shall vote. | want yon,ell
% register an oath that when they do vote
hat their vote shall be counted and, if there
IS majority of white votes, that you will
place Seymour aud Blair in the White House
n spite Of all the bayonets thatshall be brought
against them. We only want to see the elec,
ion fair. If they do that, and even with the.
incubus of blacI; rule, we can carry the South,
1t least. lApplause.l Gentlemen Gas l saidl
do not like to touch upon these themes.
Cries of good, good." 1 only proposed to.
come here to make my Acknowledgements eo
you. come to tell you that these nosaina>
ions which you have made will meet with
he hearty concurrence Of the Southern men.
wanted to tell you how grateful, how efati-
led we have been at the reception that you
AVE given to us; wanted to Tell yon that
hough we fought in good faith we laid down
'ur arms in good faith. [Greatapplause /
wanted you to believe that we were hen Of
lonor, and that while we meant war when we
laid war, when we said peace we meant peace,
lot that peace which the Radicals would glYe
Is mo, no." not that peace which crGshes
o earth ten OF these States, not that peace
which places the ignorant negro over US, but
he psace in all our households, peace through
IL our land, that peace which the great
Democratic party has sworn to-day, at Tam
many Hall We shall have.
a voice" We will have it,
Another voice" You arc our white broth
,rs."
General Hampton. Iappeal, gentlemen, to
hat septsment..I appeal in the name OF race.
appeal to you by our common traditions in