The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1876-12-14


prisoners, and killing and wound
ing somo. ...su..A ........
In n general estimate of thes,
military services, we mqst not forge
the magnitude of the war. It il
doubtless u reasonablei estimate t,
reckon that General Hampton say
ten times as much actual service il
tho field rs General Washington
did. .."l. '.. +A.' {. -.
When the war was over, he that
had been great in war, showed ,
greatness quite us honorable il
pence. Temperate in all his views
earnest in every issue, clear sighted
when most others were confounded
he has spoken and written words
that the future will cherish as words
OF wisdom, when such words were sc
few. fa.-l 8As ...
On the Goth of August, 1866, just
after public meeting of whites ha6
been held in Columbia, Genera
Hampton advised against any pub
lie movement until the general gov
ernment had indicnted it's policy
toward the State. He said: ''The
State is either member of tho
Federal Union, or it is not If q
member, then not only is it work o1
suporerogation for her to ask admis,
sion to the Union, but she is, by
the Constitution of the United
States, guaranteed a Republican
form of Government, and she has
the right to administer her govern
ment under such Constitution and
by such laws as she chooses. But if
she is, on the contrary, not a member
of the Union, she must be regarded
either as u territory or conquered
province. In either condition, the
United States authorities arc charg-
ed with the duty of providing a
proper government; for her, and ]
think the true policy of the State is
to remain passive until such gov
ernment is given her, or is forced
upon her" He then proceeded to
show that Convention Of the people
and IN acquiescence in every de-
mand that Congress might make
would not result in restoring the
State to her proper relations to the
EedCrll Goyernn. lt-a fact which
has become patent to o good many
since that time.
On the 7th of August, 1S67-two
years later, when two conventions of
our citizens had been held-he OK
pressed the same convictions. Af-
ter showing that the faith. kept by
the North toward the 'Sguth had
been Punic, he says: "I touch on
these points only to show the mis-
takes committed by the South, when
it comformed to those demands of
the North which were interpolated
into the conditions after our surren-
der. Our State Conventions were
mistakes; SO were the changes of
our Constitution greater than all
other, was the Legislation ratifyine
t le am, ndm 3nt Of t. United St. 9
Constitution known as ArNele 13.
Again he says: "Has this policy OF
concession to unlawful commands
been productive of benefit that we
still desire to pursue it .? Are we
prepared, for the sake of e:cpe1iencv
that fatal fallacy which has lured
us 80 far on the roadlto destruction
that Trojan Horse which has
brought with it an Iliad of woes-to
barter away the few rights remain
ing to lis J.? Yet this is the course
we must follow, if we accept terms
which we know to be contrary to
the conditions on which we surren-
dered, and which are in open and pal
pablo violation Of the Constitution
of the United States--of that Con
stitution which we swear to support
at the very moment we are grossly
outraging it's most sacred pro
visions" His advice ut that iunc.
ture was "Let every man register,
and cast his vote against the Com
vention. 8 ~.
In all his discussions of the diff
cult problem of the relations be-
tween the two races in the Sonth.
General Hampton has never lost
sight of their identity of interests.
In February, 1867, addressing a
meeting offreedmen in Columbia, he
said ;, "Your welfare is inseparably
linked with that of the whites of the
South. IT we are unjustly taxed,
you will suffer; if we are ruined,
you will be destroyed. Your pros
perity depends entirely on that of
your country, and whatever fate
awaits the white people of the South
will.be yours i1s .4t6Ea ,s5y
These are words of wisdom that
the unfortunate freedmen have been
dulously taught to forget; taught
by adventurers who grow rich upon
the ruin of both races sgaa
Upon the abolition of slavery he
said |: "The deed has been done,
and I, for one, do honestly declare
that I never wish to see it revoked.
Nor do I,believe that the people
of the South would now remand the
negro to slavery, If they had The
power to do 80 l,fG 5tiss, Yliy8st
LIS idea of the course to pursue
toward aio legio eppesss in these
words, addressed to his fc.s
unnp cnnonanio ono ~, o,.,,,o -, 4ln e. n