Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-10-14
Gen. MAMrTONs sPEECM.
From the Charleston News and Courier
Sept. 25

|
Sept. 25.
Gen. Hampton then touched upon
the fact that he had invited the Re-
publican leaders to meet him. Cham
berlain, he said, telegraphed me in re-
ply that he couldn't come. Why
couldn't he Gomez Why was il, when
black and white blood was flowing in
| different quarters of the State-why is
1t that your Governor, the man who.
of all others, should be- on the spot TO
protect the citizens of South Carolina
why is it, repeat, that be is not
here, when he said that they wanted
nothing better than to meet our speak
ersr Why is IL that on the very first
| opportunity he is trying to put your
State under martial law? | will tell
you why. It is because he, the Gov
ernor OF the State of South Carolina,
Is so weak that he believes be cannot
be held up except BY the United States
bayonets. Think of the men who once.
filled that chair calling upon United
States troops to arrest a man or quell
a riot. Has he no State pride OF
course he has not. How can Cham
berlain, of Massachusetts,, have any
pride in South Carolina? / am not
disposed TO indulge in promises or
pledges, but / will say that If l was
the Governor Of South Carolina, and I
shall be immense cheering. and IL
there was one spot in the State that
was afraid TO 60, if there was one riot
that | felt that / could not cali upon
the honest men Of South Carolina,
white aud black, 20 put down, Iwould
ask to be kicked out Of the Office that
L disgraced. We have proposed to di-
vide time. We still propose to do so.
Our appointments are all published,
and L am particularly desirOus that
the leaders should come out, so that |
might have the opportunity Of speak
ing to the colored people. These lead
ers belle us; they misrepresent us to
the colored people, aud then refuse to
meet us or give US the opportunity 10
open the eyes of their constituents.
We wish to show 20 the colored people
that their rights are fixed and immov-
able, and, furthermore, we would not
abridge them if we could. / do here,
what did In the convention, pledge
myself solemnly, in the presence Ofthe
people OF South Carolina and in the
presence Of my God, that if the Demo-
cratic ticket is elected, shall know
no party, nor race, in the administra-
ton of the law. So sure as the law
pronounces a man guilty, so sure shall
that man be punished. | shall know
nothing but the law, and the Constitu-
tiOn of South Carolina and the United
States. Immense applause. We
recognize the thirteenth. fourteenth
aud fifteenth amendments of the Con-
stitutiOn Of the United States, and ac-
cept them in good faith. The oolored
people know that it is under those
amendments that they enjoy the rights
they now have. We stand upon that
platform, and not one single right en-
JOyed by the cOlored people to-day
shall he taken from them. They shall
be the equals, under the law, of any
man in South Carolina. And we fur
ther pledge that we will give better fa-
cillties for education than they have
ever had before. Loud cheering.
General Hampton alluded next TO
the prosperous condition Of the coll
ored people in Georgia, and especially
commented upon the fact of how we'll
their educational interests were taken
care OF. A cause, continued General
Hampton, that is upheld by falsehood
cannot prosper, and that is why we
wish the colored people TO come out
and hear US. We come, trusting solely
to the strength of our arguments, and
we want you preachers aud teachers TO
take home what we say and argue
among yourselves. 1t can do no harm.
We recognize free speech. free press
and free men in South Carolina. We
recognize you all as citizens of the
State, entitled to protection. tell
you, white and eolOred men Of South
Carolina, that there never was such a
question as you have now TO determine.
1t rises far above all party issues. It
is the redemption Of your State. Ii
means that you must dedicate your
selves, heart, and soul and body, TO
the work II means that your men
must work and your women must pray.
IL means that every man in South
Carolina that desires to lift his mother
State from the dust and ashes into
which she has been crushed should
and will unite in this grand work, and
with earnest prayers to Almighty God,
shall raise her uD to the proud posi-
tiOn TO which she belongs. | know
you will do il. (We will willD 1
have seen brave nen when they wit.
messed these acres Of people coming
together, l have seen brave soldiers
who have shared the dangers OF an
hundred battles with tears rolling
down their cheeks. They could stand
year after year the suffering that Rad
ical misrule had heaped upon them,
but, when the hope was presented to
them of redeeming their dear old
mother for whom they fought and bled,
the joy that rushed from their hearts
was too much, and they wept. In her
extremity, our old mother reaches
forth her hand in tones Of sorrow and
Of suffering. She appeals TO her chill
dren to lift her up, and she says that
under her shield there is room for all.
and in her heart there is love and
protection for all, all her children who
will come forward and raise her from
the dust. Immense cheering.)