The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-07-12
[From the Cincinnati Gazette
Gov. Wade Hampton.

Gov. Wade Hampton.
Our Washington correspondent mar.
rated Gov. Hampton's course with regard
to the execution Of the colored men Tor
rescuing an innocent colored man from a
party OF white lynchers at Lowndesville
Hampton's attention being called to II
by direct inquiry, he stated that there
was scarcely one word of truth in the
statement. Our Washington cores
pondent, in a letter printed the 2Sth, has
established the truthfulness OF his ac-
count. and has left Gov Hampton's vera
city in bad way The affair is Of inter.
est as giving the true character OF Gov
Hampton, who has been received upon
his own very generous promises, and
held up as splendid type OF the South
ern chivalry.
The Low ndesville affair met Hampton
at the threshold of his entrance into the
possession of the Governorship. by virtue
OF the Withdrawal Of the guard OF sol
diers, which he had brought about by
his very generous promises at Washing.
ton OF protection of the colored people
His treatment OF that affair was the test
OF his character, to prove whether he was
sincere, or whether he was acting with
that profound and crafty dissimulatioD
which is nowhere found in more studied
perfection than in the leading politicians
OF the South. brief review of the al
fair will enable the world to judge. We
take the narrative Of facts from a South
Carolina paper edited by r. B. Rhett, jr.
Rhodes, a colored man, who had
worked some months for DR.. Spier. OF
Lowndesville, thought at settlement that
Spier had not settled fairly with him,
and Spier charged that be had used vio.
lent words, and, theIeupon, he "swOre
the peace" against him. and Rhodes was
put in jail for want of bail. In South
Carolina, where to shoot a colored man
is the right of every white. and where
every white carries the revolver, tbis
charge was absurd on its face. and it sug
gests that DR.. Spier took this chivalrous
way OF paying a debt.
IL is further said Of Rhodes that h
was well fitted to be a leader OF the col
ored. Upon this a couple OF mounted
white regulators took him from the Jail
to lynch him. Rhodes had warned his
neighbors OF this, and number OF then,
had assembled near by to watch. They
heard Rhodes cry for help, and planted
themselves in the road by which tb'
lynchers came with him.
pie, and some OF them returned the fire.
and Allen, one of the lynchers, WA
killed. Rhodes escaped and the colored
people scattered. Then the usual cry o
a negro insurrection was raised. mounted
men harried the country, and fifteen col
ored men were seized, and were tried
under the influence OF this ferocity. The
Jury, composed OF four white and eight
colored men, found ten OF them guilty OF
murder and conspiracy" That eight
colored men could be made to find men
guilty OF murder and conspiracy for res
cuing an innocent man from a party oi
murderers gives an idea Of the reign OF
terror under which these jurors sat
There was some sort OF recommendation
of some of them to mercy, but it did not
get upon record
Gov. Chamberlain was about to step
out before Hampton. He intended to
pardon all these men; had sent to the
county for the record necessary to make
out his pardon. but had not received il
when he was obliged to vacate. He left
a pardon signed in blank, to be filed out
when the requisite information came
This paper passed to Hampton's hands
when be returned from his promising
visit to Washington, with all his prom
freshly pronounced, and being sent on
telegraphic wings all over the country ar
the announcement Of the reign OF peace
and good will in South Carolina He
gave TO the world his understanding o;
the meaning of all these pledges by con
signing three OF these innocent men to
be executed, and six to be imprisoned
for lile One had been made away With
in Jail, under circumstances that give
strong evidence of murder.
This gives the value of Wade Hamp
tons chivalrous professions and promi-
ses. The imprisonment of Rhodes in
the first instance was a fraud and a gross
wrong His lynchers were going to mur.
der an innocent man. In any country
where men live they would try TO protect
an innocent man against murder. Allen
was justly shot. Hampton says he gave
the case much consideration. He knew
these men had committed no off.nse
against law or right. He knew their as
sembling to prevent a murder was no
conspiracy. and that their killing a muir
derer in the act was no murder. and that
but one of them could have done it. IL
he had the heart of a man. to judge these
men as men, he knew he was sanctioning
an act of cold blooded lerocity and mur
der as savage, brutal. and cowardly a.
any of the worst acts of the Ku Klux.
He showed that, beneath the velvety
coat of smooth discrimination and chival
rous promises, he has the tiger heart OF q
South Carolina KuKlux. And to thi-
he adds facility in falsehood and pre-
varication to cover up his bloody course
when questioned by a professed North
ern admirer. Wade Hampton has be- u
much Wanted as a type of Southern
chivalry. If he is the type. it is as Ma
poleon said of the civilization OF tn,
Russian. Scratch Russian and you
find Tartar. Scratch through the coaI
of smooth dissimulation of the South
Carolina chivalry, and you come to Ku
Klux assassin.