The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-08-22
HAMPTON AT RDGEFIELD.

10 ali Oh the R0rk OF the general gov
a. B. WILLIAMs.
HAMPTON AT EDGEFIELD.
Second Anniversary OF ChnmberIain's Dis
III cnsnflture.
EDGEFIELD, August IL.
The circumstances of Gov. Hampton's
detailed with sufficient particularly to
inform all your readers familiar with she
conduct of the last campaign as to its
general features, and what is omitted to-
be mentioned may readily be supplied
from imagination in the recollection Of
any one familiar with the events and.
scenes of 1876. -'~.- !
The speaking took place at the Old
Academy Green, about q mile from the
Village of Edgefeld, which spot had.
b, en- appropriately chosen, as it was the
scene of Chamberlain discontinue inl
'76, and of the nuira7c;:= Radical pow
vows which have been held in the coun-
ty since the war. A substantial platform,
had been erected (great csre having been
taken to secure it against the possibility
of suoh IN ominous fall as ChemberlaiIs
experienced at the same spot,) and this
was filled with representative gentlemen
of the county, and surrounded by o
crowd of "both rac9s and all ages" who
had assembled to IL the campaign we'll
opened. At 11:3Ht me Governor. ascend
ed the stand, and after introduction By
the Hon. J. O. Sheppard, mo said:
HAMPToN's snEEcH.
1iy Fello,u- Citizens of, Etiqefeld:.
Your distinguished representative has
just we'll said thGt in ali civilized coun.
tries, in all ages, the custom has obtained
of celebrating the anniversary Of those
events which have brought tfiunph or
prosperity or deliverance to people,
and IL a.c,Esss.s.na Eith this t:ms- honnred
usage you meet here to-day to commem-
crate, with pride aud with gratitude, this
day on which two years ago the great
contests for honest government and
Home Rule was inaugurated in South
Carolina. Xcu como, too, to pledge
afresh your faith to those everything
principles which not only gave life and
truth and power to that m emorable strug-
gle, but won for us victory unparalleled
in the annals of political history. It Ia,
therefore. not only natural but proper
that the brave sons aud fair daughters of
old Edgefield should hail the recurrence
of this day with patriotic ardor, and
claim with justi6able pride that It was
the first day of that new revolution which
lifted the "Prostrate State" from. the
abyss Of shame and ruin into which
alien hands had plunged her, to restore
her to her proud hereditary place amid
the sisterhood Of equal States.
Il is right, too, while the light of our
last great victory still glows upon our
banner that we should, as we unfold it
once again, inscribe upon it the wetch.
words which led US to triumph. We
give it again to-day "to the. battle and
the breeze" with Right, Truth and Jus.
tice emblazoned on its folds, and with
our old battle cry, "God and our Father.
land," we go forth conguering and to
conquer [Applause.] No more appro.
pirate time could have been chosen to
display our houored banner then this
day No more fitting place than here l
Our Convention, with harmony augur.
ing success, aud with o unanimity as
rare as it was gratifying, have selected as
our standard-bearers the same who had
the good fortune TO bear our flag to VIC
tory in '76. For myself, recognize and
appreciate the honor done me, and, In
ac pting the unanimous nomination
rendered me, I do so with profound
sense of the grave responsibility i'm.
posed, with a firm determination TO carry
out in good faith the principles first reit-
Grated by tho Democratic p .rfy, and
with the assured and fervent hope that
the men who proved in '76 that they
could rescue State from ruin, will show
In '7S tha. t..1y intend to preserve it. II
Is useless for me to renew the pledges /
have given, for I would fain hope that
my official record of the post is the best
guaranty I can give my fellow. citizens
for the future. Their continued conf
dence in the rectitude Of my purposes
has been the highest honor of my life
sao 5.s.:.esss s.PPir;ec::t s.PPr;ec::t .a:::a .he resacnsi-
bilitiea of my position, and the most
cherished reward of lnc .aborB.
A PICTURE OF GRANT. f
We enter this contest under far diff.r.
ent and more auspici0us circumstances
than the last Then. the whole power of
the Federal and State governments was
brought to bear to crush us. All the DO.
iitical machinery Of the State, welded
by men totally interruptions in the use
Oft, was directed to the sole end of per-
pSiuAliuB u Iulc WHICH VIC q Ql5gfRCe 10
civilization and an offence to Heaven.
Bayonets in the hands Of the paid sol.
diefy of the common country CLEANED,
in palpable violation of the Constitution
Of that country, at every polling place in
our State. Our people, broken BY years
Of misrule and oppression, were almost
hopeless s.sis. we had az the'Chiaf Icxaell.
tive of the United States a man whote
highest conception of the law was en1-
bodied in the findings Of a ourt-martial,
and whose disgraceful ignorance OF the
Constitution Of the country was only
equailed by his shameless disregard OF It's
most sacred obligations. Brutal, igno.
rant and drunken, he hesitated not 10
crush the people, Of the South by the
power OF paid soIdieEy. With an arm
ed hand upon their throats he Attempted
to stiae the breath Of their liberty, and
placing the iron heel OF military oppres.
sion npoa enc of she .histAan .nrlsinnl
States of tho Union, no reduced IL to
q military satraPy. We were; con-
fronted at home BY all enemy bold, CON-
fldent and defiant, thoroughly discipiiaed
"a