Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-08-22
Sflistellaneuns &eadiug,
GOVERNOR HAMPTON AT EDGEFIELD.

GOVERNOR HAMPTON AL EDGEFlELD.
The circumstances of Governor Hampton's
appearance at Edge6eld, on the 18th instant,
are familiar to the public. That day was the
second anniversary of the discontinue Of
Chamberlain at Edge6eld, and the spot
chosen for the speakers stand on this last oc.
casion, was appropriately selected in the same
grove, and near the same place, that witnessed
the downfall of Republicanism in Edge6eld
county in 1876. The Governor assembled the
stand at 11.3O A. NJ, and after introduction
by Hon. j. G. Sheppard, he spoke as follows
My Fsllosu Citizens Of Edgefeld: Your dis
tinguished representative has just we'll said
that in all civilized countries, in all ages, the
custom has obtained of celebrating the ami
versary of those events which have brought
triumph, or prosperity, or deliverance to a
people, and in accordance with this time-hon-
ored usage, you meet here to-day to commem-
crate, with pride and with gratitude, the day
on which two years ago, the great contest for
honest government and home rule was inau-
gurated in South Carolina. You come, too,
to pledge afresh your faith to those living
principles, which not only gave life and truth
and power to that memorable struggle, but
won for US victory unparalleled in the an
nails of political history. 1t is, therefore, not
only natural but proper that the brave sons
and fair daughters of Edgefeld should hail
the recurrence of this day with patriotic ardor,
and claim, with justi6able pride, thatit was the
first day of that new revolution which lifted
the "Prostrate State" from the abyss ofshame
and ruin into which alien hands had plunged
her, to restore her to her proud hereditary
place amid the sisterhood of equal States.
1t 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 watchwords which led US to tri-
umph. We give it again to day ito the bat.
tie and the breeze" with Right, Truth and
Justice emblazoned on it's folds, and with our
old battle cry, "God and our Fatherland," we
60 forth conquering and to conquer! lap,
plause.] No more appropriate time could
have been chosen to display our honored ban
ner than this day. No more fitting place than
here! Our Convention, with harmony au-
CURING success, and with a unanimity as rare
as it was gratifying, have selected as our stan
dard bearers, the same who had the good for
tune to bear our flag to victory in 1876. For
myself, recognize and appreciate the honor
done me, and, in accepting the unanimous
nomination rendered me, | do so with pro-
found sense of the grave responsibility i'm
posed, with firm determination to carry out
in good faith, the principles first reiterated by
the Democratic party, and with the assured
and fervent hope that the men who proved in
1876 that they could rescue State from ruin,
will show in 1878 that they intend to preserve
it. 1t is useless for me to renew the pledges
have given, for 1 would fain hope that my
official record of the past is the best guaran-
ty I can give my fellow-citizens for the future.
Their continued confidence in the rectitude of
my purposes has been the highest honor of my
life-the greatest support amid the RESPONSE
bilities of my position, and the most cherished
reward of my labors.
PICTURE OF GRANT.
We enter this contest under far different
and more auspicious circumstances than the
last Then, the whole power of the Federal
and State government was brought to bear
to crush US. All the political machinery of
the State, welded by men totally unscrupu-
lous in the use of it, was directed to the sole
end of perpetuating rule which was dis
grace to civilization and an offence to Heav-
en-. Bayonets in the hands of the paid SOL
diery 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
were almost hopeless. We had
as the Chief Executive of the United States a
man whose highest conception of the law was
in the findings of a court-martial,
and whose disgraceful ignorance of the Consti-
tuition of the country was only equalled by
his shameless disregard of its most sacred
Brutal, ignorant and drunken,
he hesitated not to crush the people of the
South by the power of paid soldiery. With
an armed hand upon their throats he attempt
ed to stihe the breath of their liberty, and
placing the iron heel Of military oppression
upon one of the thirteen original States of the
Union, he reduced it to military satrapy.
We we're confronted at home by an enemy
bold, confident and defiant, thoroughly disci
plined, and bound compactly together by the
power of public plunder. Driven
almost to desperation and trusting alone in
the justice of our cause, and recognizing the
supreme necessity of saving our State, our
people, by common impulse, with one heart,
dedicated themselves to the patriotic work,
and after struggle as arduous and as heroic
as was ever waged, redeemed the fair land Of
their fathers and covered themselves with
glory. They achieved success against every
probability. They worked out political mir
acle greater than any ever achieved by peo-
pie, and they accomplished this because they
we're true to themselves and to their princi
Piles.
HANIPTON's SKETCH OF HAYES.
What is our position now? The Chief Ex-
ecutive of the country is one who, however
much we may differ from him politically, we
yet recognize as gentleman, and one who
deserved our respect and gratitude for having,
in defiance Of the passionate appeals of partl-
sans, restored local selfgovernment to Louis
lana and South Carolina. By his act the mil
itary was made subordinate to the civil author
ty the armed soldiers of the United States who
had for months bivouacked within the walls
of our capitol, were withdrawn, thus showing
his condemnation of that greatest crime ever
perpetrated against liberty on this continent.
By giving to us our rights he has placed South
Carolina on the plane of equality with her
sister States, where she may move forward
and fulfil the glorious destiny before her.
THE DANGER OF FALSE SECURITY.
You know how desperate was the struggle
before the last fight. | do not come now to
lul you into false security. do not say to
you that you have everything your own way,
and have but to nominate your candidates. |
say that 1 believe this campaign is .fraught
mith almost equal danqer as the last We had