Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-09-05

meant strife and left the result periIcsis.
Standing - he did upon the narrow
isthmus. that IN the month Of December,
1850, divided ibe then inevitable future
from the immediate past, he saw that
the issue Of fiffy years debate sEas about
10 be put practically TO the test. Gov.
Hampton was as strong Union man as
was Daniel Webster; but be was as true
q Stafes-rights man as was Salmon p.
Chase. He was the former becatse be
believed that the rights CT persons and
the rights of property al the South were
ssIer lndeF The fosenanis e fI,e 4onsis..
tulIi8n, Il lA1 Union tIIaa flleJ = 0ald
be ii withdrawn from the cover Of the
one and the protection OF the other; he
was the latter because he could not read
the words Of the Constitution or the his
tory OF the formation ofthe Union with
out believing in the sovereignty Of the
States and all that was incident to that
sovereignty. Before him, as he looked
toward the North, he saw the most de-
termined and gigantic preparations for
the struggle. As he turned and looked
toward the South he found himself con-
fronted by his own judgment on the one
hand and by duty aud obedience on the
other. He saw around him wife and
children, fireside and friends. He saw
that his home was 10 be invaded, and
he felt the instincts Of manhood stir
within him. He saw that the soil Of bis
State was to be overrun, and once for
all he spoke out with the voice Of pa
trIot, and, pleased God, he struck back
with the arm OF hero! Did he do
rigbts Let any man who wears the
form Of a man, wheresoever born, by
whom nurtured or TO whatsoever party
allied, place his hand upon his heart and
answer that question.
The war was ended. The Confede-
racy was dead, the last bloody shaft had
been sped and still hung quivenng in
her shroud. Broken in fortune General
Hampton sheathed his sword. Cheerful
in spirit he returned to find his home in
ashes. Vigorous in mind and body, he
calmly looked the future in the face.
Hopeful of that future, he held out the
hand of friendship to the black man and
uttered words Of encouragement TO his
white compariots. He was the first
man, North or South, who proclaimed
as a political necessity the enfranchise-
ment of the freedman. In this he was
far ahead of his fellow-citlzens around
him. Perhaps far ahead OF the whole
country. He was The advocate q. ear
ly as 1865 Of equal and impartial suf.
frage, without distinction OF race or
color, to be limited only by small pro-
perty qualification, or q reasonable de-
gree Of education, or perhaps by both.
He deemed il necessary that the newly
made voter should have some stake in
the community, and at least such intel.
ligence as wonld enable him to under.
stand the duties and appreciate the re.
sponsibiIities Of the citizen. He as.
pired himself to no official position. Il
is we'll known that he declined to be q
candidate for Governor under the ad.
ministration policy Of President John.
son in deierence to the then existing
Northern prejudice against him as .
Confederate General, and he urged the
election of Governor Orr to the position
as one who would be more acceptable
to the temper Of the Northern mind. II
is equally well known that notwith.
standing his personal wishes and the
urgent solicitations of his personal
friends, through the press and at the
polls, that he should not be voted for
he was nevertheless elected by ma.
jority which it was quietly understood
should never be ascertained. And as q
matter of sound policy, Governor Orr
was declared duly elected. This form.
a part Of The unwritten history of thai
day. While General Hampton wa:
thus cautious and considerate, and while
the Northern mind was still staggering
under the negro problem and before il
could recover Iis balance, the delugs
came. Universal emancipation and
universal suffrage were proclaimed
The cry Of the more fanatic was echoed
by The voice Of the more dangerous
demagegue and as The result, the recon.
struction measures Of Congress embod.
led The worst elements OF discord. Tc
these measures Governor Hampton wa,
opposed, believing them unwise ia
craftsmanship, unsound in policy, un.
safe in practice, and fatally disastrou:
alike to both races and TO the interest.
Of the country. He then predicted whal
would be their direful consequences
aud time has vindicated bis judgment
A more disastrous calamity than the ne.
gro governments in the Southern State.
has never been visited upon any people
in any age or in any country. In SoutE
Carolina 1T eliminated in every crime
known to the decalogue.. BY this re.
sistless food of crime and corruption
Gov. Hampton and has counsels were
alike swept out Of sight and Whittier.
more and his crew reigned triumphant
The Executive, the Legislature, and
the judicial branches Of the government
were equally corrupt, equally saturated
with fraud, equally stepped in crime
That few good men took Office does
not change the picture. . When Moses
denounced by his own party as public
robber, was turned out Of the Office o.
Governor by the people. he was taken
up by the Legislature and elected Judge
of one of the most important judIcial
circuits in the State. It was at once
felt that thereafter Judgements" .'oF.
defs" and "deerees" would be Cor sals
in market overt to highest bidder
When it was known that Whipper, an
ignorant negro lawyer, had lost his III.
gotten gains at the gambling table, the
Legislature esssyed 20 repair his for
tunes by selRrfinn him isldrn nf The