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

The distinguished gentleman whose
name appears at the head Of this article
has been so often misrepresented, and
was at one time so generally misunder-
stood by large numbers of people in the
Northern States, that a word Of truth
will not be inappropriate in this era Of
good feeling between the North and the
South. This attempt, a lew years ago,
would have been rs idle as throwing
chat against the wind. Now, let US
hope that it may be as fruitful of good
as casting bread upon The waters. A
great change has come over the North
ern mind: sectional strife has been
hushed; the voice Of detraction has
ceased; the storm 10 over and the waves
have at last gone down. The fountains
of bitterness, like the waters ofthe great
deep, have been broken up, and intem-
perate vituperation, let us hope, is at an
end forever. This bitterness and this
vituperation were, perhaps, but the nat
ural outcome of the hour. The excite
ment Of the war just then closed, over
bore the caimer judgment and the better
feeling Of the victors. This was pecu-
liarly the case as to Wade Hampton.
Next to Robert E. Lee, no Confederate
General came out of the war with has
name so constantly before the North
ern public as was the name of General
Hampton. This notoriety was as much
due 10 the heated vituperation Of his
foes as to the applause OF his friends.
The Republican press Of the North
teemed with denunciations against him;
nor was the Democratic press much
less sparing in emptying the vials oi
wrath upon his head. Gen. Hampton
with one consent seemed TO be singled
out as the foil to his own illustrious
chief. Gen. Lee, il was said. was al
heart the misguided patriot; Hampton
was at heart the unrepentant rebel.
Lee, it was said, weakly yielded TO State
pride and an imperious sense of duty;
Hampton was the malignant "ire-eat-
err" still prompted by the worst senti-
ments of revenge. Lee was willing to
accept the situation, and to retire into
the secluded shades ofa college; Hamp-
ton was still the stubborn malcontent,
ready at any moment TO head a eonspi-
racy or lead charge against the gov
ernment. Lee was an erring son ofthe
South, not unwilling to return to his al
legiance TO the Union; Hampton was
ever the hot-headed secessionist, hold
ing out, in hope, against the fortune oi
war and the success Of Northern arms.
These sentiments and such as these
were daily proclaimed by the Northern
press; and Gen. Hampton, in the quiet
OF his ruined home, became accustomed
20 seeing his name coupled by all par
ties with such epithets as "rebel, ""trai-
tor" "nabob" and "beggar"-now de-
nounced as the head Of an insolent
"siavocracy," and cow as the leader oi
an arrogant 'arisiocracy." Who does
not now recall what was then written
and then said, We do not, indeed,
complain of these things: il was, per-
haps, but natural, ten years ago, that
such should have been the Northern
feeling. Who now can wonder that the
Northern people, without distinction OF
party. thus educated. should have be-
lieved everything that was said and have
drawn upon their imagination for much
that was left unsaid. These things came
to them ~ IL were on the wings of the
wind. Much, at all times, should be
set down 60 the weakness of human ma
ture; much TO the weight OF prejudice
IN the heat Of excitement; much TO the
song Of triumph in the day Of success.