Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-06-28
A TALK WITH HAMPTON.
The North Misunderstands the
SOuth-yfeWs of SOuIherners
as to Presidential Candi.

nc NOEtA TAG
South-vfews of Souuherners
u. to Presidential Candi.
dates.
From the New York Tribune.l
Senator Wade Hampton, of Soutl
Carolina, arrived in this city OF
Tuesday morning to attend the
funeral of DR.. John Z. Darby, who
the senator said yesterday. was no.
merely a connection of his, hut
warm personal friend, having bee,
with him during the var and havips
saved his life on more than one oc
casiom. Senator Hampton says tina
his health is slowly improving, anc
of late he has been getting stronger
although still suffering from occa
siunal pains. In reference to his re
cent speech in the senate concerning
the action of the national govern
ment toward the south, MIR. Hamp
ton said:
IL am averse to making public ut
terances. | think it the business O,
southern men to show by their &C
lions, not their professions, wha,
course they intend 10 pursue. Anc
| hope we will be able to do that in
a little while. l made my recent
speech without consultation witt
any one, and took the stand | therein
did simply because l believed 1T was
right. L intended delivering some
such speech more Than two weeks
ago, but was called to New York by
the illness Of Dr. Darby. l think the
southern people are in accord with
the views l expressed i'll the senate.
and they will be generally adopted,
Judging from the letters l have re.
ceived and the southern men | have
seen, | cun safely say | believe they
are i'll tull accord with my views.
The south is eminently conservative
and has always been so. 1t wants Ia
be quiet, and does not want to be the
victim o the mover In anything
that will create trouble or mistrust,
AS to the laws permitting the pres.
epce of troops at the polls, they were
war measures, and all wish them re-.
pealed. l would never have deliver.
I'd the speech l did but for a speech
of Mr.. Thurman some time ago, in
which lie denied, and truthfuIIy de-
MED, the charge that the south was
debating the policy of the democratic
party.
cit the northern. papers would try
to get at the true disposition of the
southern people it would promote re-
conciliation. | know that they have
sent able correspondents through the
south, many of whom l have met and
whose correspondence l have read.
But | do not think they have seen
with impartial eyes. They have felt
constrained to write to suit the poll
tics of the papers they represented.
L refer rs much to the correspondents
OF the democratic press as of the re-
publican. AT least they have mis-
taken the true feeling Of the south,
1t did not attempt to secede for war,
and it does not follow that, because
it did not succeed in leaving the
Union, it still wishes to injure il,
Thi, is the only country the south
ern people now have, aud they wish
to ihake II as great and as prosper
GUS as possible. The south ought to
be credited with having prevented II
war in 1876, when the whole
was at fever heat over the presi-
dental election. A gun fired in South
Carolina then would have precipIta-
ted a general war. The south is
stronger to-day than in 1860. There
is no feeling OF timidity sctuaiiuy
her present policy. There is no de.
sire for another war. Tie south
wants peace. This [ know to be the
feeling of the whole people there.
THE SOUTH ON PRESIDENTIAL CAN
DIDATES.
"There IS another thing which
ought not to be overlooked-that
while the south is wholly democratic
and constitutes tho strength of the
party, we do not intend
to ask u place upon the pre- sideutial
ticket for a southern man. We want
the party III the north to place two
good men Oh the ticket, and we will
support 1t for the national success of
the democratic party. With refer
ence to the the personal choice of the
south for particular presidential can
didates, L do not think the south has
made any,. l believe that there has
been a feeling that in Justice to the
old ticket it should be renominated.
There are many reasons, however.
which may be urged against this, and
the refusal of MI. Hendricks TO be
put in nomination agaiu seems to
render it impossible. | don't think
the south cares a copper who the
next presidential candidate may be,
as long as he is a strong national
man. They do not care where he
comes from or what his financial
views may be.
"Sone of the papers have trans
posed my position in the vote on
Senator Coke's resolution to dis
charge the finance committee, in their
report of Tuesdays proceedings in
Washington On the Warner silver
bill. l was opposed to the Warner
bill, and should have voted against it.
L was paired with my colleague, who
is in favor of the bill. | think it was
indiscreet to bring the subject up
during the present short session Of
congress. am perfectly Wiling to
have a bimelallic currency when we
a establish a proper ratio between
gold and silver. | have been u con-
sistent h~ard-money man: This is the
position | have always taken, and
which / announced when dominated
as governor of South Carolina.
POSITION OF THE NEGROES.
"Tnere IS a great deal of misap-
prehensi OIL i'll the north as to the
political condition Of the negroes in
the south. They seem to think that
a colored man is bound to be a re-
publican because he is q colored man.
But ] know personally many colored
men in South Carolina who have
always been consistent democrats,
and have suffered in consequence.
There are only $4,000 white voters
i'll my state and 10000 colored voters.
The latter, therefore, hold the bal
ance of power. When l was elected
governor there were only 119 500
votes cast, and only 2l3 scattering
votes thrown against me, and | was
undoubtedly elected by the coioreh
voters. who at that time had all the
machinery of elections in their hands.
There was not a quarrel or a fist
fight i'll that election. The republic
cans could not put Il ticket in the
field because the rolored people were
satisfied.
81 think it will be a great misfor-
tune for the negroes to migrate in
large numbers to Kansas. The eli
mate is not suitable for them. NY
old field hands i'll Mississippi, where
cultivated a plantation, sen to me
and asked my advice about going to
Kansas. l told them that they were