The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-26
resent her here; Sir, the answer to this

y
peace TIE men who risked their fortunes
and their lives for her in war. And
when the fact is cited that while tho
South sends SO many of her old soldiers
TO represent her in this august assembly.
the North sends but four, l submit that
the reproach, if reproach rests any
where, belongs rather to the North than
to the South. feel that but speak the
sentiments of every man here who was
in the Confederate service when I ex-
press my deep regret that there are not
In this Chamber more Of the men who
met us in battle, for if opposed to us po-
litically, they would, if true soldiers and
gentlemen, treat us with the respect that
brave men never fail TO accord to each
other. And, sir, had these great oppos-
ing armies which for four years confron-
ted each other in death grapple been
left to make and enforce the terms of
peace, not only would the country have
been spared much of the suffering and
the humiliation it has experienced, but
it would have enjoyed a peace honora-
BILE alike to conquerors and conquered.
We should long ere this have seen a
union re-established on the basis of
fraternal reconciliation and a whole
people bound together by the indissolu-
BILE bonds of mutual respect, common in
terests, and common destiny. Such
at least, is the firm conviction of every
true soldier in the South, ard all hes
sons were soldiers. Nor is this conyic-
tion wanting among the brave soldiers of
the North, for have heard it expressed
by them time and again.
That the men who truly represent the
South are here to-day is due mainly to
our friends on the other side. When
you insisted that the States should re.
turn to the Union; when you called
upon them to send back their Represen-
tatives, did you mean what you said. or
did you mean the Southern States to be
rotten boroughs to be filled by nomina.
tions of the republican party9 Indeed,
| did you not for fifteen years make them
so? And will leave it to the candor
| of republican Senators to say whether
they are satisfied with the result of the
experiment they made Mt such frightful
cost to us and the whole country. We
are here because we do represent the
popular ms; 3rity, the character, the in.
telligence, and the property of the States
| which have sent us. We arc here be-
cause left to themselves, the instincts
of the recently eniranchiscd voters have
taught them that their interests are iden-
tical with ours. We are here because.
belonging to your own race, trained in
the samepolitical experience rs your own,
| taught by years of rule how to govern,
VIC could not be subordinated, and the
| people of the country did not wish us 20
| be subordinated, to such a mass of igno-
| rant voters as you had rashly and sud-
denly created. We are here, we trust, for
the good Of the whole country. What we
were you knew when you insisted that we
should still, be part and parcel of this
| Union.
For the past you cannot expect US to
apologize; TO do so would be to sacrifice
our OWN self-respect and to forfeit the
respect of all honorable men. In the
heat OF the conflict we struck hard blows.
and doubtless we spoke hard words. But
does the remembering or repeating them
now bring us any nearer the peace and
harmony for which the whole country
80 ardently longs? The men who served
in the opposing armies are now the
strongest advocates of true reconcile
alton. We learned in common school
how to respect our enemies; We learned
that personal courage and honor and
truth were better guarantees Of patriot
ism than constitutional learning or elo-
| quent speech; we learned ut least that
In spite OF differences, even unto death,
| there was common country which we
could better serve i'll friendship than in
hatred, and were our antagonists of the
late war here to-day, in the contests on
this floor rs in ficrcer BATTLES of yore,
whoever might be the victor, we should
| be assured of fair Geld and an
honest surrender. Applause in the
galleries. Judge us more by our acts
The Presiding C.icer, (Mr. Wallace
in the chair.) The Senator will suspend.
The Chair gives notice that if further
applause occurs in the galleries he will
order them to be cleared. Order must be
preserved.
MIR. Hampton. Judge US now by our
acts; and again l ask what are they to
provoke distrust? We ask you to strike
from the statute-book Legislation which
was as much the instrument of war, the
expression of distrust. as we're armies
and navies and military districts. We
say, if you bring us back rs States, treat
us as states. We ask you to remove the
disability which forhida n citizen 10 serve
on a jury when it does not forbid him
to serve on the bench. We ask yon to
leave the ballot box free, as it has been
through nearly the whole of ou~ politi-
cal existence. Yon may refuse. You
have the right to reflse if you mold our
demands to be unwire or unconstitu-
tional.
But surely in the face of the recent
decision of the Supreme Court in regard
to the jurors oath. in face of the legisla-
tion of nearly century in reference to
military interference at the polls, you
cannot charge us with revolution or trea-
sen in making these requests. Upon
these issues we are willing to stand. III
the people are with US we shall prevail,
and this war legislation will be repeal
ed. If the people are with you, then
this legislation will stand and we can
learn to adapt ourselves to these changes
in our old constitutional thoughts and
habits MS we have learned to adapt our
selves to others. In the great contest
in which we failed we lost much. We
lost power and wealth and precious
lives. Bat when the people of the Uri
tied States declare that the right of self.
government is extinguished in the
States; that the prerogatiye of free
vote, which is the distinguishing glory
of American citizenship, can be exer-
csed only under the supervision of a
Federal marshal or the protection of q
Federal soldier; that the duties of Gov
enors and Legislatures TO maintain the
dignity and preserve the peace of SOW
ereign States has been transferred to the
President; and when it has become rev.
olution and treason to ask tho people to