South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1879-06-20
Gen. Wade Hampton's Speech.

JuUe 0Iu
There has run throagh this whole dis.
cussiJn the strong and steady cui rent OF
insinuation thu. the South is not true to
the Union; that its object in pressing
the repeal OF those measures which we
deem dangerous TO our liberties is TO
give us freer field for conspiracy and a
oeuer opportunity 70 suppress by force
ana fraud the real voice OF the southern
people. we are tauntiugly told that
PROOF oil these charges is found in the
presence on this floor OF twenty-five
members who served in the confederate
army anu the South Is reproached, Lay,
denounced. for sendiny such rnen 10 re-
present her here. Sir, Tue answer TO
this charge is simple.
Nearly every man in the South who
could bear arms was in her armies and
she can scarcely be reproached with JUS
tice for trusting and honoring i'm peace
the men who risked their fortunes and
their lives for her in war. And whc n the
fact is cited that while the South sends so
many OF her old soidiersp To represent her
IN this august assembiystte North sends
but four. | submit tina. the reproach. if
reproach rests anywhere. belongs rather
| i
that but speak the sentiments Of every
man here who was in the confederate
service when express my deep regret
that there are not in this Chamber more
oil the men who met MS in battle, for If
opposed TO lie politically they would. il
true soldiers and gentlemen. treat us
with the respect that brave men never
fai' to accord TO each other. And, sir,
had these great opposing armies which
Tor four years confronted ZACH other in q
deathgrappie been left to make Reinforce
the terms OF peace not only ~vould the
country have been spared much Of the
suffering and the humiliation it has OK
| perlenced, but it would have snioyed a
| peace honorable alike 10 conqnerors
and conquered. Wo should long ere
this have seen a union re-established OH
the basis of fraternal reconciliation and
whole people bound together by
the indissoluble bonuas of mutual re.
! spcct. common interests and COM
mon destiny. Such, IL least. is the firm
CONVICTION OF every true soldier in the
south. anu all her sons were soldiers
Nor Is this conviction wanting among
the brave soldiers OF the North, for |
have heard 1t 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-
tnrn tn the Union; when you called mn
On them 10 send hack their Represents.
lives, did you mean what you said
or did you mean the Southern States
TO he rotten borougtrs to be fllel by
nominations OF the Republican party?
Indeed. did you not for fifteen wears
4 make them SO! And l will leave it to
the candor OF republican Senators to say
whether they are satisfied with the re.
suit OF tho experiment they made a.
such frightful cost to US and TO the
whole country. We arc here because
we do represent the popular majority,
tue character, the inte.Iigon CO, and the
! property Of the States which have sent
us. We are here because left TO them
selves the instincts of the recently en-.
trancbiscd voters have taught them that
their interests are indentieal with ours
Wo arc here because, belonging TO your
own Iace, trained in the same political
experience as your own, taught by years
oil rule how to govern, we could not he
Snbordinated, g. the people Of the country
dId not wish us to be subo rdnated, to
such MAS OF ignorant voters as you had
rashlY ami suddenly created. We are
here, we trust, for the good ofthe 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 MS to
apologize; to do so would be to sacri-
tice our own self-respect AMI TO forfeit
the respect or all honorable men. In
the heat Of conflict wa struck bard blows.
and doubtless we spoke hard words
But does remembering or repeating them
now bring us any nearer to the peace
and har mony for which the whole coun,
try so ardently longs?
The men who served in the opposing
armies are now the strongest advocates
OF q true reconciliation. We learned IN
common school how TO respect our
enemies We learned that personal cour
age and honor and truth were better
guarantees Of patriotism than constitu.
tional learning or eloquent speech; VIC
learned at least that in spite of differ
ences, even unto death, there was a com.
mon country which we could better serve
IN friendship than in hatred, and were
our antagonists OF the late war here TO.
day, in the contests on this floor IA in
iiercer battles Of yore. whoever might be
the victor, we should be assured Of n
fair field and an honest surrender
Applause in the galleries
Judge us now by our acts anil again
ask what are they to provoke distrust?
We ask you to strike from the statute
book legislation which was "a much the
instrument OF war, the expression Of
distrust, rs we're armies and navies and
military districts. We say. ir you bring
us back "a States. treat us as States
We ask you to remove the disability
which forbids a citizen to serve on a in.
~ when it does not forbid him 20 serve
on the bench. We ask you 70 leave
the ballot-box free as 10 has been through