Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-12-25
WALHALLA SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY DECEMBER 25 1879

'JhoDAY, UECEM BEk 20, 1879.
said they would bolt tho Hampton State
ticket If Hampton would withdraw the
Iliden electors and thus insure tho State
Tor tho Republican National tiokot. Hamp.
ton virtually said to these men, IF you'll
elect mo Governor, don't care whom YOU
elect President That was why he came
to mo at Abbovillo with the proposition I
have mentioned"
A SHARP ANSWER TO HAMPTON.
"What did you say to it?"
I'll said, in tho first place, that as South
Carolina hal sent delegates to, and fairly
participated in tho National Convention
which nominated Tilden, the withdrawal of
the electors would be pcoo of bad faith.
ln tho noxt place, said it couldn't bo done
without calling another convention. To
this Hampton responded that it might be
done through the State Executive Commit
tee. Without acquescing, answered
Hampton that if ho and tho rest wcro re-
solved to do it, wouldn't make war upon
the conclusion. I've since heard thut at q
meeting held that night, which didn't
attend, but at which Hampton, Toombs,
Gen. McQowan and Col Cothran were
present, there was hot time. MCGOWAN
wouldn't agree, nohow, and the project fell
through. Nevertheless, I've always re-
garded it in the light of traitorous dis
affection to Tildcn before his election, show
ing disposition to sacrifice him in this
State. ~.
WHY AToNEN1ENr is NECESSARY.
"It was nothing moro nor less than an
offer to surrender the State to Hayes in
order to secure the election of Hampton;
hence my willingness to see atonement mado
in case Tilden is again nominated. That
nomination. repeat, ignoring my prefer
enoe for Gwing, would undoubtedly be re-
celved by our people with full acclaim.
The whole South would vote for Tilden.
Whoever stells you it wont, tells lie.
There would be no boiling. We've had
enough Of boiling enough of secession.
You can't got any moro of it from tho South.
Talk of Southern brigadiers' not being
docllo to tho decision of the party or not
being friends of tho Union! BY God! I
expect they're about tho best friends tho
Union has to-day, just because they've
had some experience 10 butting against
it,"
QUICK AND TART REPLY FROM SENATOR
HAMpToN-HE pRoNoUNCEs aENRAL
aARY's CHARGES "UTTERLy AND ABso-
LUTELy FALSE"
Senator Hampton's attention was drawn
to-day to the conversation of General Mart
Gary concerning him, reported by cores.
pondent from Columbia, S. c., in to-day's
Herald. He read the correspondence over
carefully, and said that while there were
various misrepresontations, beginning as far
buck as tho events of tho war, he did not
consider anything worthy of notice except
SO much as related to the alleged breach of
faith in the matter of tho Tilden electors.
Upon this point he remarked:
"Whilo [ have never condescended to
notice tho rumors, of which tho Herald
speaks to-day, about Senator Hampton'a in.
fidelity to the Democratic electoral ticket in
1876, which have been floating in the air
ever since; and while l cannot agree with
the Herald that they have, as it says, now
found respectable sponsor in General
Gary, still as somo ono is at last found to
father these SANDERS, am induced to pro-
nounco them utterly and absolutely false.
"That they arc false," he continued,
''can easily be established by the following
facts: Soon after tho election 10 1876 an
article appeared in an Augusta, Ca, paper,
of course anonymously, making the same
charges and referring to Gen. MCGOWAN,
as Gary now does. He was behind them,
as he is now, and this article, If not writ
tan by Gen. Gary, was at lenst inspired by
him. The Chairman of the State Exccu.
two Committee, Il. G. Haskell, subsc-
.qucntly elected to tho Supreme Bench of
the State, Immediately responded to it and
denounced it as untrue. Gen. McGowan
al>on replied to it and took tho samo ground.
So complete and overwhelming were these
replies that the author of the sauder made
no response to them, and need only refer
you to Their letters for my full vindication
and that Of the Democratic party of South
Carolina. That party acted in perfeo. good
faith during tho whole canvass, and the fact
that Mr.. Hayes majority by Republican
count was only about 600 votes over Mr..
Tildcn shows how earnestly wo worked for
The lattcr's election. That I consulted
with Gen. Gary on this matter or any other
during that canvass, or before it, or snco
has entirely escaped my recollection, if this
ever occurred. 1t may have been my mis-
fortune that havo not dono so but as |
always regarded his views as narrow, un-
wise and dangerous, have studiousy
avoided nsking his advice or acting on his
suggestions"
it will be seen that Senator Hampton
makes very square denial of Con. Gary's
accusations Your correspondent will add
that during the canvass of 1876 the Herald,
on very frequent occasions, edtoriaIly urged
tho Domoorata of South Cayoljna ond Gon