The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-11-27
Hampton and the Republicans.

When Republican editor OF Chicago
invited General Hampton to send a con-
gratulatory dispatch to the american
King" the latter simply replied
Thanks for your politeness, but I must
decline the invitation" The reply was
exactly what it should have been. He
had no congratulations to offer General
Grant, and he civilly declined to play
the hypocrite. The Chicago editor dis
played very bad taste in sending his Gin
vitations" to Southern men, and General
Hampton gave him just the answer he
deserved. General Hampton has had
the misfortune to witness the methods of
Grantism in two Southern States-Mis-
sissippi and Louisana-and the spectacle
was hardly calculated to make him an
enthusiastic admirer of the man from
whom the tyranny took its name. He
had seen rotten State Governments up
held by Grants bayonets, in spite of the
judgment pronounced against them BY a
large majority of the voters at the ballot
box. He had seen United States troops
take possession of State capitol, by
Grants direction, and deny entrance to
the legally elected representatives of the
people. He has seen the writ of habeus
corpus suspended, by Grants order, under
law passed at Grants dictation, and the
citizens of whole counties treated as rob-
bers and murderers. 1t is not surprising,
then, that he should not have forgotten
these acts of outrage and oppression, and
that he should not feel inclined to send
any words of congratulation to their
author. But, of course, the Republicans
profess to feel great astonishment and in
dignation at General Hampton's conduct.
If he had telegraphed message of gush-
ing welcome he would have been abused
as monster of deceit and hypocrisy.
Because he did not do this he is roundly
denounced as an unrepen:ant and ma
liguant rebel. There is nothing surpris-
ing in this, but the sublimity of cheek
no other word in our language will con-
vey the idea-is attained when the Wash
ington correspondent of the Philadelphia
Telegraph states that much comment is
made in Administration circles at the re-
fusal of Senator Wade Hampton, of
South Carolina, to unite in an expression
of welcome to General Grant upon his
reception at Chicago by the Society of
the Army of the Tennessee" 1t would
seem from this correspondents dispatch
that General Hampton's telegram has
been made the subject of Cabinet con-
sultation, at which the Carolina Senator's
character was handled with a freedom
that savors very strongly of impertinence.
1t was mentioned that US long as General
Hampton was permitted 10 use the Fed
eral patronage to serve his own purposes
he ostensibly endeavored to carry out his
promises, but the extremity to which he
carried his demands made it necessary
for the Administration to exercise some
discrimination in the appointments made
in the South. "Upon this General
Hampton Immediately turned his back
on all his promises and became more in
tolerant even than those of his fellow
citizens whom he had previously GEN.
sured." In other words, because Mr..
Hayes discharged his constitutional duty
in removing the bayonets that supported
Chamberlain's fraudulent and corrupt
government and afterwards appointed
few decent men to Office, on General
Hampton's suggestion, the latter surren-
dered all independence of thought and
action and became the bond slave of the
Administration. Now that General
Hampton chooses to act as a freeman
and declines to kiss the hand of him who
scourged his people SO wantonly and so
cruelty the President and his Cabinet see
6t to express their surprise and indigna-
ton. 1t is hardly necessary to say that
if Mr.. Hayes supposed that by doing his
sworn duty he was purchasing General
Hampton he made capital mistake.
General Hampton is a man who will do
that which he belives to be right, regard
less of the Comments of Administration
circles. s."-Angusta Chronicle and Consti-
tatio1,dlist.