Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-06-20
Wade Hampton's Speech.

cit is an axiom of craftsmanship that
the people, when they lose their rights,
are cheated out of them BY
cunning statutes, curious arrangements
of methods hidden under gentle phrases,
the people are lulled to sleep, and when
they wake, they wake in chains. -
Wendell Phillips.
On Monday last Wade Hampton, in
the Senate, treated the country to a set
speech of "gentle phrases" He ex-
tolled the army, claimed share in its
glorious history in 1872 and in the Mex
lean War, and gracefully testified to its
valor in the War of the Rebellion. cit
is competent for Congress to declare
under what limitations and under what
conditions those appropriations Qor the
army shall be made" said Mr.. Hamp-
ton, "but in no event." he added, "can
consent to aid in disbanding the army
or impairing its ef1iciencyr' o, no! MIR.
Hampton's bosom "swells with pride"
when he contemplates the valor of the
army. Indeed he proposes to guard its
honor, to put temptation far from it..
He says: "Because l so regard it, no
act of mine shall degrade it from its
high rank. will not so legislate that
against its own honorable instincts and
traditions it shall be an instrument of
| tyranny in the hands of any factious
party, or any Executive who may be so
unscrupulous as to desire to use it"
But this is not all. Not only will MIR.
Hampton cherish the army and pre-
serve it from bankruptcy, he will take
good care of the courts. Bless the good
and true man! He says: "Nor shall l
assent, because of any differences of
opinion between the minority and ma
| jority, to close the courts of justice or
embarrass the necessary and orderly
| life of the Government" 1t not long
since Mr.. Hampton had his hand at the
throat of the Government. 1t is not
long since he cried, "Stand and de-
liverr' But he got whipped, and now
that he has won by the ballot (the tissue
balloD what he couldn't win by the
sword, he is magnanimOus. He will
allow the courts to administer Justice
provided they administer it with white
juries! He will allow the army to exist
provided that the Commander-in-
Chief-the President-is subjected to
some restrictions in issuing his orders!
These be the "gentlest" of the great
Brigadier's "phrases." They contain
expressions of patriotism-with con-
dition.
There is, however, another side to
the oratory of Mr.. Hampton. He leaves
no room for doubt that in his opinion
| the war settled nothing-absOlutely
nothing! He declares that the war
"hGS not changed in any t0Gy The retG-
tiUe poWerS of The States and Union."
Right here it is important to remember
that the issue of the war was bluntly
this: Has a State a right to secedeP
Mr.. Hampton, following John c. Cal
houn, said yes-said it emphatcally.
Mr.. Lincoln said no with equal en-
phasis. Whereupon Mr.. Hampton
girded on his sword and fought it out
on that line. 1t took several summers,
cost billions of treasure, and hundreds
of thousands of lives. Finally, Mr..
Hampton yielded up his sword to Mr..
Lincolns representative. Now he says
that long and bloody war settled moth
ing! Rather a singular proposition,
coming from the gentle and insinuating
Hampton!
But this is not all of the other side of
Mr.. Hampton's grafton. He says: at
is better to have turbulence in one or
ten great cities than to have military
despotism in the whole country" This
is epigrammatic and beautiful, both in
sentiment and expression. But, un-
fortunately, it suggests an alternative
which does not exist, and Of whose ex-
istence there is absolutely no sign.
When an orator raises false issue the
presumption is that he is dishonest and
that his whole speech is fraud. The
presumption in this particular instance
is that Mr.. Hampton desires to stab the
army to death, and hence raises false
pretense of despotism. "Better to have
turbulence in one or ten great cities, "
is it, Mr., Hamptonp That is TO say,
better than have despotism in the whole
country. Well, is it not better still tc
have quiet and peace in all the Rreat
cities without despotism in any part Of