Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-08-25
Yafrhnran & gumnaL.
WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 25, 1880.
Wade Hampton's Speech.

In our issue of August 4th, we published
an extract from a speech of Wade Hamp-
ton, delivered at Staunton, Virginia, COM
menting upon it as displaying the cloven
hoof of the south in the Interpretation that
section places upon the nature of the pend
ing presidential contest. Senator Edmunds
cited this extract in his speech at the county
convention in this village as evidence from
high source that the south is now striv-
ing to win by the ballot what it failed to
obtain by the bayouet. The extract ap-
peared almost simultaneously, its true in
wardness emphasized by startling capitals,
at the head of the editorial columns of ev-
cry Republican newspaper in the country.
1t was like an exploding bomb in the north
ern Democratic camp. Wade Hampton had
evidently "given away" the last hope of
Democratic success in the north and some
thing must be done to stay the panic an
"indiscreet leader of the solid southern
Democracy had caused among their north
ern allies. Hence general order was is
sued to northern campaigners to denounce
it as lie, and that naughty monosyllable
rang from the lips of stumpers coarse and
stumpers refined all over the land, while
the offending Wade applied himself to a
careful revision of the speech from which
was studiously eliminated the "indiscreet
passages. We print to-day, side by side, the
original and the authorized " version of
the speech. Those who heard the speech
assert that the report of the Staunton Val
leg Virginidn is correct so far as its allu-
sions to Lee and Jackson are concerned, and
the general impression is that the senator
revised his speech after utterance instead of
before, after the manner of members of con-
gress. The passages eliminated are in en-
tire harmony with the general tenor Of the
speech, which has strong confederate flavor
throughout and was delivered under cir
cumstances that rendered it entirely natural
for Hampton to say, and wholly probable
that he did say, just what was originally at
tributed to him. There were two rival
meetings, representing the conflicting fac
tions Of the Virginia Democracy, in progress
at the same time. Party feeling was at a
white heat and Hampton was pleading with
one of the factions not to imperil success
by local divisions. Lee and jackson and the
lost cause formed as natural bond for har-
monizing the discordant elements of this
Virginia Democracy as the tie of consan.
guinity in the case of estranged brothers.
To this bond Wade Hampton would nat
urally appeal. The two versions are as
near alike as two peas except in the doc
tored" portions. 1t seems odd that the re.
porter should have made all his mistakes in
these sensitive portions, and odder still that
the reporters of rival local journals should
have caught several sentences of similar i'm
port which Senator Hampton now says he
never uttered and denounces as I" the forger-
les of an obscure newspaper writer" Com.
pare the following from the Stanton Vindi.
Gator, Democratic, with the report of the
Valley pnginian in another column &" Pause
before you cast your vote Think how Lee
would have voted; think Of what jackson
would have done before he would have cast
vote calculated to divide his beloved Vir
ginia. | ask you to remember those who
have died on your soil, and to remember that
the principles that they died for are again
on trial to-day. say nothing of your diff.
ferences | know there are brave men, hon.
est men, true men, on both sides, but beg
you to remember that, whether you are re
adjusters or funders, you are still Virgin
ians." There is more of this kind of speak
ing going on in the south than gets into the
papers. The extreme southern press is vol
unfairly muzzled while their speakers are al
work on the stump firing the southern
heart" after the old ante-belum fashion.