Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-10-22
FROM wASE4s..Eur.
SOME INrEEEsrING CORRESPONDENTS

man to-day furnished for publication the
following correspondence, consisting of four
letters which passed between him and Sena-
tor Hampton of South Carolina
SENATOR HAMPTON TO SECRETARY SHERMAN.
Dagger's Springs, sept. 17.-lIOn. Jno.
Sherman, Secretary of the treasury Sir:
| saw report Of your speech at confer
ence held by the national republican com
mittee at the Fifth .lue Hotel, New
York, and You were b,ed as having used
the following language "And now you are
asked to surrender all you have done into
the hands of Wade Hampton and the ku-klux
klan and the little segment in the north that
IS called the democratic party Nay | ask
if You used those words, and if So did
you mean to connect me directly or Indirect
~ with what was known as the ku-klux
khan. Requesting an early reply addressed
TO me in care Of Augustus Schell, New
York, | am very respectfully your obedient
servant, Wade Hampton
SECRETARY snERMAS's REPLY.
Washington, pt.a1-IIon. Wade Hamp-
ton: Sir: Your note of the Eth is received.
In reply have to advise you that while do
not remember the precise language, | pre-
sumo the reporter correctly stated in n con-
densed way his idea of what | said ! do
not doubt l spoke of you as leading repre-
sentative of the democratic party in the
South, and referred to the ku-kIux khan as
representative of the barbarous agencies by
which the democrats subverted the civil and
political rights of the republicans of the
South. | did not connect YOU personally
with the ku-klux klan, indeed knew that
you had in one or two important instances
r1sISta1 and defgatan its
appreciate the sense of honor which makes
you shrink from being named in connection
with 1t; still, you and your associates-the
leading men in the South-now enioy bene-
fits OF political power derived from the
atrocities of the ku-klux khan. in which
phrase include all the numerous aliases by
which it has been known in the South. Your
power in the Southern states rests upon ac-
tual crimes of every grade in the code of
crimes, from murder to the meanest kind of
ballot box stufiing, committed BY the
ku-klux Kan and its kindred associates
and, as you know, some of the worst of them
were committed since 1877, when you and they
gave the most solemn assurances of protec
ton to the freedmen of the South. These
crimes are all aimed at the civil and political
rights of republicans in the South, and.
as | believe, but for them, the best
and worthiest agencies in the very
State that you represent, as well as
many other States in the South. would lie
represented both in the Senate and House
by republicans. But for these crimes the
boast attributed to YOU that one hundred and
thirty eight solid Southern votes would be
cast for the democratic ticket, would be but
idle vaporings. But now We feel that it is a
sober truth. While | have no reason to
believe that you or your northern associates
personally participated in the offences | have
named, yet while you and they enjoy the
fruits OF these crimes you may in logic
and morals he classed as | classed YOU.
as joint co-partners with the ku-klux
khan in the policy which thus far has been
successful in selling political power in the
South, and which it is hoped by the aid of a
small segment of the democratic party in the
north may be extended TO all departments of
the government. 1t is in this sense that |
spoke of you, the ku-kluX klan and the
northern democratic party. Permit me in
conclusion, while frankly answering your
| question, 10 say that the most fatal policy
for the South would be by such agencies as
l have mentioned to secure again political
| ascendancy in this country; for assure YOU
that the manhood and independence of the
North will certainly continue the struggle
eAsh S'eiy 'PuohIiu III llIt sNOulu
have free and unrestricted endowment of
equal civil and political privileges, including
q fair vote, fair count, free speech
and free press and the agitation made
necessary to secure such results NAV greatly
affect injurlously the interests of the people
OF the South. Very respectfully your obedi-
ent servant, John Sherman.
SENATOR HAMPTON TO SECRETARY SHERMAN.
| Charlottesville, Va, Oct 1.-Sir, YOUR
letter has been received, and US YOU do not
disclaim the language 10 which | called your
attention, have only TO say that in using it
you uttered what was absolutely false and
what you knew to be false. My address
will be Columbia, South Carolina l am
your obedient servant, Wade Hampton.
SECRETARY suERNAN's ANSWER.
Treasury Department, Washington, Oct
1S.-Hon. Wade Hampton, Columbia, 5. c ::
Sir. have to acknowledge the receipt of
your note Of the first inst, handed me un-
opened by Mr.. c. Mckinley few moments
ago. after my return from the West. | had
this morning read what purported to be an
extract of a speech made by you, pub
lished in the Charleston News and Cour-
rier, in which Apon your general reputa-
ton as gentleman You deny that you
ever had made such speech or writ
ten such letter as is attributed to YOU
in that paper. What | stated to YOU in nv
letter of September 2lst believe to be true.
notwithstanding your denial and it can be
shown to be true by the public records
and as matter of history. As YOU
had, long before your letter was delivered
to me, seen proper to make public statement
of your side of the correspondence, | will give
it TO the press without note or comment and
let the public decide between Us. Very re-
pectfully, John Sherman.
THE EXTRACT
referred 10 was published in the New York
Tribune of Oct. 9th, taken from the
Charleston News and Courier of an earlier
date, purporting to be an abstract from a
speech by Wade Hampton, as follows {:
John Sherman, secretary Of the treasury,
said some time ago that the people were
called upon to surrender all they possessed
to Wade Hampton and the ku-klux and
small segment of the democratic party in the
North. | wrote asking him if he used this
language, and his answer was somewhat
equivocal, and he did not deny con
Meeting my name with the ku-klux, and
| say now in public, as | wrote
him in private, that when he made
that statement he said what was false
and what he knew at the time was false. 1t
has come TO Il pretty pass. my cOuntrynlen,
when man elected 10 Congress and honest
" striving 10 do his duty under the consti-
tuition can have these base and groundless
assaults made OH him. When Il man strikes
at South Carolina through me | shall only
saw to him, ms did 10 Sherman, that he tells
o lie"