Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-09-09
From the Bullet to the Ballot,
Wade Hampton Tells the Democratic Vsr.
gtnians That Their Principles Noo are
the Same as They Fought for tn the Re.
beNt0n

The largest political meeting ever held
IN Staunton was that of Monday last The
Opera House was crowded with an audi.
ence variously estimated at from fifteen
hundred to two thousand people Some
three or four hundred were ladies' and
about an equal number of boys, while the
men comprised voters of every political
creed and color Captain John II Craw.
ford was called to the chair aud Major
Elder offered the resolutions, which were
unanimously adopted. Capt Bumgardner,
in his usual happy manner, then intro.
ducet Senator Wade Hampton, of South
Carolina Gen. Hampton is d man of fine
physique and splendid appearance and
rs he stepped forward to the stage, round
after round of applause greeted MIN.
After abiding TO the fact that his ances.
try were Virglnlans, and had fought side
by side with the sons of the old State, and
20 his own services during the late war,
he said: 80 it is that am bound to you
by bonds which death alone can sever. So
il IS that |, like so many OF the veterans
of the Confederacy, am jealous OF the
honor and proud OF the glorious heritage
.bequeathed to her by her Lee and her
Stonewall Jackson. Do not understand
that l come here to dictate policy. to
you, or TO advise you what you must do;
rather am | here to consult with YOU as a
Democrat, as man, and as q Southern
soldier; as one who looks back 10 the
time when he shared with you prigations
and suffering and defeat In the Army OF
Northern Virginia. | am here TO voice
the earnest hope that | feel, to utter the
ieryent prayer of my heart that Virginia,
the Mother of States, will not prove recre.
ant to all her high traditions. We have
always looked to her to lead, and we know
that she has the right to do go. We know
her history, and We know that in seeking
J the path of duty she has ever found the
way to glory. ] adjure you by your ira
ditions, by sls that you hold sacred, to
lead again, Virginia, as you have done
heretofore, not always to victory, but al
ways to honor.
What is VIrginia's duty nowg You
hardly realize my friends how much de.
ponds on the action of your State With
unite d South casting 1873 electoral votes,
we need only New York and Indiana,
and believe we shall have them Will
| Virgins, when we have success within
our very grasp, sacrifice the Democratic.
partyY viii she sacrifice the SOUTH
VIII she sacrifice the National Govern
| ment, by aiding, indirectly though it be
to elect Republican President? | will
not believe II. | stood four years by the
side OF Nirginians, and | know the stuff
of which they are made, la these four
years | never saw them faiter. At this
crisis cannot, ! will not, think that you
could prove false to your trsdllOns-that
you can prove reCreant to the exalted
teachings, the enrolling inspirations of
your glorious past Put by everything
that can distract your attention from our
one great object. Look only TO that, fight
for 1t, and win the fight. | have nothing
to say to you about your local differences;
we have Them in our own State, but we
/ have resolutely put them behind u.s.
Realize, II you can, what Will follow
Republican triumph In November. You
have all seen what strides that party has
made toward Capitalization; you have
seen your Judge stricken down by the
mailed hands of the National Govern.
ment; you hSve seen the Republican
party mass troops at the polls to overawe
your tree suffrage; you have seen their
Deputy Marshals, their Supervisors, their
Returning Boirds--the instruments OF an
al overthrow Of the last vesuge OF State
Rights. | tell you, my counrymen, the
fate of the South will be harder than
ever if the Republican party is successful!
in this campaign. We shall behold no
more free elections, no more untramme.-
ed expressions Of political sentiment, snd
no one living will ever again see rest0r-
alton Of Democratic rule and principles.
II we elect the Democratic nominees,
the Republican party will GO TO pieces
like rope of sand. Their MISSION is
ended, II they ever had mission There
is nothing that holds them Il gatheF to-day
save "the cohesive power OF public plum
der" The Democratic party is the party
of peace ana OF union that would blot out
all sectional differences forever, and ii has
proved THIS in the nomination OF General
Hancock st Cincinnati. There was but
one feeling there among the Southern del
egates. Thst feeling was expressed when
we said to our Northern Democratic
brethren, Give US az G4allsb,e man"
They gave us that man, and we have put
il n the power Of the people 10 elect the
ticket. They can elect il T. they will.
You will hear from one to-day who can
speak for North Carolina. Governor
Vance will confirm my words that we
can carry the South if you will only
carry Virginia. He has come, like me,
to appeal to you not TO forsake US in the
hour of need Consider what Lee and
Jackson would do were they alive These
are the same principles for which they
fought for tour years. Remember the
men who poured forth their life blood on
Virginia's soil, and do not abandon them
now. Remember that upon your vote
a l. ~. IL