The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-10-27
Snappy Correspondence Be-
tween Hampton and
Sherman.

=
furnished for publication the following
correspondence between himself and
Senator Hampton, Of South Carolina:
Dryers Springs, Sept. II, 1850
Hon. John Sherman, Secretary Of the
Treasury: Sir-Some days ago saw
the report Of your speech at the confer
cnce, held by the National Republican
Committee ut the Fifth Avenue Hotel,
New York, and You were quoted 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, and
the little segment in the North that is
called the Democratic party" May !
ask if you used these words, and if you
did so, did you mean to connect me di-
rcctly or indirectly with what is known
as the Ku-kIux khan? Requesting an
early reply, addressed to me, care Of
August schell, Esq, New York, am,
very respectfully, your obedcnt SER
want, WADE HAMPTON,
Washington, b. C., Sept. 81, 1885,
Hon. Wade Hampton, New York
Sir: Your note Of the 18th inst. is re-
ceivcd, in which you inquire whether at
IL conference held by the National Re
: publican Commi:tccat the Fifth Avenue
Hotel in New York, used the language
attributed to me as follows: "And now
you are asked to surrender al you have
done into the hands of Wade Hampton
and the NMSlpv and the little segment
: in the North ttat is called the Demo-
cratic party" IN reply | have to adj
, wise you that while ! do not remember
| the precise language, , presume the re-
t porter correctly stated in n condensed
+ way his idea Of what ] said. | no doubt
c spoke Of you as leading representative
Of the Democratic party in the South,
: and referred to the kuklux khan as Il
G representative of the barbcrous agencies
, by which the Democrats have subverted
c the civil and political rights of the Re
Y pubicans Of the South. | did not CON
il meet you personally with the Ku-klux
: khan. Indeed | know that you had in
t one or two important instances resisted
| and defeated its worst impulses. APP
: prcciate the sense Of honor which makes
5 YOU shrink from being named in CON
3 nection with it. Still you and your as
+ sociatcs, leading men in the South, now
t enjoy the benefits Of political power de-
+ rived from atrocities of the ku-klux
5 khan, in which phrase | include all the
c aliases by which it has from time to
f time been known in the South. Your
; power in the Southern States rests upon
f actual crimes Of every grade in the code
t of crimes, from murder to the meanest
y form Of ballot box stufling, committed
t by the ku-klux khan and its kindred as
b sOciatcs, and, a. you know, some Of the
c worst of them were committed since
. 1877, when YOU and they gave most
solemn assurances Of protection Of the
t trecmcn of the South. These crimes
4, are all aimed at the civil and political
Il rights Of the Republicans IN the South,
r and as | believe, but for these agencies,
i every State that you represent as well
, as many other States in the South
. would be represented both in the Senate
and in the House by Republicans but
for these crimes and boast attributed to
YOU that the one hundred and thirty
eight solid Southern votes would be cast
. for the Democratic ticket would be but
idle vaporng, but now we feel that it il
= sober truth While | have no reason
> to believe that you or your Northern as
sociatcs personally participated in the
offences | have named, yet while you
> and they enjoy the fruits of these crimes
= YOU may in logic or morals be classed as
! cIasscd you, as joint copartncrs with
the ku-kIux khan in policy, which thus
; far have been successful in selling poit-
= zeal power in the South, and which it is
hoped by the aid Of n small segment of
) the Democratic party in the North may
be extended to all parts of Government.
= 1t is in this sense that | spoke of you,
the Ku-klux khan and the Northern
Democratic party. Permit me, in con-
c.usion, while frankly answering your
question, to say that the most fatal pol
icy for the South would be by such
agencies as have mentioned to secure
again political ascendancy in this coun-
try, for assure you that the manhood
and independence Of the North will GER
tainly continue to struggle until every
Republican in the South shall have free
and unrestricted enjoyment Of equal
civil and political privileges, including
fair vote, fair count, free speech and Il
free press. Agitation made necessary
to secure such results may greatly affect
inluriously the interests Of the people of
the South. Very respectfully, your
Obcdicnt servant,
JOIN SHERMAN.
Charlottesville, Ta, Oct. Sir :
Your letter has been received, and as
YOU do not disclaim the language to
4 4 /