The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-10-05
4 True Account OF the Matter Between
Colonel Cameron ana Major FicISlcn
IN 10 General Wade Hampton.

DANvILLE, VA, October 3, 1881.
Editors Dispatch: see in the Wing the
semi-weekly OF the Both ultimO) an account
Of the meeting between Ficblen and Came
ron at Chatham which deserves correction.
The words OF the wig correspondent
are: Gle Colonel Cmer0n) also stated
that Governor Hampton last fail had used
language which he afterwards corrected,
and then in public speech denied the cor
rectiOn, and that the letter containing the
correction was then and there produced,
thus publicly c0nyicting him OF false
hood"
| shall try to state Ibis affair exactly as It
occurred. Colonel Cameron referred TO
Hampton and Vance as carpet-baggerS, and
then proceeded TO say that he could show
up Ilampton's record, or words TO that
effect. lie then began with an if" if
three Funders were to be believed, and if
two Funder newspapers were TO be be-
lieYed," &C., &c.-and proceeding at such
length that most OF his audience forgot the
conditional character Of his clauses, he con-
cluded with the emphatic statement that he
Wade IIamptOn) was convicted OF a re-
corded lie." | was Standing directly be-
meath Colonel Cameron and listening to his
speech with close attention. ! know Cen
eral Hampton personally, and for few
seconds considered whether Colonel Cam
eron had really given Hampton the lie or
not; but q moments reflection convinced
me that he would shield himself behind his
offs" and so did not interrupt him.
When Major Ficklen arose for his second
speech he called the attention OF his au-
dience to the magnauimOus assertion Came
ron had made in the eXordium OF his speech
when he declared that he would not attack
Daniel or his record "bccause Daniel was
not present TO speak in defence" and
Major Ficklen contraSted this high senti-
ment with Cameron's course in attacking
Wade Hampton, and added that Cameron
would not have dared TO say what he had
said Of Hampton had Hampton been pres
ent. Then Cameron arose and said that
Major Ficklen wTonged him i'm his last re-
mark, for he would say to Hampton's face
just what he did say; and thereupon Colo
mel w. L. Sims. who understood Colonel
Cameron to say Just what great majority
understood him to say-that he had given
Hampton the lie tlatly and unqualifedly-
leaped upon the stand, and, confronting
Cameron, said eXcitedly, "You may say
that TO him, but you shall not say ii TO me.
| am a relative of Wade IIampton's."
Here the Wings correspondent says that
Colonel Cameron replied, 81 have said IT,"
was right at Colonel Cameron's feet. II
Colonel Cameron said that, am sure that
no one but the Wigs correspondent heard
the words. The immediate sequel Of Sims's
appearance was great rush upon the stand
Of the friends of both parties, which
threatened a serious row, and during this
period nothing that was!said could be dis
tinctly heard. After awhile quiet was re-
stored, and Colonel Cameron then, in eX-
PLANTATION, put his offs" so close to his
conclusion that his assertion that Hampton
had been proved guilty OF ialsehood was
made dependent upon an "if," and an
off" and an "f, }" and so meant nothing.
l have written this because it may be
gathered from the letter in the Wig that
Cameron gave Hampton the lie and stuck
TO it. He never did. His statement was
based upon several offs" and he put
these % IFS " in his speech so far from the
conclusion that most of his hearers thought
that he gave the lie Internationally. Sims's
act brought him to put the Il" where it
belonged, and made his statement abso-
lutely without effect. The Whig'S CORE
spondent may have understood the case "a
he writes it. There was much excitement
on the occasion; but know that the above
Is the truth, aud believe Colonel Cameron
viii admit that 1t is. Certainly, after Cob