The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-26
my personal affairs, which have been
long neglected"

ouI Tue leaulnS newspapers ID your
State nominated you for Govesuor the
moment Irby was nominated to sue
ceed you in the Senate"
II know that. But am not can
didate. have never been candidate
for anything. I never asked man to
vote for me. I have not sought public
honors."
"But you have the confidence of the
people of South Carolina. If they in
sist upon your accepting the guberna-
torial nomination, what then?"
"This looks like Constance's Neck"
replied Gen. Hampton, land that house
there, near the Potomac, looks just like
the one where had an interesting ex-
perience during the war"
"What VIZ, sne incident, General?n
"Well, the same old story; spy. I
had a man who wanted to cross the
Potomac, but I didn't know how to get
him over. Well, just then, a man
came in and reported that spy had
crossed the Potomac in the early
morning. We made diligent search
for him, with but little success, and we
were about to give it up when we found
him locked up in box under bed in
the house we have just passed. We
forced him to disclose the hiding lace
Of the boat in which he had crossed the
river, and we used it to send over our
man who wished to reach the other
side"
"What became of the spy?," I asked.
II sent him to Richmond. I don't
know what became of him, but I ex-
pect he was-That is a pretty view of
the river"
"Presidential candidates? Well, if
New York goesto the Convention with
solid delegation it will get the nomi-
nation; if not the nomination will 60
to the West"
"What Western man have you in
your minds eye?"
"Oh, none in particular. The most
obscure man in break away from the
favorites usually captures the honor"
"What do you think of Gov. Camp
bell of Ohio, Gov. Gray of Indiana,
Iex-Congressman William r. Morrison,
and Gen. John NJ. Palmer of Illinois?"
"They are all good men; but I have
nothing to say as to their candidacy,
further than if New York does not pre-
sent solid front in the convention the
nomination will go to a Western man."
"What about the Speakership of the
next House?"
II think it would be mistake to
electt Southern man as Speaker. I
think some good Northern or Western
man should be selected. T think the
Democratic party made great mis-
take in the Fiftieth Congress by elect
ing Southern man as Speaker of the
House and by giving the principal
chairmanship of committees to South
ern men. Again, I think the Democratic
party made mistake in the campaign
of1SS8 byfooding the North withSouth-
ern speakers. 1t is bad policy. The
voters resent it. If Northern speakers
should be sentinto the South we should
resent it. We know more about our
own affairs than outsiders do. I think
the Northern voters resented the fact
of our sending them Southern speakers
to instruct them in 1883.
''Then you are not in favor of elect
ing Southern man Speaker of the
House of the Fifty-second Congress.
"Emphatically no."
"What is your opinion of the future
relations of the races in the South?"
"Most hopeful. agree with the re-
cent opinion of Senator Carlisle that
there will be less and less of friction be-
tween the races; that they will come
more and more to understand the mu-
tuality of their interests, and that they
will more and more cooperate together
for the common good. In my own
State the coloreed people have great
respect for me, and in any division of
votes, caused by the position of the
Farmers Alliance, I am sure that the
best elements among the colored peo-
pie would cooperate with the best ele-
ments among the white people"
THAT being the case, would you not
feel it public duty to accept the Gu
bernatorial nomination if offered to
you?"
II must straighten out my personal
affairs" replied the General; and he
really looked as if he wished not to be
called upon to make other sacrifices
prejudicial to his personal interests.
mo; I have no regrets in leaving
public life. I have tried to do my du-
ty. My relations with colleagues in
the Senate have been most pleasant.
My public life all the way through has
been regulated by strict regard for
the exactions of the duty imposed upon
me, and I cannot but feel that I have
always labored for the public good, ac-
cording to my light"
AS the cars sped away southwark I
could not but think pleasantly of the
fineold type of Southern gentleman.
T. THOMAS FORTUNE.