Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-04-16
a seDreur, passionately fond

men. it was, as with Rupert Of old,
Come on" not GO forward" Where
Hampton rode they were ready to fol-
low, and Hampton's place was in the
front. A higher type than Hampton of
the citizen-soldier has rarely, If ever,
been seen. His men had implicit con-
fidence in him. The qualities which
made him a man Of mark before the
war made him conspicuous during the
war, and caused him to be preeminent
when hostilities in the field were over,
and the struggle for liberty was renew
ed on the agitating field Of politics.
The large property Of General Hamp-
ton was swept away by emancipation
and it's consequences. He retired into
private life, struggling bravely to re-
pair nIs shattered fortunes, and TAX
ing no active part in state or national
politics. To the soldiers who were de-
voted to him, to his countrymen who
trusted him, he gave the counsel that
Lee and Johnston gave, bidding them
observe faithfully the terms of the sur
render, and urging them to fulfill in
good faith the obligations Of citizen
ship. In 1865 he was placed in nomina-
tion for governor, and although he re-
fused to be q candidate received nearly
as many votes as the Hon. James L.
Orr, who was elected. The state con-
vention in 1868 elected him a delegate
to the National Democratic convention
which nominated Horatio Seymour for
president. He was a member of the
committee on resolutions. There was
a great difference Of opinion in the
committee. After a long discussion,
conducted in the kindliest spirit, Cen
eral Hampton told the committee that
he would withdraw all the resolutions
he had offered, and no doubt other
southern delegates would do the same,
and accept, as he would, the resolutions
offered by Senator Bayard, Of Della
ware, If the committee would consent
to the addition of the few words: "And
acts are revolutionary, unconstitution-
al and void" After General Hampton
proposed this every member of the
committee, and the warmest men in 1t
were from the north, came forward and
said they would carry 1t out to the
end. Such is the history Of the historic
plank in the National Democratic plat
form of 1868, as told py Hampton at
the mass meeting held in Charleston
on July "a, 1868.
South Carolina, in the summer Of 1876
was in a peculiar position. The DEM
acratic party, composed Of the Whole
body Of the white population Of the
state, was divided in opinion. One
wing of The party held that In view Of
the numerical strength Of the Radi-
calls, backed by the Federal govern
ment and controlling the whole ma
chinery of elections. it was wiser by
far to strive to improve the character
Of the representation in the legislature,
LII oo'SN@NSA'
than to risk the fortunes Of the state
on the cast of die by making strict
party contest throughout. The other
wing of the party contended that sue
cess could only be gained by nominat-
ing a full Democratic ticket and MAX
ing such a contest as would bring to
the Democratic standard every man
who had any regard for his own inter-
est and any love for his state. 1t was
momentous question, and when the
state convention decided in August to
nominate Democrats for every office,
the motion carried by only small ma
jority. General Hampton was In Co.
lumbia, and in a published letter had
earnestly advised that the convention
should present to the state full tick
ct, made up Of her own true, tried and
trusted sons-men whose characters
gave the best assurance that their elec-
tion would bring peace, prosperity and
honor to the state, and for whom our
people can vote without the sacrifice
of feeling or principle" This turned
the scale. There was no difference of
opinion as to who should be the Uemo-
cratic candidate for governor If one
were to be chosen, and Wade Hampton
was unanimously nominated. In ac-
cepting the nomination General Hamp-
ton said: Should I be elevated to the
high position for which you have NOM
mated me, my sole effort shall be to re-
store our state government to decency,
to honesty, to economy and to integri-
ty. I shall be the governor Of the
whole people, knowing no party, MAX
ing no vindictive discrimination, hold
ing the scales Of justice with firm and
impartial hand, seeing, as far as in me
lies, that the laws are enforced in JUS
tice tempered by mercy, protecting all
classes alike and directing every effort
to the restoration Of honest govern
ment."
This was Hampton's platform from
the first day to the last day of the can
vass, and such 1t was to the last mo-
ment Of his public life. There was no
warrant for the fears of those who
supposed that Hampton had been, or
could be, captured by extreme politi-
clans. In 1867, when Greeley, Oliver P.
Morton and other Radical leaders were
opposed to comforting the suffrage up
on the freedmen, General Hampton de-
clared that 1t was the part of wisdom
for the southern states to confer citi-
zenship on the Negro. He said: I'VE
have recognized the freedom of the
blacks, and have placed the fact be-
yond all possibility Of doubt, denial or
recall. Let US recognize, in the same