The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-04-23
PRAISE FROM Il Qu0ADlM FOE.

PRAISE FROM 4 QU0ADAM FOE.
Ex-Governor Chamberlain's Esii-
mate Of Wade Hampton.
From the Springfield Republican.
To tie Editor of the Republican: J:
our editorial notice today of the
death Q. Wade Hampton leaves little to
be said by others. NY own relations
TO him were, Of course, peculiar, and
may possibly give an interest to my
view and estimate Of him. have in
other places and OF Other occasions
spoken Of him, and what 4 shall now.
say viii not be new. Force Of charac-
=ter=and finely balanced iudgmentwere,s
as I see 1t, The leading traits OF Hamp-
ton. As you remark he was not a
Calhoun or Clay. He does not belong.
on the roll Of great orators or states
men. But to say this is not to dispar-
age or dis-ate Hampton. venture to
say that South Carolina has never had
"a great orator or statesman WHO could.
have done what Ham pton Sid could
have led the State so wiselv#and mas
.terfully as Hanlpto did in the cir.
scumstances under which. be: did bis
most conspicuous and valuable work.
The great orator or statesman has his
place, but it's properly not higher
than the place OF the greater leader
of the people who by force of will
and tie genius Of command guides a
State in stormy and trying times.
Hampton, therefore, ought to stand
among the very foremost of the men.
of his State who have acted high
parts.
In saying this / am not saying that
What Hampton did was the wisest#
thing thing thatzcould have been done I.
that as the leader Of his people in a.
great, vital political and social strug-
gle he played a high part, part.
which 40 other citizen of the State
was probably equal TO: part which.
in my Judgment no other citizen Of
the State al any period of her history
could probably have played so well.
His mastery Of men, Of self-willed,,
even reckless, men was absolute: his
power Of directing and controlling
the forces vi tth which he had to deal
and TO reach the results he aimed at,
was truly wonderful In the height
of surrounding excl itemen55 be could be
serene and collected in moments
when it was easy to be unrestrained
he could be moderate. Whoever else.
lost his balance, Hampton never did,
. Backof all this courage and poise#
and seH-control and supporting them
all. there was beyond doubt a firm
CONVICTION that his cause was the.
cause Of justice. Of peace and of civil
izatlon. no man who knew Hampton
or is familiar with bis career can
-duobt his profound devotion to the
public welfare One may question the
wisdom Of his policy, may think
another and different policy might
have brought better respits, but 10.
one sho IS vel Informed can question
Hamp5on's fidelity TO bis own best
judgment. he steadily followed the
right as lie. asw it, and he was as sure
TO follow it in days. OF defeat as in
days of victory He fell upon evil
times as vel as upon prosperous. He
felt felt the sings and arrows Of out
rageors fortune, aszwelll as the APP
=olause. and cheers OF his fellow citi-ss
.zesn, bet through tall be bore him
self. SO far as9l can see, without mis-
take or fault, from the point OF view
he took.
Over his open grave nothing could
a. a.
blame, If could see the gravest mis-
takes in his caTeer, for I feel sure he
vas true at all times to what he
regarded as his duty. There is no
praise, no greater success than
this To meet q great crisis success
fully, Jo win the plaudits of whole
people, tozsee much Of the applause
changed to detraction, and through 1t
all TO keep steadily on the lofty and
tTae path of honor and patrio io5ism,
even to the end. is record which
entities Hampton TO a place second to
no one in the hearts of his people and
=ttherecords of bis State.
twas Burke VINO said Nothing
but the possession OF some power can,
with any certainty, discover what at
the bottom is the true character Of any
nan. Hampton was tried by this
test, and by it he stands approved.
and Will stand while our memory Of
him lasts.
D. Chamberlain.
: : Vest Brook6eld, April u, 1902.
-------.s1.
The Supreme Court of Georgia
held, insthe recent case Of TIE Phoe-
nix Insurance Copmany of Hartford
VS.. Schwartz, that clause in a policy
of fire Insurance requiring the assured
to keep the books and Inventories of