The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-26

as l see it. 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 dis
parage or disrate Hampton. / venture
to say that South Carolina has never
had a great orator or statesman who
could have done what Hampton did;
could have led the state so wisely and
masterfuIly as Hampton did in the cir
cumstances under which he did his
most conspicuous and valuable work.
The great orator or statesman has his
place, but it is properly not higher
than the place of the greater leader
of the people who by force of will and
the 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 l am not saying that
what Hampton did was the wisest
thing that could have been done | am
only expressing my conviction that as
the leader of his people in a great. vital
political and social struggle he played
a high part, a part which no other cit
izen of the state was probably equal
to; a part which in my judgment TO
other citizen of the state at 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 with which he
had to deal and to reach the results
he aimed at, was truly wonderful. In
the hight of surrounding excitement
he could be serene and collected; In
moments when 1t was easy to be unre-
strained he could be moderate. Who
ever else lost his balance, Hampton
never did.
Back OF all this courage and poise
and self-control and supporting them,
all, there was beyond doubt a firm
conviction that his cause was the cause
of Justice, of peace and of civilization.
No man who knew Hampton or Is Ia.
miliar with his career can doubt his
profound devotion to the public well
fare. One may question the wisdom
of his policy, may think another and
different policy might have brought
better results, but no one who Is wen
informed can question Hampton's ndel-
ity to his own best judgment. He
steadily followed the right as he saw
it, and he was as sure to follow It in
days of defeat as in days of victory.
He fell upon evil times as well as upon
prosperous He felt 1.-The sings and ar
rows Of outrageous fortune, as well
as the applause and cheers of his fell
low citizens, but through it all he bore
himself, so far as / can see. without
mistake or faith, from the point of
view he took.
over his open grave nothing could
persuade me to utter dispraise or
blame, if could see the gravest mis-
takes in his career, for I feel sure he
was true at all times to what he re-
garded as his duty. There is no higher
praise, no greater success than this.
To meet a great crisis successfully to
win the plaudits of a whole people, to
see much of the applause changed to
detraction and through it all to keep
steadily on the lofty and true path of
honor and patriotism, even to the end,
is a record which entities Hampton to
a place second to no one in the hearts
of his people and the records of his
state.
1t was Burke who said: Nothing
hut the possession Of some power can.
with any certainty, discover what at
the bottom is the true character of any
man" Hampton was tried by this
test, and by II he stands approved and
will stand while our memory Of him
lasts. ID. II. Chamberlain.
West BroOkheid, April u, 1902.