The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-11-28

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of art rest on bases of this marble.
| The plinth of the pedestal is made OF
Alsatian marble, but the masses be-
meath were quarried from our Winns-
boro granite, in whose historic hills
Hampton had hunted in his youth,
when Fairfield was full OF wild game
as Montana is now.
The statute Of Hampton and Of his
| horse are cast in hollow bronze and
.strikingly handsome. The face of the
hero is turned to the West, whether
by design or accident. In any case
there is appositeness in the selection,
since Hampton spent much Of his
time in the West, and it was from
Mississippi that he came back to re-
deem South Carolina. He was facing
the West in 1865 when he retreated
from Columbia before Sherman's
overwhelming force. Westward was
the course Of the old pioneers, and
Hampton harked back to the old days
Of the republic.
South Carolina never had a more
unselfsh man. There never was a
time when he was not willing to die
for the State, and even his enemies
admitted that. The State has pro-
duced many more brilliant, many
mere learned, many more profound;
but never in it's history has there
arisen a public man who thought of
SELF less than Wade Hampton.
Born the richest citizen in the
Southern States, opposing secession
to the very last, the owner of 1000
slaves, with property enough to have
gone to Europe and been a prince for
the rest Of his life, he yet threw all in
the balance when the State had acted
and never was heard to utter a single
regret. Even after the war, when his
property was swept away, he had Of
fers from Europe &c go there, especi-
ally to England, where the English
nobility idolized him, but he re-
mained with his people, showing the
same unselfish devotion in adversely
that had marked him in the day of
his power. The picture recalls Gen.
r. e. Lee, to whom in unSelfsh pa
triotism, Hampton might truly be
compared.
But at last it is to Washington
that the strongest likeness is found.
Washington, like Hampton, was in
dependently rich; there was every
reason why he should have forsaken
the cause Of the struggling colonists
and gone over to the side Of Great
Britain, particularly when New Eng
land was scheming and plotting
against the country. But the thought
found no Judgement in that noble
heart. Somebody has said that Wash
ington was free from the meaner vices
Of mankind, that there was nothing
small in his makeup. This was emf
nently true of Hampton. Defeated by
a political combination and retired to
private life, he had the same love for
his people, and his Last words were
words for his people, asking Gods
blessing on all the people, white and
black. He had thus risen far above
petty meaness and spite, and passed
away as patriot should, with bless
ing on his lips.
Gen. M. C. Butler, who delivered
the Grafton today, has been all his life
associated with Hampton. He was
with Hampton during the war, in the
same branch Of the service. After the
war he was the first Democrat elected
to the United States senate. preceding
Hampton there by three years.
It is, therefore, peculiarly appropri-
ate that M. C. Butler should deliver
the Grafton and fortunate that he is
spared to do it. Just few years more
and all the men who were associated
with Hampton will haYe crossed over
to be with him always in the fields of
asphodel.
A more particular description of
the monument is given herewith:
The figure itself is mounted on the
plinth which rests on the pedestal and
the successive bases. The pedestal
contains deep grove into which is
cemented ethe plinth supporting the
horse. Nothing short Of an earth
quake can ever move the monument
and even then the figure would not be
damaged, so solidly is it cast
The handsome metal plates on the
base and pedestal show in brief the
career of Hampton and it is appro-
pirate that they should be surrounded