The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-12-18
SAYS HAMPTON WAS KING.
Stirring Letter on Recent Unveiling
of Monument in Columbia

A. B. Williams in Ncws-Leadcr.
Yesterday Wade Hampton, dead
and in his grave, was king in South
Carolina, as he was in this month of
November thirty years ago. From
the summer Of 1876 TO May 10, 1877,
i'll the flush Of his manhood and the
maturity Of his strength Of mind and
body, was an absolute ruler; his
word was law. He had the power of
life and death, of peace and war. He
had behind him the white manhood
Of the state armed and mounted and
wearing the red shirt, ready to go
and do at his bidding, to fight against
any odds, to submit quietly in the
face OF any provocaton. We doubt
it ever in the history of the world, in
time Of peace, any one man has ever
had much complete control. Seventy
thousand fighting men were ready to
answer at his slightest call, to do his
bidding anywhere and anyhow.
No man in history has been more
desperately determined than General
Hampton was after the election of
November 7, no man was ever govern
ed by a cleaner understanding of a
situation by more alert conscience
or sounder sense. He never yielded
one inch and would not have yielded
in any circumstances, but he made no
mistake. He was ready, if the time
came to lead his seventy thousand
red shirts headlong against the whole
power and force of the United States
government in one vast and glorious
suicide. His determination to adhere
to peaceful and lawful methods to
the very last possible moment, and
then to throw prudence and diplo-
macy to the winds, and lead as far as
any dared to follow, was unknown to
those with whom he was confidential.
champion or Help was the slogan
of that campaign, and the men who
used it meant 1.-THE hell of mill
tary government or fierce, open and
exterminating warfare. With the pas
sion and fury and desperation of his
own people on one side with the fero-
cious fanaticism or the smooth cum
ming Of the Republican politicians at
the north on the other, lie dealt with
masterful hand and steady brain. The
conditions demanded a great man and
he was great.
He had been a ruler and a leader
from his childhood, master by in
heritance and by growth. He main
tained that position by strength Of
body and mind and daring. When
he went to war he was general by
nature. When his people needed n
man to lead them in saving them
selves from the horrors OF reconstruct
tion they turned to him unanimously.
, Only man Of unmeasured strength
and will could have done the work
and he did it without on error or II
halt. lie had to control, direct and
use an army scattered through n
; State under the guisc and within the
lines Of civil law and government.
Few men have had such a task and no
other man could have performed it so
/ well.
He never could forsakc the habit Of
being master, leader and general. He
knew nothing Of the arts and tricks
and diplomacics of politics. His big
soul disdained and was impatient Of
; them. He was the Cariolanus of mod
ern life. He could not bear to show
his war worn wounds in the market
place that they might bcseech popu-
. lar favor for him. Conscious OF his
[ patriotism and purity Of purpose, he
, gave no attention to maintaining his
| own personal hold on the>people. Dur
ing fourteen years Of peaceful poll
tics his will continued to be law and
he ruled South Carolina by the meth
DDS and principles and politics OF The
! old days. The governments were clean
and able but were maiatamod anu
, continued by systems more appro-