The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-09
Sketch Of Prof. S. C. MITCHELL
Address at Unwilling Of Hampton
Monument Hampton a Type.


point OF view we can to-day well take
IN presenting the society OF tho Old
south ms tested By tho career o, Wade
hampton. In institutins such a test
OF the Old South. the question nr,kes
whether II Is fair one Was wade
hampton representative OF his cla.s?
so. what estimate shall we Justly
'"rm or the worth OF tho civilization
OF which he was product? Let up
quiries.
The hriefest survey o. tho facts in
NE ITO Of Wade Hampton shows clear
~ that he was genuine exponent OF
lns social order In the Old South
heae Facts need hardly recount for
'hey are fSod in tho mind OF all. and
inc lending ones are carved indcllbIy
upon tho base of this granite shaft.
winch stands before us In hia veins
flowed the blood OF Virginia and South
carolina. tho two distinctive Common
wealthu OF the South His ancestor,
from tho Old Dominion. prior 70 the
Revolutionary War. settled In the
hpartanburg district then a frontier
region, ,erroT!zed b. marauding In
d'ans. who mas5acred Anthony Hamp-
ton and several members of his houso
holu wade Hampton. the son Of An
'hony Hampton. took conspicuous
part In the American Revolution, along
'tH sumter, Plckena. Marion. Green
end Washington. Tho second wade
Hampton. tho father OF tho one whose
memory we have met 10 honor to-day
bore noble part In tho War OF 1872
lie was present ut the battle OF New
or!enns. and was sent y tho COM
mander. An..ew Jackson. to carry
the nrst official news on the long r!de
10 the President in Washington Tnus
The ancestors OF General Wade lamp
In nj I'll
tined with the advance OF Anglo
lSaNon civilization upon this continent
and with the two early national WARE
tho ono fought for the political inde-
pendence. the other for the economic
independents OF America. They were
lyrical planters or the Old. of obed-
'ieuon and work. grounded in South
'Carolina. but also In Mississippi, .hd
louisiana These vast estates Were
titled by African slaves. who were
I trained In manual arts. taught habits
or obedience and work. and grounded
In the clements Of civilization. and
treated withal kindly An estate like
that OF the Hamptons was something
like a miniature kingdom, calling for
high executive ability In tho planter.
md enabling him TO reveal in his
home nnd personality all tho grace.
charm, sweetness and strength that
marked the manhood of the South.
Those ware men OF large means. but
wealth was not their badge They
were men OF extensive power. but
might did not constitute their dis
riuc,.on. Their real prestige was per-
tonal!ty. n personality we'll rounded.
delicately chisellcd by the social and
civic forces around them. personal
ity well ftted FOR great service to
State, church and society. Tho true
setting OF this personality was the
home. rather than tho market; WAS
! the Legislative hall. rather than the
shop; was the Aeld OF battle and the
defense OF country. rather than the
! counting house. ."
DR. Mitchell referred to the sudden
production OF great men that marked
certain periods of tho history OF
; Greece and OF Florence.
An Outburst of Genius,
"A similar outhurst OF gehius.' he
declared, marked tho society of South
Carolina and Virginia in the Revolu-
tionary era OF our history. On your
visit to Monticello YOU were shown a
7ittie table IN Jeffcrson's dining room
where four Presidents sat down 20
dinner together. Ono Virginia teacher
taught Thomas jefferson. John Mar
Fhall. James Monroe and Henry Clay.
NVaa there ever university like that
elsewhere on tho continent? And shall
there ever boz In the Virginia House
or Burgesses on one occasion the
tollers for particular vote were
Thomas jefferson. Benjamin Harrison,
Patrick Henry and the like. In the
arena OF great men common tasks
wcre assigned tho statesmen OF the
first order OF intellect and character.
The names or Rutledge. PinckneY.
';adsden Calhoun and Hampton stand
for n similar primacy In the national
life maintained nv the richly lowered
State Of South Carolina, ccntr'ng so
largely as II did in tho city OF Charles
ton
at was in this city that Wade
1 Hampton first saw the light. March IS.
ISIS. In the gracious house yondor on
Hasell street. > in America two
ominous questions were looming upon
tho horizon---the tariff. growing on,
OF tho War NJ 1912 with England. and
\ slavery. rendered acute by the open-
Ing up of the vast fertile lands Of
Kansas and Nebraska. Such was the
world into which destiny ushHred
Wade Hampton 10 play his part Sur
wing as he did until. the twentieth
century. he was permitted to see des-
potism give place in Europe to de-
mocracy, to witness the triumph Of
nationality OF United italy and United
Germany. to note the extinction of
Slavery as a result of revolutionizing
effects or steam and electricity. OF
coal and steel Was there ever
more enhancing age for these dra-
matte readjustments. whether we re-
gard tho might OF forces Mt work or
the subtleness OF the colossal changes
wrought? Through the crises Of that
period Wade Hampton was made to
pass in order to test his character and
his career.
I'VE can venture In this brief hour
only to seek glimpse OF him at Ger,
tain epochal junctures In his long life.
with n view OF heholding something
of the dignity poise. courage and
manliness that marked his course
throughout View him first as a
Southern planter In his stately home
Mt wildwood. near Columbia. where
the gracious hospitality dispensed
seemed second nature to him. AS
citizen he bore himself nobly IN the
halle OF tina Legislature. AS the mass