Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-10-26
Valuable Paper on Edeg6eld
County in 1876 by MIR.
Francis Simkins.
Continued from second page.)
and yrite some in favor of Hamp-

On August 10, the DemOcTaIlc
convention met in Columbia, all del
egates sincerely united in advancing
the interests of the white race, but
still divided as to the better policy
to secure this end. Applause from the
floor and the crowded galleries greet
ed every word councilling unity. On
the second day, the battle between
delay and action was fought to fin
ish, the debate being between Butler,
Gary, Lipscomb and DePass, of Ker-
shaw on one hand, and Conner, of
Charleston, on the other. BY vote
of eighty-eight to sixty-four the
Edgefeld leaders were triumphant.
Butler, then amid enthusiasm nomi-
mated Hampton for governor.
There was no other person in
South Carolina better fitted than this
nominee for the role of arousing
white sentiment and of convincing
Northern opinion of the liberal in
tentions of his party. Hampton was
the wealthy son of an illustrious and
aristocratic house in the state of
strong aristocratic traditions. His as
sociation with the Confederacy as
ranking officer from South Carolina
and as sometime chief of cavalry
Gin the moment of defeat) made him
dear to the hearts of people who
sherished so passionately a Lost
Couse.
He was of handsome physique
leader OF men without military train
ing, and was filled with enthusiasm
for the cause of white supremacy. To
appeal to the negro and Northern
opinion were qualities of moderation
not possessed by Gary and Butler.
He always cherished a sincere love
for the black man in the role of me-
MEL; he had opposed Secession and
was ready to boast the fact that he
had early advocated Southern acqui-
escense in the recent amendments to
the constitution of the United States,
giving the negro full civil rights. But
for his moderating influence, the
plans of the South Carolina revolu-
tionists might have failed.
Yet Hampton was, by no means
possessed Of those full qualities of
genius with which his uncritical ad-
mirers have since endowed him. He
was a most ordinary speaker with
little variety of utterance. He was
possessed of a limited intelligence.
Like the julius Caesar of Shakes
peare, his was l.anle, and PERSONAL
ity to conjure with; others possessed
of less reputation and more powers
of understanding and action were
destined to supplement the move
ment of which he was nominal head
by the use of qualities that he did
not possess. In the opinion of Ball
and Tillman, he went to his grave be-
lieving that his powers of eloquence
in the canvass of the state converted
enough negroes to secure his cleo
tion.
The Democratic plan of campaign
moved on two lines of strategy: The
first was the Hampton canvass of
ovations and words which served to
arouse the whites and play upon the
sentiment of the North. This supple
mented by the real and effective use
of force which was effectively hidden
beneath the Hampton pageant. By
these methods, in which the Edgefeld
leaders took leadership, the campaign
of 1876 was won, and not by the
oratory of Hampton. / shall there.
fore omit from my article consider
alton of the canvas that opened at
Anderson and closed in Columbia.
Back of the conservative speech
,es of Hampton and the moderate
editorials of Dawson was the deter
mination of the advocates of the
Straight-Out Policy to drive the Re-
publicans from power by the contin-
ued prudent use of force. For this
purpose military clubs, which as early
as 1867 had been recognized, as
harmless social clubs, were by the
summer of 1876, multiplied into for
midable military organizations that
in reality performed in their way,
more of the functions of government
than the government in Columbia.
They were by express statute out
lawed. The ostensible purpose of their
existence was the protection of
-a.u.4 HAL, orroni1o ~ ION