Year: 1877

"The most of the white people oi


this State are political slaves. They


were reared in political slavery, and


they have lived and are living now in


political slavery. Mr.. Calhoun alone


was their master at one time, and now


fifty men might be named who have


succeeded to Mr.. Calhoun, and are the


political masters of the people of


South Carolina to-day. 1t is perfectly


notorious that if the vote of the white


people of South Carolina had been


heard, and obeyed, the Hampton cam


paign would have never been under.


taken, much less have been success
fully carried through.


"There was an event which, wheth-
er designed or not on the part of DEM
ocratic leaders, certainly had the effect
of alternating some portion of the people
of the State from myself early in the
last campaign. That was the Ham
burg massacre, which occurred on the
Sth of July. No man of humanity
would have hesitated to denounce
this massacre rs more than Indian
like in its barbarity. spoke of 1t in
terms of judicial mildne-s i'm all my
public address-iudicial mildness, at
least compared with what the facts
world have warranted, but still l was
obliged of course, to denounce it. But
my sentiments and expressions were
asserted by the leaders of the Demo-
cratic party to he slander upon the
people of the State and especially
upon the people who were responsible
for this massacre. This was seized
upon and used to the utmost to create
prejudice against me, and to turn back
the tide which had set toward my
support and acquiescence in the course
of events under my administration
or course could do nothing to con-
ciliate such an element as this, and, AS
the features of the campaign las de-
termined upon by the Edgetieldle leaders,
developed this, my attitude was simply
a mere announcement in opposition
to this policy, and yet, as you have re-
minded me, in the Convention which
nominated Wade Hampton, there
were considerably more than one-third
of the delegates who were i'm favor of
making no nominations for State
officers, but in acquiescing i'm my
nomination as a Republican-joining
with me in bring about union of the
two races for the purpose of local
home-government, while we might
remain peacefully divided upon all
purely political issues, especially upon
the national issues.


TILDEN AND ASSASSINATION.


"Another great cause of the success
of the Edgefield policy believe to have
been the influence Of the national
Democratic party, and particularly
the influence which emanated directly
from Mr.. Tilden. Col. Ryan, the
member from South Carolina Of the
National Democratic Committee, is
reported to have stated publicly that,
in an interview with Mr.. Tilden, the
latter said .Go home and nominate a
straight tDemocratic'ticket anu work for
it, and / believe you can carry the
State for the Democratic party"


"The Democratic politicians Of
South Carolina are hungry They
long for office, and the prospect of DEM
ocratic success in the country at large
and the direct instigation of Demo-
cratic leaders In the North, i'm my
judgment was one of the most power
full influence in determining the
party here to make strict party
fight, and to adopt the Edgefield policy
as the only policy which could be
successful.


"And here let me say that the
leaders were right in conducting it
upon the Edgefield policy, as the only
policy that could be successful. Gary
and Butler in that sense were true
leaders. There was not the slightest
inclination; and there is not to this
day, on the part of the colored people
of this State or Republicans generally,
to join the Democratic party; and
nothing less than fear, applied in the
very manner in which it was applied
under the Edgtield policy, could have
brought abont the results that we have