Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-06-28
From the Augusta Chronicle and Sentinel.
NOTES ON THE SITUATION
BY HON. B. Ell. HILL.

ID AAO4N' De- H. AAAAAA@
"Never despair of the Republic" was a
much lauded Roman maxim. But maxims
never saved q country, and this one did not
save Rome. She was very great. The
combined world was too weak to harm her.
But she fell-feN by her otcn hdnds-and for
centuries has remained fallen
If good liberty loving Americans almost
despair of their country, the events of the
last thirteen years would seem to be sui
ficient to save them from reproach From
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise
until now, no period in human annals of
thrice the duration exhibits such deception
among leaders, such credulity among the
people, such treachery by rulers and such
energetic self-destruction by the nation.
The United States have done more in
these years to weaken confidence III free
institutions, and have inflicted more injury
upon their own people, and created heavi-
er burdens for their children and children s
children, than the united armies and ma
vies of the earth could have accomplished
In fifty years. Before these notes close L
may undertake to show the real causes Of
these evils. It is sufficient now to say that
from 1854 spirit which is enmity to the
life of the Constitution has been dominant
The Government has been in the keeping
of it's enemies. We read Of q great man
who, while an infant, was nursed by wolf
This may have been and may again be pos
sible !; but it never has been aud never will
be possible for men OF extreme temperH
and opinions to nurse constitution whose
only life is mutual concession for the com
mon good.
and misguided, abandoned the Union to
preserve the Constitution. While the
Northern people, less provoked but equally
misguided, made war to preserve the
Union, by placing themselves under the
lead of men who were the bitter, implaca-
BILE enemies of the Constitution, and who
we're PREDETERMINED to destroy or reform
it.
After four years of heroic struggle the
Southern people laid down their arms be-
cause they were assured by their enemies
and taught by long trusted but faithless
counsellors and office holders among them
selves, that, by SO doing they would be
again i'll the Union as before. The many
believed this and withdrew their support
and deserted their cOlors. The few who
disbelieved were overpowered. But more
than two years have paSsed-mOre than half
the period of the actual contiict-and the
Southern people, now thrice deluded, have
1lOt tuJOS gu IuG Oh tIlc Union -
Why Because these leaders of the North
true to their original hatred, and per-
fectly logical in that hatred-declare the
Union shall not be restored except upon
terms which practically destroy the Consti-
tution, and which certainly leave no Union
except one founded in force. And thus far
the Northern people either have failed to
comprehend, or have consented TO sustain
their trcachery, and, to give the last deyel-
opment of their most remarkable history,
we see some of our Southern counsellors,
who urged us into secession RS the only
peaceful method of securing our rights :;
who afterward led us to subjugation Us the
only method OF escaping military despot-
ism now boasting of the great confidence
heretofore reposed in their counsel, adj
vising us to accept the proposed terms for
a new Union
With such experience fresh and still in
creasing, how shall we wonder if true men
doubt, if brave men fear and if good men
despair
For thirteen years the actual revolution
has been right onward and is still on
ward. He is stupidity blind who does not
see that the evils before us are far greater
than the evils present and behind us. Our
people have drank bitter cups, but they
are as honey when compared with the
cups they must drink if the child is not
taken from the wolf if the Constitution is
not taken from the nursing care of those
who hate it if the Government shah con-
tinue to be administered by its enemies.
If anything L may say shall tend, how
ever slightly, to avert the evils which
threaten the country, [ shall not only be
satisfied but happy [ have no party to
serve and no personal ends to accomplish.
I frankly admit my opinions heretofore
have not been accepted by a majority Of
the people. [ have never thought that
what the ma ority believed was, therefore,
true OF that what the majority did was,
therefore, right My political life has been
but struggle against prevailing opinions
and policies. When policies have been
adopted and fixed in spite of my opposi-
ton, [ have labored to work good results
in spite of my convictions that the policies
were unwise. And when [ see the ruin
which has been wrought | cannot but re-
jOice in the recollectiOns that [ was not one
Of the chosen architects. [ do believe the
people have mourned and still mourn only
because wicked men have ruled and still
rule and [ believe wicked men have been
chosen to rule only because they have made
political issues to foment popular pas
sions, and have suited their conduct and
opinions to the popular passions so TO-
mented.
These notes are, therefore, given to the
public, claiming no title to consideration,
except that they arc written, not to please
that public, but to aid in arresting the
further progress of a revolution which has
been so prolific of ruin in the past, and
which is so fearfully pregnant with ruin
for the future. It may turn out that no
man-that no human power can arrest this
revolution. 1t may be that change of
government, through an ordeal of anarchy,
is inevitable. But this much every man
can do: He can see to it that if this de-
struction must come, it shall not owe it's
coming to his consent IF the Constitution
must be violated, it shall not be by him.
If the Government must be subverted, it
shall be the work of others. This, there
fore, patriotic reader, is all the promise I
exact-in advance that whatever others
may do, you will support the Constitution,
and oppose whatever is contrary thereto
for mark this: Whatever else people and
rulers may do, they cannot support or pre-
serve the Government by violating its fun
damental law.
Painful accounts come from the West Of
nd Hu1,n of, I