The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-08-01
Notes on the Sitnation.-No. 10.
BY HON. B. H. HILL, OF GEORGIA.

But It is said the negro race is nov
free. and made citizens by our laws
and, therefore, are entitled TO politico
as we'll rs civil equality.
1t is idle to reason with a f~anatica
mind. A fanatic is a lunatic. Tn
conclusions of such are never. foundet
in reason nor affected by experience
they are founded in feeling and live on
ly on passion. We must appeal ant
still appeal and not cease to appeal t(
the rational American mind, and b,
reasan, and the experience Of mankind
save, five can, our country from TIT
awful. Undesirable horrors which mus
result, and result soon, from the crazy
domination of men who make 'liberty
and equality" the touchstones Of polit
ical wisdom. This mad theory is moth,
ing but wal upon the teachings Of rea.
son the experience Of all ages, and tho
law of God. 1t was never the doctrine
OF any bnt the agents Of revolution, ant
it never bore for any people any fruits
but anarchy and blood and the evils
that follow in the train Of unrestrained
passions.
But to suppose, rs IN abstract prop,
o~sition, w concede the negro race il
entitled to political equality how does
thatjustify these Military Bills? Does
the negroes right to vote authorize a
violation Of the Constitution by Con
gress? lift is ri hit 10 enfranchise the
negro is it right to d%isfranchise the
whites?
No principle is better or more uni
versally conceded in American politics
than that the people Of the States atone
must regulate the political franchises OF
their citizcns-each State for itself. If
thi: principle is to be rejected theu no
otter need be respected. The first
great question we must determine is
thi Do we mean 10 support the Con.
u, or do woIneaH TO violate it
mean, VII we swear to support
t..N .s., 'Ution, to vote for that which
violates the Constitution and justify
CIR perjury by some vsgaly about alb.
atlnct right? l press the question to
every man conscience. Have you oh,
toined your consent to disregard the
Constitution Don't dodge, OF explain,
or qualify; answer the question. Have
you obtained your consent to disregard
the Constitution? Have you obtained
your consent to swear to support the
Constitution, and then tlippantl.y write
or say, "7Hc Constitution is dSd" II
dead, why swear to support it? If not
to he regarded or respected or obsorv-
ed. why swear to support it? The Mil
itary Bills are conceded to y" uncon-
sti'utional. Whether VIC be States, or
Territories, or Provinces. Congress j,
forbidden by the Constitution to deny
trial by jury, or to authorize n warrant
without oath, or put upon trial without
indictment, or suspend the habeus cor
pus, except during instruction or in
v%asion, in case Of Il citizen, u estab,
iisl military rule over citizens in time
of peace, anywhere--in any singlef foot Of
lond-Stute, TERRITORY or Prounce,- -
These, these, oh, my dcluded country
men! these are the constitutional shield,
and buckler, and helmet, and breast
plate ofeyery American citizen, Of ev-
cry grade and color, on every inch OF
American soil. 2Ney are tie whole az
mar Of Nberty. And every ene of these
Military Bills authorize to be disregar-
ded, and placed ut the will Of a militia
ry officer, who is not even a citizen of
the State or territory in which he dom
mates!
l ask again and again, and beseech
all men to ask it is the earnest, anx
ious, pierGtLNappeal of the dying hope
of liberty. DIRE you wihling TO violote
The Constitution? Are you willing, first,
to swear TO support it, ~ih tile intent, at
the same time, of swea,iny to violate it
Then, l proclaim all posterity will
proc!aim--your acknowledged con-
science will never cease to proclaim
you are peyured and perjury is not hall
your crime--you commit perjury in order
10 cecome a traitor!
And now mark this: The very oath
which you take requires you to swear
to support tile Constitution, and if you
take that oath and then vote for Il con
vention to carry out these Military
Bills, or aid in carrying them out, you
vote to accept, to approve, to establish
that which is a violation Of the Consti-
tuition, and, just as sure as passion shall
subside, and reason return to our peo-
pie, and sober, oatl observing patriot
ism shall again rule in the land, 50 sure
will you he branded, and justly bran
ded. as a tclon and whipped through
III, '''N lHni with the singing, cease
.yN> .s # rUh!lc inlamy, because
l"H ,J"k al oath to support the Con
,;ilullol with intent to violate, because
you committed perjury in order that
yon might help to destroy your coun
Try. And in vain will You hunt excu-
,cs to pailiate your changeless infamy
The military which now makes you call
patriots rebels the cOwardice which
continues a val upon the unresisting
whom you induced, with the most sa-
cred pledges, to lay down their arms {:
the meanness which dcyiscs oppression
for the helpless, the vileness which
presses dishonor on those you have Ell
trapped into your power; the worse
than hypOcritieal craftsmanship which
DISTINGUISHES white men in order to en-
franchise black men the criminal phi
lanthropy which provides for tho sure
destruction of the deluded negro race
under pretencc Of elevating it, all these
will only rise up to mock and laugh at
you then. Like the hell hounds which
''death, by rape begot of SIM when
Heavens Almighty hurled down to hell
those who, by deceit and force, sought
to destroy His supremacy, these very
pretcnces which hate bcpets of hypo-