Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-08-28
SPEECH OF j
HON. HEyJAMVs M. HILL,
IN he city Of AHunto, Gco,g;a,
Tuesday, Juiy l6, 1867.


Delirard IN he city Of AHunto, Gcorg;,,
1ucatoy, Juy lG, 1867.
Lo,7jes and FsAow Citizens:
y
Pardon me while say that, in presenting
my views, l think Of no living man, individ
ually, to whom my remarks are to apply.
| have come to talk freely to you about the
dangers Of the country. Little minds as
ci,Dc little objects to those whose views they
do not agree with, and he has attained an
uncnviablc reputation whose friends say
''you mean him, when am speaking of
treachery and showing the evil viconscqucnces
ola certain line ofpolicy. have 20 personal
attacks to make ON an enemy, eycnif have
one. God knows if | could, with my own
hands, | would gladly place crown OF I'M
perishable honor on the brow of my most
bitter foe, if ! could thereby rescue my
country from the pcrils that environ it :!
lApplause. But if / have an enemy, and
a indicative spirit, and desired him to be-
come forcverinfamous, / could ask no more
of him than that he should support the hcl-
lish schemes ofthOsc who are now seeking to
subvcrt the Constitution and destroy our
liberty. lie is digging grave Tor himself
which postcrity will never water with n tear.
Let him alone. have come to discuss the
present phase of the revolution.
We have had war which ragged furiously
for four years. 1t originated simply in "a
difference of opinion as to our rights under
the Constitution. This difference existed
from the first. 1t existed among the trainers
of the Constitution. 1t could not be settled
by argument, and an appeal was made to
the sword. 1t was an open fight. There
was nothing secret or ambiguous in the issue.
1t was waged by men influenced in the mass
cs by patriotic emotion on both sides; and
it was not to destroy the Constitution but
TO assert on each side their different views.
On our side it was asserted that the States
were separate and independent sovercigntie.,
and the Constitution was a compact, which
each party was at liberty to dissolve at will,
and so We seeded and declared ourselves
out oil the Cnion On the other hand. i,
was contcnded that We were not out of the
Union, notwithstanding our secession acts
and that tue Constitution was not COM
pact, but binding law upon the States re-
suiting iicm 4 conn act, and therefore no
ono Of the number could dissolve the con-
nection at will, upon this issue we went to
war. The war was fought till VIC laid down
our arms and agreed to what our enemies
said-that We were III the Union.
But there is now another question to set
tie. 1t is still within the range of argu-
mcnt Its proportions are huge. The is
sues are startling. IL is not difference Of
opinion as to what the Constitution means.
and what arc our rights under it; but its
objects is plainly, unmistakably, to set aside
the Constitution and provide something else.
| have never doubted that we were coming
to this issue. In speeches made by me,
five, six, eight, and ten years ago, I predict
ed this and every page of our history since
that time has verified the prediction The
people of the North honestly love the Con-
stitution, but the leaders there hate it and
intend to destroy it, and the convulsion
through which we have passed has thrown
the opportunity of making the effort into
their hands, and the present military bills
and the one which is not yet promulgated
as law, are the means adopted to accomplish
their design. These bills are proposed for
our acceptance. There is a remarkable
feature in these measures, that while force
is employed to execute them, they are not
yet nominally submitted to us for our accep-
tancc or rejection.
| object to the whole scheme because it is
unconstitutional. A distinguished man
pardon Inc, ought to have said notorious
said to me few days ago, that
| ought not to waste my time to prove the
of these measures-a thing
which every man, woman and child in the
country kncw-and yet he was for accept
ing |! He spoke truthfuly. That tottering
gray-haired candidate in Pennsylvania for
infamy, who is building for him
self monument Of malgnity that will over
top the pyramids Of Egypt, said the Con-
stitution had nothing to do with it. shall
never get done shuddering, and horrors will
never cease to rise in my mind, when see
men taking an oath to support tho Consti-
tuition, and then lcgislating to put in force
measures which are outside Of it. A great
many of our own people Aippantly say the
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