The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-09-12
Notes on the situation.-No. l6.
BY non. B. II. HILL, q. GEORGIA

ined anxio usly for somethinsby which
to explain his singular reasoning, and
still more singular conduct lie advo-
Gates doctrines and announces views
which are denounced by the most re-
spectacle writer's as "infamouS' and
"inhuman" and "contrary to all reason
and justice" Yet he announces such
views with frequent : readiness and
against his own people. His writings
exhibit no familiarity with history or
standard authors, or great principles,
and he may not know the ground he is
trcading on. Yet he hasa natural Wig
or Of intellect which alone ought to
protect him. SO he resorts to argu-
mcnts which even ignorance ought to
see are unsound. To- illustrate my
meaning with few examples:
L. He twits us for opposing the Con-
vcntion called by Congress because, us
is admitted by its authors, it is uncon-
sttutional, after submitting to q Con
vcntion called BY the President, which
he alleges was equally y unconstitutional.
The answer is so plain as to render the
position ri liculous Even supposing
our people did submit to one unconstl
tutional cyaction, is that a reason why
they should submit to another? But
the plans are wholly unlike. The Pres
idcnt did not qualify or aisqualify vo-
tcrs contrary to tie lars cf the ,Sote.--
He called on the votols qualified BY
the State to adopt Constitution for
themselves through their own dele
gates. lie told them what, in his own
opinion, were the issues settled by the
war and terms of the fight, and advised
them to conform to them. lie says he
intended even this only as advisory
Any powor--Cyon Rnsa,l OF ildja--
might propose to the Qaoiifcd voters Of
any State through thcirpropcr officers
the propriety Of holdings Convention.
If the qualified voters in the forms pre-.
scribed BY their existing fundamental
law odoptthe proposition, it becomes
their own. is this the plan of Con
gress ? Existing governments are set
aside, old electors are DISTINGUISHED,
new voters are qualified and ordered to
form Constitutions to suit n set OF men
who are never to live under them. And
force and fraud are actually employed.
and confscation and further oppression
threatonoI, to compel compliance
Could = fair mind find resemblance in
these plans? Other differences are
equally striking, but | will not notice
them.
,. SO Gov Brown says we, as |
wrote, "promptly and checrfully yield.
ed slavery and, therefore, why object
to yielding our franchises? Wen, |
answer, suppose we did give up our
property, is that y reason why we should
yield honor also? Would 4 magnani-
nous people demand it? DO they of
fer us back the property which they say
we Wegolly yielded to them, and, in
lieu thereof, demand our franchise? :?
No; they keep the first and demand
that we yield also the second ar mean.
ness Of which no highway robbcr was
ever guilty! But Gov. Brown thinks,
as we yielded property, we ought read
ily to yield, what he seems to consider,
all lesser things. In my opinion, it
was better to yield property than hon
or; and better to give up slavery than
submit TO be governed by the negro
race. OF a people, who promptly and
cheerfully yielded so much to show
good faith in submitting to Union, no
honorable people would eract m0re.-
What singular argument-bccause we
yielded one right, therefore, we are
bound to yield all! True, the spirit OF
yielding generally bcgets spirit Of cx
Gting. Let our people rcmcmberthis.
3. SO he argues it is inconsistent to
charge perjury in supporting the Mill,
tary Bills, after having supported the
conscript bill and divers other measures
which he and others said were uncon-
sttutonal? Bat do not draw broad
Fly the distinction between supporting
measures Of merely doubDm cQnstrac-
ton and measures Of admiucd uneonsti
tutionality? The authors Of the Mill
tary Bills admit they are not authorized
by the Constitution, and even Gov
Brown will not say they are Constitu
tional. Yet he and they advise our pco
pie to carry out these demonstrations
Bills aadef 0dths 10 support tie ConStttu,
| lion
| But 1t IS Governor Brown doctrine
Gas it is certainly his argumcnt), that il
a man swears falsely once he ought to
do SO again? 1t is upon this theory
that he feels justified, after having help
ed to pull down the Union, and thcr
the Confederacy, now insists upon pull
ling down our State governments and
the white race?
He says / advise the people to reneu
the fight. Renew Did / use tina
WORD! That could mean only the SC
cession fight. What'a dark motive i.
here revealed Yet all | have writer
is directly to the contrary; and the ve
ry sentence, which he cuts in two to &c
his idea, says "Do not talk or think o
secession or disunion, but come up t
the good old platform OF our fathers
the Constitution. Is Gov. Brown op
noao1 tn fnbt;,,, for thn fnnstitutini