Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-08-03
SPEECH or THE HON. BEN.
JAMIN H. HILL ON THE
CONDITION OF THE
COUNTRY.
Delivered in the City Of Atlanta,
Tuesday, July 10, 1857.


[coSTINUED RI V~EErEsDAY.r
These bills propose at every step tc
abrogate the cOnstitution-trample upon
the state and its laws-tO blot out every
hOpe-tO peTjure every man who accepts
them, with every principle Of justice, and
safety disregarded, trampled upon, and
oespised-aH TO peFpetuate the powers OF
their wicked authors. Can this scene
succeed? Will it succeed? That is the
question. l feel truly thankful in nv
heart that ] have an answer which lifts
my soul amidst all gloom and apprehen-
sion Of the hour. Some Of you NAV not
appreciate it, but to me il is the only
oasis IN the desert This scheme will
Reue', NEVER succeed, and l proclaim its
ultimate failure to-day in your hearing.
lOnoounded applause l know that
some THINK 1t will The air is full of the
words OF those who proclaim that there
Is no power to prevent it. Men have
before this been weak and foolish snS
towards and traitors have before believed
as you talk now, but I have a reason for
the faith that Is ia ne, which Is Also
lutely sublime in the strength of its foun.
dstiens.
LIST. 1t viii fail because it is not possible
to perpetuate a government Of force IN.
der the forms Of a democracy. It NAV
take some time to comprehend this
thought, but you will not forget it. That
which is nov proposed Is force. 1t Is
proposed by men who do not live in this
state, and whose agents do not live here.
and il is sought TO be accomplished by
military power, but under the ~pretense
Of your ssnetiOn-nOt to please your-
selves, but them. There is not al in.
stance ia history where a government Of
force has been perpetuated under the
forms of free institutions. It is an 5,a.
possibility, and 3 never succeed. TAP.
plause
"a. But it Is sought 10 be accomplished
by deceitand fraud, which cannot much
longer escape detection. The masses of
the people of the north love the constitu-
ton and fight for it and the union, but
the leaders did not fight for il, and do
not love II; and they now seek 10 de-
stroy II under pretense that We must
give some further guarantee for our
future good behavior than merely sun.
porting the constitution. As soon as the
means by which their deceit and frsnd
been covered up are removed, The
scheme viii be crushed to death BY the
It is a dOuble-shaped moDster
like the sentinel at h~ell-gate, which can
live nowhere except in q political pande- (
mOnium.
And what must be the results? I do
not say we viii come out Of ali this with
free Institutions preserved, but bfs
can never succeed. A despotism
over the whole country and over all the
people, guilty and innocent alike, may
ensue. You'll fail but you may bring
ruin upon all. Whenever you put down
he temple Of liberty, you also will be
by the fall. You cannot level or
US snd elevate yourselves. We
must either all rise or all go down
Despotism may come, EN-
,ires may rise and fall among US, but
whether they do or not We shall not have
ne reign Of a radical party. Under
tend me: If / say a man cannot live
Ugh up 10 the air, 1 90 not mean he can
.0t 90 up in a balloon and remain for a
lme OF II I say q man cannot live IN
er water do not say he ennnot 20
own ia 3 diving bell aud remain q while;
ut the radicals viii IS certainly fail %