The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-09-11
OF THE
Hon. .BenianainH. Hill:
Delivered in the City of Atlanta,
Geo. Tuesday, July l6, 1857.
eEadiss assd FszIoO. Citizens >

Pardon me while I>say that, in
presenting my views, l think of
.aae living man, individually; to
swhom nay remarks are to apply.
ThaVe come, TO. talk freely to you
7sabeat the dangers Of the country.
Little minds ascribe little objects
to those whose views they do not
ssagree with; and he has attained
an unenyiable reputation, whose
friends say "you mean him." when
lam speaking of -treachery- and
showing the evil consequences of
aeertain line Of policy. I have
sno personal attacks to make on
an enemy, even if I have. one.
god knowsn I conld, with my
r0wn hands, Z would gladly place a
Ecrowa Of imperishable honor on
the brow Of my most bitter foe, if
as4coald thereby rescue my eoun-
try from the perils that environ
SIT lApplause.l But if l hage
saR Reeemy, and a Yindictive spirit,
vand desired him to become for
ever Infamous, i could ask no
$A1ore of him than that he should
> support the heilish schemes Of
those who are Rew seeking to
sabEert the Constitution and ,des-
troy our liberty. He is digging a
gragesfor himself which postelity
MilIneyer MaterSwith a tear let
:. him alone. = have come to dis
-cuss the present phase Of the rev
efution. -. :.
I've have had a war which ragged
e,.fRrioasly for-0nr years 1t origi.,
mated simply in a difference Of
opinion as to our rights under the
Constellation. This difference ex-.
listed from the first. It existed
among trainers of the <Constitu-
vtien. a It could not be- settled by
-s;argumeat. and an appeal was
made to the sword. 1t was an
open, manly fight. There was
nothing secret or ambiguous in-the
Issue. Et was waged by men in
Ruenced in the masses by patriot
ic emotions on both sides and it
was not to. destroy the Constitu-
ssstion, but, to- assert on each side
E4heir different views. On our side
it. was asserted that the States
: were, separate and independent
c-sseFereignties, and that the Con
ssastitution was a compact, which
each party was at liberty to dis
solve at will, and so we seeded
and declared ourselves out Of the
Union. On the, other hand, it
was contended that we were not
out of the Union, notwithstanding
eur secession acts ; and that the
Constitution was not a compact,
but binding law upon the States
:. resulting from a compact, and
therefore no one. of the number
could dissolve the connection at
sswik Upon this issue we went to
sswar. The war was fought till we
laid down our arms and agreed to
what our enemies said-that we
- were in the Union.
But there is now another ques-
ten to settle.-Itis is still within the
range of argument. Its proper
tions are huge. The issues are
startling. 1t is not a difference
Of opinion as to what the Consti-
tuition means, and what are our
rights under it but it's object is
plainly, Enthusiastically, to set aside
the Constitution and provide
something else. I have never
doubted that we were coming to
this issue. Ip speeches made by
me; five, six, eight and ten years,
ago, i predicted :this,- and every
page Of eour history since. that
time has verified the, prediction,
The people of.the North honestly
love the Gonstitution, but the lea
ders there hate it and intend to
destroy it, and. the convultion
through which we haye passed
has thrown the opportunity ofma'
king the effort into their hands
and the, presentmilitary bills and
the one which is not yet promul
gated as law, are the means adop
ted to accomplish their design
These bills are proposed fo1
our >acceptance. There is a re
markable feature, in these meas
ures, that while force is employed
o,+, @bono thew are not Vc