Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-08-26
Hon. Ben. Hill in Augusta.


Hon. B. II. HILL arrived in Augusta on
Thursday afternoon, and that night the cit.
zens gave him rousing serenade Mr.. HILL
addressed the people, and in the course of his
remarks said:
1t was frequently asked: "Suppose Sey.
mour and Blair are elected, what good will it
do US? We have got Bullock & Co. for some
years 2" he did not see any difficulty in the
matter. They were usurpera and it did not
always take revolution to get rid of usur-
pers. When the pressure was sufficient, they
got rid of themselves. he illustrated this
point by an anecdote. When he was boy,
about ten years of age, there was pasture in
front Of his fathers houses, This pasture was
q common grazing ground for everybody's
sheep. One day it was bruited abroad that
the dogs had got among the sheep and were
Staying them right and left. Great excite
ment Immediately prevailed in tae neighbor-
hood, and the people assembled to take action
against the dogs. They armed themselves
with clubs and guns, sticks and stones, imag.
inng that some Of the dogs might take nc
ton to turn from the sheep and bite their as
sailants. This, however, was only an idle
fear, for just as the crowd of men and boys
made its appearance, the dogs tucked their
tails between their legs and fed in utter
panic. f5ga
So, said NJ. Hill, shall it be with the Rad.
ical fnnct;onaries. They are the dogs who
violently corrupt the green pastures of Con
stitutional liberty, and when the American
People march against them, they will not
tarry long in the place Of their atrocious inva.
sion. They will run like dogs.
The Radical orators at Atlanta had told
the colored people that if Seymour and Blair
were elected, they would be reduced to sla-
very. They knew they lied when they said
so for it was solemn convention Of the
people Of Georgia in 1865 that gave the black
\ man his freedom and there was no intention
to take it away.
He showed the colored people that it IVES
against their every interest to link themselvs
with aparty that sought the disfrapchisement
of 10000 of the most virtuous and intelligent
of the white men Of Georgia that any per
manent benefit accruing to the colored people
could only come, eventually, frem the posseA-
sors of the soil. ,s,l ~
Mr.. Hill counseled moderation on the rart
thought much good could be done by candor
and calmness, and believed that great change
had already taken place, which would give
1t least one-half the 'colored people to tie
Democratic column.
A Radical had told friend of his in Allan.
ia that Georgia would 60 Democratic by 20,-
900 majority. The only doubt be had about
it was that Radical had said it; for 2adi.
cal could not tell the truth. In this instance,
he was convinced that the aforesaid Raiical
had only told half the truth, since Georgia
was good for 10000 Democratic majority in
November.
Mr.. Hill had been called a violent man. He
was accustomed to coll villainy by its right
name. No honest man need fear him or his
words. he would not repel any decent man,
but rather pat him on the bnck and welcome
him to the fold. He had been overlooking
his Atlanta speech, which some people char
a:terized as too aggressive. The harshest
thing he noticed was this quotation, applied
to the Radicals: I" Ye generation of vipers
how shall ye escape the damDation Of hell :"
The Radicals thought it was original with him.
But it was addressed by the Saviour of the
world to men who were,not half so bad as
the Radicals of this generation. Those who
were not indignant at crime were ready to
commit crime. He believed the Radicals to
be vipers, and, as such, to he crushed and
hated.
&He closed with an eloquent apostropbe to
the beautiful country we nhabit; its splen-
did skies, its gorgeous fertility, lis lovely flow.
crs, its grand traditions. He called upon all
present. 10 unite with him in swearing that
this magnificent land we were so proud Of was
j, and should be ours forever.