The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-09-09
BEN HILL.
EXTRACT FROM HIS SPEECH AT FORSYTH GA

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I The following an extract from a srccc
recently delivered at Forsyth. Ga, by til
Hon. Ben. II. Iiill:y s. ai l iis "a. '3l'
\ rgf.asY In his opinion the OWLS wIlic
threaten tho country arc infinitely create
than any ever presented before = Cohstitu
tional governments is on trial. though,
the people committed an error whean, the,
seeded from. the Union. I never though
it crime: for they had right to secede
But did think they committed Grim,
when they permitted themselves to be sub
jugatcd. Three months from today vii
settle whether we shall have d free gov
ernment. This is the stake. 4 shall con
sidor the election Of Grant ond Coifax III.
lendaof written constitutions. Shall W.
avert this calamity9 People say j. am
hard-that, I. usc harsh Language in, deal
ing with tho political questions of the day
but tell them am not hard enough. II
! had the power, l would penetrate the rli.
noceros hides Of some people. Many pco.
pie year ago accepted tho constitutional
amendments and reconstruction measures
of the radical Congress in despair and
thinking it was the best thing we could
do. He had nothing to say against them.
Ile differed with them then. and differs
with them now: but he invited them all
to abandon the idea and como back. The
speaker now entered into a long discussion
OF tho political affairs of tho State OF Gcor-
gia. There was a class, lie said, called re-
lief men. Ho was sorry for them. He was
for some measure Of relief himself, a meas
ure which would do Justice alike to both
debtor and creditor But it was the swim
oilers in the Atlanta constitution which he
would denopnce. Tho trainers of that in
strnnaent put the relief clause In that in
strnment for; tho deliberate purpose of
swindling the people, and intended, from
the start that Congress should strike it
out. Honest men voted for it. against
whom he had nothing to, say, but hc had
an indispensable contempt for those who
had perpetrated tho fraud. I hate the
mon who swindled you. The men WHO as
sembled at Atlanta in convention wore a
miserable aset of rogues and thieves. AS
soon as their constitution went to- Wash
lngton relief was stricken, out. They did
not strike, it out because it was unoonstitu
tional, but because, somo of those debts
wele owed North. Yon ought, to, hate
those rascals. Facing the black portion of
The audience, he said: They, say the DEM
'crats, and especially myself, are especial
y severe upon the black people. But he
believed tho white people of this. country
we're under every obligation to protect the
black people. They wnnt yonr votes to
put them in power, and after they got
1our votes they won't care one fig for you.
Why do they say all shall vote 2, Are they
ncerc in tlis2 In the very law which
ave you the right to vote, they took it |
way from twenty thousand white men in
Georgia. He could not hold Office, yet be
vas born, reared, and educated here. Yet
leihad never advocated secession Why
10 they want to include you and exclude |
wenty Thousand Intelligent white mon |
rom theielective franchise-the best and |
he wisest men in the State9 : It was be- I
anse if they were; allowed to vote, and |
lold Office tho carpet baggcrs would be cut |
mt from those offices. But Whenever and |
wherever the question of bestow1ing the
light to vote upon your race had been pre-
ented in q Northern State it was voted |
own BY from ton to fifty thousand. But
they get the power, they viii take this
light away from black and white alike, in
II the Southern States They have al
eady taken the right to vote away from
he peoplepof Florida and Alabama. He
soirld impress one moro fact upon tho COLI
red people. You know that, nc. govern
lent can last hero unless it is sanctioned
y tho people. Instead of following tie
dvicc ofmcn you have lived with all your
ives, you followed tho advice of little carl
et-baggers who camc down here for The
nrpose Of getting into Office and stealing.
he member Of the LegislatureI from this
omty had been sent home to tell you not
. como to this meeting because they knew
Q would be there and tell them they were
set Of tl,ioves and rogues.r He was in ia
OF Of remembering the colored men here
ftcr who acted with US now. Again to
he front audiencc-Thcsc miserable ma
no renegades, whom God had made white
J. mistake, these thieves and rogues-and I
hen I call them that I will prove it,
new the reconstruction measures wercl
unconstitutional. They conceived these
leasnrcs for the purpose of making tho
out'aern States radical But Meade has !,
Did them, and it is the only truth he ever
new Meade to tell, that Georgia would go
'emocratic by thirty thousand. In view
this fact they arc trying to take tic
ght to vote for President from tho people I,
nd give 1t to the Legislature. They are
'orking for desp6tism. They are just such
len as spring mp in every commonwcal
ONE, Greece. India, and England had
lem. The Bible speaks of them" The
licked abound on every hand, and tho vii
st rule" These men are false to their
wn race. They will deceive ana demon
lie your society. They are false to all.
Mt there is one remark he wished the peo-
le to ponder well-"I hate them" Il is
Christian duty to hate them. No man
i'll ever got to heaven unless ho hates
iem.o Ishate their dishonesty. Yonr
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