The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1871-09-21

ABeess Leader n ssssA Casslisa.
A correspondent Of the Philadelphia
i'ress in writing from Columbia 8. c.
rAys: aEgfrse
Rev. Elias Hill is the most remarkable
man in South Carolina He is pure
black and was born near Clay Hill, York
district, in 1919, Of slave parentage.
When bat seven years of age, to use his
own words, he became afflicted that ia,
rheumatism, from which he had been .
chronic sufferer from infancy, 80 con-
tracted his lower limbs that he was una
to walk. From that time 1926 to the
present the contraction has continued
and in turn attacked all his limbs. bis
legs now resemble more the talons OF
large birds than anything else, while his
arms are 60 deformed and his fingers 90
contracted that he has almost entirely
lost the use of both. His upper and
lower jaws are as tightly clinched as a
vice, and TO enable him to receive his
food his front teeth have been extracted.
He is utterly enable to either walk or
crawl, and has to be carried in every In
stance. With all this hideous deformity
he has a massive, intellectual head, q
clear, sofiorous voice, and an intelligent,
eagle-like expression. When sixteen
wears of age he began self education.
From passing school children he picked
mn occasional letter Of the alphabet until
be finally mastered that clementry study.
Then he understood reading and writing
and succeeded in both. His first lessons
were conned from the bible, and posses
sing al, the.natnrsl fsrvidness of his race,
he became deeply impressed with its
teachings, and early began the teachings
of the gospel. Three different times he
has been compelled to change his manner
OF writing. At first he was able TO hold
his pen in an ordinary way; next he
lost the use of his fore fingers and was
oblige to grasp the pen with all his I'm
gers knotted in o bunch around it. The
presses Of contraction continuing, in his
1ifty-first year he has the power only OF
folding his hand around the pen and OF
scribling thus the best he can. With all
his limited opportunities he compares ia
vorably with any man in the state. Con-
trasted with General Wade Hampton or
any other Southern leader he is mar
vel. They have trod the most widely d.
vergent paths-the one the descendant
and heir of an aristocratic line reaching
b.ck for centuries, raised in luxury and
AFFORDED the best educational facilities Of
IN. land-:he other born in slavery, Of
ignorant paren;age, raised in miserable
iog cabin and shut out of all opportuni-
to for intellectual development. How.
ever. in all York counry, its legal and
medical professions included, there are
not a dozen ablcr men than old Eli
az, nor one with stronger intellect.
He is o leader among his people. Edu-
Gated, eloquent and withal deformed un-
til he is almost 4 monstrosity, ne has
impressed them with superstitious re.
yerence, and is implicitly followed and
obeycd. And yet the old man, who is
unable to raise himself from the ground,
who cannot crawl foot, this poor crear
ture has felt the murderOus lash OF the
Ku-Klux, and has had their halter on
his neck and been maltreated almost to
death. On the fifth Of May last band
of disguised men came to his cabin, drove
away a small boy who attended him,
and after destroying all his books and
paper, more valuable to him than his life
and after God most worshiped, took him
out; gave him some twenty or thirty
lashes, and, with halter around his neck
and q pistol pointed at his head, extort-
ed nromise from him that on the follow
ing week he would renounce, through
the columns of the Yorkville Inquirer,
his Republican principles. At the time
the Ku-Klux whipped the old man they
charged him with having preached po-
litical sermons, with having infiamed
the passions of the negro congregation
over which he presided, Of having incl
ted inccndiarism, and having been pres
ident and organizer of the Union League
in York county. All these charges ex-
cept the last, the old man denied and was
guiltless of. His religion he says, is
I" universal love and universal worship
to God" His heart overfows the kind
ness to all men, and, poor cripple as he
il. with his body still smarting from the
blows and lash, he has no resentment
against the men who maltreated him.
The visit of the congressional commit
tee to Yorkville he hopes will result on
" in a restoration of peace, and not in
the punishment of any one. He him
self has been corresponding with the
American Colonization Society, and pro-
posses immigration in November next,
with some seventy-fve or eighty fami-
lies Of his dOck, to Liberia. He is firm
" convinced that the white men ofSouth
Carolina aud the other Southern States
will never allow the negro to live in
peace or enjoy the fruits Of his labor
while he votes with the Republican par
ty.
demonstrated with Hill for leaving
tina United States just at this time, when
this new life was opened to them, and
L. ~ unnch IN InHus-