Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-08-30
AN INTERVIEW WITH HON. BEN. H..
HILL OF GEORGIA.
His Views of ToOmbs, stephens and Davis.
Democratic Prospects for 1879.
Correspondence Of the CHRosIcLEJ

MONINALE SPRlNGS, EAST TENN,
August 10, 1871.
Among the visitors from the south TO
this pleasant mountain retreat, with its
pure cool, breezes and healthful mineral
waters, is the Hon. Ben. II. Hill, one of
the most eloquent and popular Democrat
ic leaders of the Southern Empire State
AS your readers well know, he was an ar
dent Old Line Wing, originally opposed
to secession, and one of the first 10 pre-
diet for the South the ruinous conseouen-
ces that great political crime or blunder
was sure to entail. But like many Others
he went with his people into the rebellion
and made their destiny his.
had the pleasure of meeting him here
and enjoying long conversation with
him, ihe substance of which, with his per-
mission, want TO lay before your readers.
As am not a professional interviewer,
and desire only to give the spirit and sub
stance of certain portions Of his views,
shall not attempt the conversational STYLE
but give in connected manner and in a
general way, his ideas, not protesting to
use his exact language.
THE SOUTH AFTER THE WAR.
You know, said Mr.. Hill, that have all
my life been opposed to the Democratic
party. j was always an enthusiastic adj
mirer of Henry Clay, and believed him the
greatest statesman of this country. When
the question of secession came up, op-
posed it, because / believed the country
would prosper better united, and because
| knew the South was not ready fnr -
and if she went into il would lose all the
political power she had, lose her slaves,
and find herself in the end impoverished
and Inundated. When the war ended, l
did not want to act with the Democracy
because / believed it responsible for the
war, and knew that if the right policy was
pursued the Southern people would be
made to see it and the Democratic party
be so despised and humiliated that we
should have no more of it.
| THEGREATNusTAKEo OF THE REPUBLICANS
And just here let me say to you that the
| Republican party made its greatest mis-
| take. There was II very large class of in
| fluential Southern men who, at the end of
the war, felt anxious to have the guilty
| leaders of the Democracy bear the odium
of their course in bringing on the war, and
! for their extreme course during the war.
| These men were anxious to cooperate with
the Government in a wise and just recon-
struction, and if their advice had been
sought and their counsels needed, the South
would to-day be the strongest anti-Demo-
| cratic section of the country and recon-
struction been accomplished upon n basis
| honorable to the North and South.
| But when the Republican party began
| its policy of Acknowledgement and Of Civ
|
as chose to accept the degrading terms
offered, and to their Gssociates-the colored
men and adventures from the North-it
| forced everybody in the South to stand to-
| gether, and the result was that the odium
of the Democratic leaders was forgotten
and that party became the party of the
| South. This policy was dOubly humilia-
ting to those in the South who opposed
secession and predicted generous and just
settlement of all the war issues. That class
were originally condemned by the seces'
sionists for want of so-called State loyalty
and afterwards taunted because the Gov
ernment showed no appreciation of theiI
patriotism, but classed them exactly with
| the original secessionists and treated them
?. practically all alike. Much against their
inclinations and decidedly against their
| expectations, they were driven into the
Democratic ranks and the great oppor-
tunity to utterly and forever overthrow
that party in the South was lost.
THE PRESENT SITUATION.
The situation now is, that the South is
Democratic. But there is still great issue
peace, and they will do almost anything tC
secure it. The great masses want to be lei
alone: they want to build up the country
and put an end to the great disturbing pO-
litical controversies. They are, therefore
in favor of the New Departure as it is
| Chlleu. lHey uOl Waul 10 HSuI ONoI GhS
war issues and they are willing to let the
constitutional amendments and reconstruc-
| ton measures stand.
SOUTHERN BoURBoNS.
| / know that certain leaders deny this
and claim that this is not the temper o.
the South, but they are in hopeless mi
nority, as L know: Stephens, Toombs anC
Davis do not represent the Southern peo-
| pie on this question. Their policy Is now
| just what it was in 1861 to force the Re
| publicAns to such extreme measures as to
goad the South to do some deperate acts to
bring in another revolution, il possible
| so as to restore them to power.
/ believe this is their hope. Why, you see
Toombs declares he will vote for Grant rath-
| er than n New Departure Democrat. l tell
YOU such men don't want peace and quiet.
They want agitation, they want the Re-
pub1icans to delay amnesty, to pile up dis
qualifications, to multiply test-oaths, to
sustain by force, If necessary, corrupt and
inefficient State Governments-in short,
to goad the Southern people on to another
revolution. The liberal Democrats, OF
course, are defeating this plan. Their
policy is to reconcile differences, to give
up dead issues and to unite the country
upon the constitution as it IS. l am in
favor of this. | am willing to go even
farther with Chief Justice Chase and even
leave out ofOur platform all denunciation Ot
the plan chosen, and all question as to the
means by which the constitution was
amended.
THE PROSPECTS FOR 1872.
| have hopes that the Democracy will
/ t.ft, fol ia, Ins, d..