Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-07-23
To Gen. ID. II. Hill or the ModOc Shack
Nasty Democracy OF North Carolina.
LETTR NO. III.

"cacathe scri6endi.n You are a perfect
diarrhea of wordy newspaper articles.
If man who writes as much as you do,
wrote with any force or ability, instead of
conducting a one-horse newspaper like
the Southern Home, he would be at the
head of journal of circulation and in
duence.
L have Just read q fourth editorial from
your pen, asssailing the characters of the
late Generals Candy, Thomas and others.
Though it is over two columns long, there
is nothing new in it. 1t is only reitera-
ton of the trashy stuff and low-black-
guardism which has heretofore appeared
in your paper. The emanations OF your
head are so fetid that one might think you
had been standing upon it till all the foul
matter in the rest OF your system had set
tied into it. In your first article, which
appeared in April, you charged that Gen.
Candy, while in command at Richmond,
had been guilty of brutality toward citi-
zens. 1 promptly answered that charge by
denouncing you as LIAR and called for
the proof. Since then you have writ
ten three long editorials denouncing
Candy in general terms as a bad
man, but have not given the name
of a witness or furnished scintilla
of proof to sustain your baseless SANDER.
You have not done SO, because you stated
what you knew to be lie. 1t is said that
lying blisters some peoples tongues, but
telling the truth would blister yours.
4 sensible man, when whipped, will &C
knowledge frankly the situation, or keep
silent. You have writhed under my chas-
tisement until now you are attempting to
excuse yourself for the brutality of your
editorials referred to, by imputing to others
Of my party the offense committed by your
self. give your defense:
When Mathew +. Aiaury, harmless
man of science, died, fellow named
Blount in the New York Chamber of Com
Oerce refused to join in a testimonial of
respect for the memory of him, whom eve-
ry crowned head in Europe had honored,
upon the ground that he had been trait
or. Not word of censure against Blount
escaped the lips of Rev. Mr.. Brownlow,
who is so sensitive about the Federal dead.
a little more than month ago, the Grand
Army of the Republic, with the sanction
of the War Department., refused to allow
flowers to be strewn, on decoration day, on
the graves of the Confederate soldiers who
sleep their Last sleep on Arlington Heights.
This was official war upon the dead"
The citation of the action of the New
York Chamberof Commercials unfortunate
for you, because 1t illustrates the baseness
of your own conduct. Instead OF detamlng
NTaury, this Chamber of Commerce, made
I'D of Union men, passed resolutions OF
respect to his memory.
You are more unfortunate in the refer
ence to the Secretary of War, for here
convict you of two falsehoods. The Sec
rotary of War did not oppose, or sanction
Others in opposing, the decoration of the
Confederate graves at Arlington: lie no.
titled those desiring to do so, that they could
select any day for the decoration of the Con-
federate graves other than the 3Oth OF May,
when the cemetery would be occupied by
those decorating the graves of the Union
soluiers who had previously spoken Tor the
occupancy of the cemetery on that day.
Besides while you give this as preteXt or
excuse for your assault on Candy ana
others, the action of the Secretary of War
to which you refer was more than anonth
after your first editorial. Here l convict
YOU of living again. 1t would seem that
falsehood is marrow in your bones and cir
culates in your blood.
In your last editorial you propose dis
cussion of the question of Estates Rights"
If had charge of Home for the Feeble
Minded and a ten year old idiot had nc
more sense than to propose TO argue tna'
question at this late day, would put MN
in close confinement.
| discussed and combatted the theory o.
secession or States Rights for twenty-five
years before the war; Latterly have moi
been in the habit of doing so. l had sup
posed that question settled at celebrated
conference between Generals Grant anC
Lee, under an apple tree at AppomattoX
The parole which ID. H. Hill gave as onC
of Lees army committed him to be true
and loyal citizen of the United States
Government,
In your paper now before me you vir
tually admit that you do not regard tina
parole as biding. The spirit of your hos
tility to the Government is expressed II
your declaration that Longstreet SHOULD
have died Immediately after he ende'
''his glorious Confederate career ana be
fore he gave evidence of renewal OF III
old affection for the Government.
Re-asserting hostility to the Fedora
Union, you say that my unaltered AM
2InaLerdbLe belief is that | did right Il
supporting secession.
1t seems to me q profitless undertaking
to moralize with wretch, who virtual.
boasts that he does not and will not regar
the parole of soldier. 1t would amuse
if it did not disgust, your old West Pom
and regular army companions to hear go
tell what Il great soldier and hero you haV
been. You say you "were in six grea
battles in Mexico, was twice brevetted 10
distinguished gallantry in action, VOh"
tered (the italics are yours for the "fol
lorn hope" ut Chapultepec, was neve
absent from ascout, u march or an engage
ment,n &c.
Wonderful man! wonderful hero
"Sleepy Davyn Hill, of North Carolina
According to my recollection, Benedi(