The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-10-28
Speech
BE NJ a NJ 1 u Hill.
DELIVERED IN ATLASrA. GA;

~ EFE : Il 81
AT banquet given in Atlanta, las
week, to the Grand Lodge Of Ode
Fellows ofthe United States, Mr.. Hill
was called upon to respond to a toast
to the Southern States. He spoke
as follows;SS
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN
| always esteem it a privilege to ad.
dress gentlemen of intelligence and
kindly heart, and more especially
this afternoon, when called on to, re-
present the Southern States. The
sun in its daily rounds shines on nc
people with more kindly sympathies
or more generous hearts or upon peo-
pie who dread less the closest scruti-
ny of honest minds. ,
The Southern States, it must be
confessed have written the brightest
chapters of American history. 1t
furnished the author of the Declare.
ton of Independence; it gave the lea
der in the first revolution; it formed
the Constitution that you and I re-
vered. For sixty years her states
men guided the councils of the ma
ton, and it grew and prospered as no
people ever prospered before. The
Southern States have had imposed
upon them and are now working out
the most difficult problem of the age.
Events-the causes Of which l will
not now enumerate - turned loose
four millions of an unlearned, uni
tered and distinct race. The General
Government enfranchised them in
their ignorant condition, and placed
great political power in their hands.
The result of this will effect the
whole country. Can the South work
out the problem? Can she preserve
liberty and order, administer the law,
and lift up these people and make
them intelligent? This task is not
of our seeking. 1t has been forced
upon US.
Have you not exposed the South to
an unprecedented danger? When, in
the history of the world, were four
millions Of people turned loose and
clothed with such power? 1t is a
maxim that two races cannot exist in
the. same country clothed with equal
rights. The solution of the problem
will either be terrible in it's conse-
quences or glorious in it's achieve
ments. But to solve it we must
have peace at home and peace with
you. | propose that we make trea-
ty of peace this afternoon, and let the
children Of our ancestors bear wit
ness to it. | represent the Southern
States and you the Northern, and I
care not whether You be Republican
or Democrat. The first proposition
| make is that we agree to keep the
Union forever inviolate. I see you
all agree to it, Republicans and Dem
ocrats. l want great and undivi-
ded country, the greatest country
that ever was. My friends we shall
have it if we adhere to the treaty.
My next proposition is that slave
ry shall never again exist on the
American continent. We never. en-
shaved the negro, you enslaved him
and sold him to US. And again,
slavery inflicted more injury to us
than you, because it prevented our
development, But you didit. l was
not here when the negro was brought
over, but my father told me some
thing about it. .. sl# le
The next clause of the treaty I
propose to be this: Whatever differ
ences of opinion may arise, never SET
tie it by arms. Wars shall then
come no more, and the tribunal of
reason will then be the only arbiter.
But one exception I must make to
this proposition. If Massachusetts,
and Rhode Island should ever go to
Africa and steal negroes and try to
put them on us again, then we will 60
to war. am glad to see that you
all agree so cheerfully to all clauses
of the treaty-these we offer.
Now, then, let me propose for you;.
and that is that you will pledge your
lives, your children, your property
and your sacred honors to stick to
the Constitution Of the United States.
If the North had never seeded from
the Constitution, the South never
would have attempted to secede from
the Union. The South was not dis.
satisfied with the Constitution or it's
principles, and went to war solely be-
cause you seeded from the Constitu-
i.o, W. Ibid 5owp nrr arms of