The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-02-04

w. Alish4 Rshsisi

che e20th ult., before tho Legislature of
Georgia. the Hon. b. a. Hill expa.
ttatea upon she true idea OF ''rebel. !. as
one whe raises impious. hand against
&he Oonstitution. the Fundamental law,
ahs only real sovereign in this country.
The dipPSacy Ind shallowness of those
Who roll under their tongues the sweet
morsel OF the impntation Of rebellion
againstthe trsen who have ever been
faithful'toour Magma Caqrsa. are admi.
sably brought out IN this eloquent pro.
dectiess The word. he s.ys. which
has been oitener spoken during the
last fourteen years than any other in
The hsEngllskhnga4ge. Il the word thstis
isass understood by tho American peo.
pie. In Germany. Russia, France and
Euglsaa y bas . we'll defined signiAea-
tion. ft describes one who resists the
Government. which in those countries
msansG lhS Gmperor4 OF King. But,
here govetnment ID mere machinery.
merely the organisation for the admi-
nistration Of thp laean 1t. is not the
King. not tue power, not the sovereign
in Amerios. Who. then, is rebel2
This vim gppssF % the dailest mind 10
ihe follow Alnk lnoid abatement:
when Che trainers OF the Oonstitn.
tionl yRe ahput to conclude their
work kaqnPsHon naturally occurred
20 th@s 4sW did on several occasions
during Hhsit iabbrs, In what way should
they bind those who should undertake
60 administer the Government to be
aait1fpf TO their obligations? There
Was 6Cne discussion, bat finally it was
determined that the President and
every odlcer of the Government, State
.and Federal, should take au oath to
aopport the Gonstitntion. Now the in.
.sa;EJ Is psxtinsnt, Why mod. take an
oath to support the Union? Why not
'takelan, oath to support the Govern
.msntl sWWhJ did they not require them
TO takS s,eni oath ito preserve liberty?
xee OF oil these propositions not one
OF them was adopted. Various sug-
ss;;t,o1s we're made: oae distln.
As<gs ~ ia fhm1Bg he Conttisntiqn, ;
suggested There should be no oath at
al. and he gave this significsnt reason
Nor Il: II the Government is admins
tered hy good men, no oath viii be
nccessasy: u by bed mem. no oath will
be rsgasded. s Bnt l. waa. agreed on all
hsndSs After various suggestions, that
there sha1lA gan osjhy Then whst,
sort II GEc1th 16houl6 II tef Finally,
one conoluaon vsss ssArrised at adopted.
and that WAS thai every officer of this
0ovesQsleetsSlee4 and Federal. should
6e rs4ttt0de % tiks'An oath to support
the Opnstitntionl, Now, why. why,
why thst oath in. preference to ali
othersa RseAsse, when they took, an
oath 70 RfSsifvs' tho Constitution. and
kept that oath, they supported every
thing else. The Constitution was or,
dained and established 40 the means
BY which The Union was to be made
perfsos by which domestic tranquility
Was 70 be secured, by which Justice
wss established. public welfare pro-
vtded 3cr. and by which the bless
tngs OF liberty should be secured to
chem and their posterity. Applause.
TherefdSe, they required an oath to
suppoftsthe C6nstitution, as the terms
on which and the mesns by which the
Union vas to be preserved, domestic
tranquility secured aud the blessings
OF liberty and justice psrpetnated.
10 addition to this reqaisjtion to take
an oath TO support Che Constitution,
ehey also provided. thai this Constitos
tion and, the laws passed in pursuAnce
OF It. sh6uMSbe the snperior Law Of the
land. t6itls. tho only king whose aa.
thority AL power in America was re-.
quired to obey. vas the Constitution
OF the country. That Was the supreme
law. What .-Uolstitution2 The writ.
ten Ootsitntion % adopted, to be sup.
ported - tho means BY which all the
other re1dGof Government we're to be
occurred md perpetnIted.
Now Answer mo the question. who
an Ameeaosa politics 10 Q robelf I an.
swer.' he. and he only. Who is faithless
20 the Constitution. Who in Ameri.
can politics 10 patriot? Ianswer. he.
and he only. who is faithful to the
Constitution. ' ~
Mr.. Hill goes on to show the exist
ence Of two parties in the convention
that framed the Oonstit ution-one
representing the extreme idea of q
strong centralized govern nment: the