The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-02-04
1.-THE NEW WAR"

war;" Let us glance for a moment a
the sentiments of Southern Democratic
leaders as set forth in their public utter
anoes, and we shall see that the ''nev
war" was inaugurated long before th'
opening of the present Congress
Mr.. B. H. Hill, member of Congress
ON &c orgia, delivered a speech, said tc
have been ''the grandest" the gentleman
ever uttered, and which was reported il
the Atlanta Constitution of January "a,
1875. Mr.. Hill said:
Fellow citizens, look to the contest
of 1876 not only as the most important
that ever occurred in American history,
but as the most important in the history
of the world; for if the people of the
country cannot be aroused to give an
overwhelming vote against this Republi
can party it will perpetuate itself in
power in the United States by precisely
the Same means that the President has
taken In Louisiana, and the people will
be powerless to prevent it ercept they 90
to sodr. [Applause. If we fail with
the bahot-box in 1876 by reason of force,
startling question will present itself to
the American people. l trust we will
not fail. / hope the Northern people
have had sufficient subsistence of pas
sion to see this question fairly. IL we
must have war; if we cannot preserve
this Constitution and constitutional gov
eminent by the ballot; if force is to de-
feat the ballot; if the war must come
God forbid that it should come-but if
it must come; if folly, if wickedness, if
inordinase love of power shall decree
that America must save her Constitution
by blood, let it come; | am ready"
Mr.. Hill spoke in State which had
Joined in the rebellion in the hope Of
destroying the Union; State which had
annihilated as far as it could the colored
vote and the vote of white Republicans
a State that had failed in its duty to pro-
vide fully for the education of its colored
citizens and their children, and to afford
them the protection of the law; and that
had been violently wrenched from Re-
publican control by Democrats who had
obtained their present status through
the leniency of amnesty laws passed by
a Republican Congress. TO such Dem
ocrats Mr.. Hill made his address. They
were men opposed to the reconstruction
of the South as provided for in the re-
construction measures. They had no
sympathy with the cause that triumphed
in the war; no sense Of the obligations
that rested upon them to accept the sit
uation in good faith; and no intention
of obeying those Federal laws which
made no discrimination in citizenship
between whites and blacks.
The immediate audience surrounding
Mr.. Hill when speaking were spell bound
by the manner in which he dealt with
the subject. But he knew, and they
knew, that he addressed through them
the whole South; that his words were
recorded with the intention Of being cir
culated among the leading White Liners,
that pestiferous class of fire eaters, most
OF whom have received amnesty, but
who keep the South in perpetual agita-
tion by maintaining the old claims OF the
late slave States to subordinate the Fed
eral Government and practically disfran-
chise the blacks. The whole speech is
pervaded by a spirit of truculent disloy-
atty. Mr.. Hill stands upon a very fierce
platform-the blood and thunder plat
form so grateful to rebel ears-which
call upon the people to prepare for war
If the Republican party is successful in
1876. Such an appeal was expected to
meet with ready response; and it did
so. Mississippi responded in its late
where the platform was war,
and where treason was rampant and the
of colored men followed as a
natural consequence.
The loyal people of the Union have
now an opportunity of knowing who
and what it is that causes disquiet in the
South, 1t is not Mr. Hill alone, though
lle is largely responsible; but it is the
kind of speeches which he and other
peakers go about delivering that stirs
up the worst passions of the people and
leads to murder. This is no "bloody
shirt" fiction; no recommendation to
shoot down the six blood thirsty negroes
that had armed themselves to overpower
and exterminate the six hundred White
Liners who were fleeing before them; no
to keep the peace in localities
where were negro majorities, by calling
upon white men in the surrounding
to assemble together and do in
slaughter. This is insig- |
nificance itself compared with what Mr.
Hill had in view. He says:
sIf the people of the country cannot
,e aroused to give an overwhelming |
,ote against the Republican party it will
,erpetuate itself-and the people will be
,owerless to prevent it ercept they go to
oar. If sce fail soith the ballot boz in
I876-if soe must hGoe aDdr-if the aCGr
must come-let 1t come: L am ready"
Let the people lock at it. Divested
If all extraneous matter, you have there
he current sentiments of the Southern
eaders. Soldiersi you who fought In
he field to preserve the Union and its
ause-is this what you expected as the
esult of all your sufferings and exposure
when you faced death on the battle field
md put down the rebellicnl The con-
est at the ballot box in 1876 will ur-
be the most important that
'ver occurred in Amarican history or
he world. With the Confederate armies
mnestied and breathing vengeance
gainst the Republican party, what Sc
urity is there, if disIoyalty shall tri-
mph, for the integrity of the Union; for
he fulfillment of the pledges given by
he nation; for the preservation of the
ational credits The spirit of the South
m leaders to day isa menace to liberty;
national danger; and can be met only
y that spirit of patriotic resistance
hich will call every man to the polls to
o his duty as a citizen, and cast a vote
n the Republican party SO overwhel-
ing in its magnitude as will render the
sloyal Democratic element in the
,untry, North and South, utterly
,psless, and turn its insolvent vaunt-
gs for blood against itself The Re-
lblican party is national. 1t is the
,rkv ort of which the Nation sprllnp