The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-01-21
xstu of Georgfa-Somc Account OF
Him.
ru- YRS Correspondence with Cincinnati Com
an' nlercial


YRS Correspondence with Cincinnati Com
d" nlercial]
7 have known Mr. Hill for NUMBER OF
wears, and never go to Georgia without e&.
Changing observations with him Tor the
benefit OF the Commercial. A half dozen Oh
his interviews have been published 10 your
paper, His perfect acquaintance Win soutn'
ern people aud the southern questions, 10.
oether with his courteous readiness TO impart
Information, makes him an agreeable acquaint-
ance. particularly to one In cur hne
of business. During the time OF Tue
knk,ux excitement in Georgia L nau
from his lips rather "salty lhslaiI
Ynent OF southern sentiment, Tnion
transmitted to the Commercial ~ ... Ime
hack in time to hit the congressional nuA, ,s.
committee, then in Georgia. uuu: : s;n az
ear, so to speak. They put t9em s'sa $500
inteIlects together and concluueo wa. eNuet
nm was meat for them or tney "ouiu ca.eo
Sa,sebood. which was the next best thing 70
a kukIux outrage. They summoned Dir.
Hin before them, and gave him copy OF the
interview. Iawaited the result with some
anxiety. for / have professional PRIDE 10
the correctness Of interviews on great pup
lie questions with great public men. MI:
Mn made oath to the entire correctness o.
fine Commercial interview, and It eau De
Sonnd Incorporated in the printed kusiux
conspiracy matter, and l may De pardoneo
for saving that it is the only Interesting
reading matter in the whole OF the thirteen
volumes of closely.printed testimony.
Mr.. Hill is to day the best orator IN Gcor'
p;a. In set Grafton or in public debate he
e superior 10 Stephens, Toombs, or GORDON.
WHY. then, you may ask, have not the Geor'
pians had him in Congress years ago? Iney
are ever anxious to have somebody In Wash
ington with nerve and ability 10 deiend our
people" and why neglect b. II. hlil SO long'
Simply because they bad not sufncient cohu-
dence in the man. They feaIeo that nc
would become a Republican ana Detray
them, as they called It.
His getting into Congress was mercy acGi,
dental A death occurred 10 tne ueois"
delegation. and Hill put out for the vacancy.
A Convention was called, which sat eignt
IJavs. apd finally broke up in row. In that
Convention. in any Of the three hundred BAL
lots, Hill did 70: get over fifteen votes. the
Tolitcians did not want him. They had no
Confidence in him. They said be was not O
Democrat, that he was no better than he
publican, ard might come out for Grantany
time.
with the convention dissolved in row
H;lI and all the candidates went before tie
people. Strange as it may appear, majority
of the colored vote was cast for HILL. Inc
Republican party is utterly demorallzed and
PLAYED out in Georgia, the civil-rights blk
having driven all of the white clement over
TO the Democracy, and the blacks, being lett
TO themselves, voted for Hill from Tree
choice.
Gordon was elected because the politicians
composing the Legislature were afraid to
trust him. Since the war he has not been
regarded IS q sound Democrat. he was
reared In the Wing party, and there is yet
TOO much of the conservatism of Whlggery IN
him to be satisfactory to the Democracy OF
Georgia. But bis recent speech will atone
largely for this in their eyes. The Georgians
now have some one in Washington who can
defend "our people from the assaults otthe
Radicals. .,
Suddenly the Georgians are eated with
Hill. There is nothing like him. The local
press teens with his praise. Even the re-
mark made some yeas ago, and which has
weighed him down since,-namely, that he
"did not intend to be Democrat Us for.
given. and Hill Is the hero Of the hour. That
speech will likely make him United States
senator, NorWood's time expires next year,
and it is more than likely at the present
writing that Ben. Hill will take his place. He
saw his opportunity to assure his political
future, and he improved 1t.
MIR, Hill is q lawyer and planter. He is in
partnership with about one hundred negroes
In the cotton business, and with bis two sons
ia the law business. He is one of the best
LAWYERS in Georgia. When be has an import.
ant case, and is booked for speech, q crowd.
ed courtroom is feature OF the occasion.
He draws well. In the triangular senatorial
contest three years ago, Stephens and Gordon
holding up the other two ends Of the TRAN
gle, the three candidates made each speech
to the Legislature: Stephens one night, Cor.
dca the next, and Hill the last. 1t was sort
of oratorical trial, with three candidates be.
fore the bar. Hill fairly surpassed himself,
and he surpassed Gordon so far that the
latter's friends were abashed and dis
heartened. Yet Gordon was elected over both
simply on the strength Of his military record,
and because the large Confederate element
composing the Legislature we're afraid 10
trust Hill. To awaken some fine morning
and find him Republican was what they
feared. OF Gordon there were no such
gloomy forebodings; and, besides, ne CARRIE
bullet scar in bis cheek received in battle,
which is q certificate of merit In Georgia. ;,
But the fears that Hill will ally himself
with Grant melt away In the light OF his re-
cent speech. Georgia 10 filed with DIS praises,
and at the senatorial eiectlen mex "ln.el
you may count with snow OF prooaoilt!
upon his being chosen to the senate.
He has helped himself individually, OUT ut
has done great harm TO tne Uemocratie
cause. A united South, valuable to the party
- e.. - a. hooa cannot elect the next presi
don't Snceess is impossible without carry.
inc Of least four of the northern States
leaving ont of the estimate Ohio and Penn.
svIvania. A speech like HIPS tends to
arouse the "war feeling" and with thai
nretty well stirred up there is uot-a northern
State that the Democracy can count upon.
This Is just what Morton and Blaine want.
L discovered this little popularity in
Senator Morton during the Ohio cam.
paign, and he thinks to-day that the
State was carried because q h,voI
OF the war spirit was injected into tie
proceeding nesr the close. That he should
take to himself some Of the credit of this is
allowable. And now comes Blaine, trotting
along the same time. Each will try to out.
bid the other for the support Of the soldier
element and war spirits generally, and, alto.
gether, the prospect for love and harmony
this centennial year is not as promising as Il
might be 1t politicians were less active. Per-
haps by the next centennial our descendants
may he in frame Of mind of sufhc ient tran.
quillity to embrace each other-that is, If they
do not talk themselves to death in the mean
time.
Does not the non-partisan reader see
through all this? He Is stupid II he does
not, and had better renew his subscription
fLTnmprrfnl