The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-04-12

ceivsthe people. and are sending broad
cast shroughoat tie land campaign docu-
ments purporting to be speeches of dis
tinguished Democrats in Congress, &C
crediting them with language and senti-
ments never uttered JOHN A LOGAN
United States Senator from Illinois, ha,
been distributing a document under his
frank, purporting to be speech Of Hon.
BENZ. II. HILL in the amnesty debate
Mr.. HILL, on being informed ofthis fact
wrote letter to gentleman in Mon
mouth, ILL.,, in which he says:
- 81 do not know who got up this dirty
pamphlet. 1t is deliberate falsehood
and q studied attempt to deceive. Every
man who sends it to another, with knowi'
ed re of its character is guilty OF the
fsjsebood and svows thereby his desire
to deceive tho people. Every honest man
to whom, it is sent will feel insulted, and
he is lnsulted. The great question
is, what effect will such de-
signing falsehoods have upon the people?
II is bad enought to know that men
deemed worthy to hold high positions OF
honor should be guilty of such dishonor.
1t is sadder to know, as L DO
know, that this falsehood is
only one of mary; or, indeed, part of a
system adopted here to conduct and con-
troll the elections to be held in 1876. But
/ repeat, the great question is, what will
be the effect upon the people? Will they
be offended, or will they be influenced or
controlled by falsehoods SO deliberately
planned and circulated expressly to de-
ceive them? l called the attention OF one
of the best Republicans in Congress to
this pamphlet, desiring to see how he re-
earded it. He only laughed, and said:
ut is bad, l admit, but this is politics,
and YOU must expect it." Is this truef
Is this politics? If so, is any
thing safe? Have we reached the
point where leaders are willing to deceive
and the people are willing to be deceiv-
ed? If so, then our greatest statesman
is the greatest liar in the country! OF
course, reduced to its last analysis, this
means that the capacity OF the people
for self government has failed, and our
free institutions must perish through a
process of falsehood and corruption.
This will exactly fulfill the predictions OF
the enemies Of popular government so
often repeated. This brings me to what
chiefly now desire to say.
"For thirty years ! have been an
honest and earnest student of the history,
philosophy, and science of government,
and especially of free, popular govern
ment. / have endeavored to discover,
with as much exactness as possible, the
true cause or causes of the frequent de.
cay and tall of popular government. l
do not doubt the correctness OF my con-
illusions when say the cause is Identical,
uniform and almost universal. 1t is
nteraaL corruption and Eot external
power"
1t would seem that Mr. HILLS careful
study of the science of government has
not been in vain, for he certainly has dis
covered the true cause Of our decline
internal corruption. "When corruption
has seized the vitals there is no life left
was o truthful remark of one of our
local orators. 1t is not too late, we hope
to recuperate, if the people can only be
made to see the danger, and promptly
and vigorously apply the remedy.
Mr.. HILL proceeds to state his own
political position, giving emphatic denial
to the assertion that he was ever seces-
sionlst. He says:
"A Southern representative can not
say anything in Congress which is not
misrepresented by a thousand
living pens aud tongues from this city. l
NEVER IN MY LIFE FELT OR UTTERED
pIsuYIoN SENTIMENT. | opposed seces-
sion rs no Northern man ever did, for l
was in the midst of the storm. l opposed
also, subjugation and reconstruction as
but other forms of disunion, and as tend
ing to destroy our free institutions. Sub
jugation and reconstruction were us dan
rerous to the principles Of the Union as
was secession TO the fact of Union,
and l have simply been an
earnest enemy to disunion in any
form. Aud II does seem impos-
sible for Republican writer or speaker
to tell the truth of one even so humble
R. myself. / have made one speech in
to do sol in defense of
the manhood of my people. / made the
defense chiefly from the official records.
Perhaps no speech has ever so brought
out the bitterness Of Misrepresentation in
the press and leaders OF the Republican
party. They have not only mutilated
and garbled the speech, but they have
filled their papers with the most I'M
mtigsted falsehoods as to my life, habits,
and antecedents. have seen
details purporting to come
from acqusintances, and even quotations
from letters and speeches, which had
not the slightest existence.
But these things do not surprise me.
Indeed should be surprised if these
ralsehoeds were not frequent and un.
and often from men in high
places. They prove the correctness of
my theory OF the present and future of
The Republican party. l mountain that
hat party has accomplished all the work
il was organized to accomplish, and no
party can live, after its work is done and
no, become corrupt. No successful party
in a civil war can administer free insti
.utions on the passions Of the war,
and alter the war was
ended, and not destroy the liberties of
The people. No party is entitled to be
trusted with power for what it has done.
The only title party can have to be
trusted is what it proposes to do. The
Democratic party is now only entitled TO
trust because events and the nature of
existing issues compel it to antsgonize
The Republican party, and thus necessa-
rily TO become the party OF retrenchment,
reform aud sectional reconciliation"
Mr.. HILL was An earnest Union man
Turing the whole war, 8. a time and under