The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-13
and In opposition 10 the supreme

Constitution, aud released them froln
It's obligations. They most uhWiseiy
seeded, and tho war most unwlselY
followed.
During the war tho Republican party
changed us object. and Insisted on
yur rorAt EXTINCTION or SLAVERY.
Three men. well armed. we'll fed. well
clothed. were too much, physically, Tor
one man poorly armed. poorly Ted ana
poorly clothed. and. after u brave st1llR,-
gle. the South yielded, abandoned
secession, and overy Southern state
abolished slavery by constitutional pro
visions.
Tho Republican party thcn made,
another change Of position. and insisted
that they had u right to reconstruct tho
Southern States. create IN them new
constituencies aud new governments,
and also to secure the results ~ The
war by new amendments to the Federal
Constitution. All this has boon done
much Of It terribly donel
Now what is left for the Republican
party to do? It has forced the accom-
pIisLmont of it's work. The Southern
people give up slavery. give NJ scccs-
sion. submit to reconstruction. and nc
cept the Constitution as amended, and
vet the Republican party will neither
abandon It's sectional organization nor
cease its sectional war upon the South
ern people.
Upon what does tie Republican PARTY
propose to liver
UPON 4 SECTIONAL HATEl
How can H. keep alive sectional hate;
Solely by bold and persistent misrepre-
sensations Of the Southern people. and
by perpetual appeals to the passions ot
war;
There are three hundred Thousand
people who are crazy to hold aud get
office In 1876 through the Republican
party. and they have no hope 81 success
except by keeping alive sectional hate
by disappearing, m%aligninE ana OPP
pressing the Southern peoplcl
A Southern representative cannot say
ANYTHING in Congress which Is not in
stantly misrepresented by u thousand
lying pens and tongues from this city.
/ NEVER IN MY LIFE FELT or,
UTTERED A DISUNION SENT
MENT. I opposed secession "a no
Northern man evcr did, for | was in tho
midst OF tho storm. | opposed, also.
~suhiugation aud reconstruction as but
other forms of disuuion, and rs tending
to destroy u free institutions. Sub
iugntion and reconstruction were rs
dangerous to the principles Of union as
WINS SECESSION III IIlt lttfb " hllbob, w
I have simply been an earnest enemy to
disr,nion in any form. And il docs seem
impossible for n Reptblicdn Urifor ~
speahrr 10 ten he fruH Of ono eve 50
humble as myself. | havo made one
speech i'm Congress forced to do SO in
defense Of the manhood IT my people.
| made tho defense chiefly from the oil
cinl records. Perhaps no speech has
ever 50 brought out tho bitterness 81
misrepresentation in the press aud
leaders OF the Republican party. They
have not only mutilated and gaIblei
the speech, but they have filled ~hcir
papers with tho most unmitigated false
hoods "a to my life. habits. character
s%tantial details purporting to como from
personal acquaintance. and oven
quotations from letters and speeches,
which had not tho slightest existence.
But these things do not surprise mo.
Indeed, | should be surprised II these
falsehoosls were not frequent and I'M
scrupulous, and often from mon in high
| places. They prove tho correctness of
my theory Of the present and tut"yc II
the Republican party. ! maintain that
that party has accomplished all tho
work il was organized to accomplish,
and no party can live after its work is
InIlf, anu noi bftbIIl' ''II VI ~. w. w
ccssful party in n civil war can admin
ister free institutions on tho passions OF
tho war. and after tho Wal was ended,
and not destroy tho liberties Of the
people. No party is entitled to be
trusted with power for what il has done.
The only tito u party can have to be
trusted must rest i'm what it proposes to
do. The Democratic party il now only
entitled to trust because events and the
nature OF OK sting issues compel it to an
tagonizo the Republican party. and thus
necessarily to become the party OF re-
t%rcnchment, reform and sectional recon.
ciliation. No truly great statesman car
remain in the Republican party, for tho
plain reason that
ITS WORK Is IN TIE PAST.
and not in tho future. You might n;
we'll expect n ma to satisfy his hunger
and support his system on the memories
Of past feasts. as to expect u statesman
to lead u party and maintain the pros
pcrity Of his country on the mere mono
monts. / doubt not, iJDfy'. Lincoln rcrt
Hring he WOuh be uOU q S~eaious Demo
crat. SO would be Chase and Sumner
and Greeley and Seward. Such Twins
statesmen and patriots as David Davis
Lyman Trumbull, Carl Schurz, Charlie;
+. Adams and Nathaniel L. Banks, can
not remain in the Republican party. ]
am watching to see who, in defense o
his self-respect, will leave it next. They
will be compelled to go. y
THIEVES AND D~EMAGOGUFS
are taking natural, logical possession .
the Republican party, not to accomplish
great works, but to have u genera
carousal. They will drive statesmen
and patriots out of it. rs decent. virtu
Gus women would be driven out Of
house which had become a brothel. If
under such leaders rs will remain. Thu
Republican party will 50 influence The
passions Of the people as to renew it,
lease Of power. it will bring Disgrace OF
its past history MS certainly rs th'
passing of events, and
IT WILL lie A MIRACLE
If in the riot that must follow, our Re
publican system shall not perish.
Never had any people such u test Q
their capacity for self government ~
the American people will have in 1876
They will be crammed with reckless
~falsehoods and piled with appeals foI
sectional hate as never before Disgrace
any yea. in human history.
Will they be able to detect, resist IN,
dcspise these assaults upon their intel
~ligence, patriotism and virtue? r. 50
we shall live on rs a free people, ant
prosper as no people ever did. IF not
we shall die in more shame and disgrace
than ever bcfell a republic. With higl
regard, l am yours very truly,
Benz. Fl. HILL.