The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-10-17
Ben. Hills Sincerity.

The Washington correspondent of the Bal
timore Sun of the 18th, has the following in
relation to the recent letter of Hon. Ben.
Hill, U. S. Senator from Georgia, pouring
forth a volume of vituperation upon the
President and his administration
The recent letter of Senator HILL of Georgia,
denouncing the presidential frauds and condemn
ing the President and his appointments to office
and his policy generally, is the cause of much
surprise here. Up to the closing hours of Con-
gress in June last. the President had apparently.
Hill. Only few days before the adjournment of
Congress Mr.. Hill. in published Interview,
spoke OF MT. Hayes as honest and upright, and
was elevated to the presidency. A member of
the cabinet says that Mr.. Hills open advocacy of
the President was at times source of embarrass-
ment and annoyance. and that the President
would have much preferred it had Mr.. Hill been
less vehement in his support In his letter just
as Andrew johnson would have been had he ap-
pointed Booth to seat in his cabinet Those
Hill believe that this sudden and radical change
in his opinion of the President, put forth pretent
ion or excuse for it, is to be taken as notice OF
Mr.. Hills intention to attack the administration
on the opening OF Congress. Mr.. Hill is an ex-
ceedingly earnest and determined man. and is
never satisfied with quiet role. During the last
session Of Congress, through the efforts of prom
inent democratic Senators, no attempt was made
to bring up for party discussion in the Senate any
questions growing out of the settlement of the
last presidential election. In the course of the
debates in the Senate, both in open and in secret
session, all illusions made to the subject by Sen
ators OF either side couched in the spirit of
moderation and of Cancellation, If. as Mr.. Hills
friends appear to think, it is his purpose to pre-
cipitate on the floor OF the Senate this question,
it will afford all the opportunities for sensations
that he or any one else may desire. To reopen
the question in the Senate will be to inaugurate
discussion that would spread over large part
OF the ensuing session. and which would be Bit
ter and violent in the extreme. II is said on the
authority OF Mr.. Rogers, the private secretary of
the President, that Mr.. Hills assertion that he
borne out by the facts To the contrary, Mr.. Rog-
ers says, Mr.. Hill has made number of recon-
mendations for office, and several of the persons
recommended by him have been appointed A
friend of the President handed Senator Hills let
ter to him. and it's perusal caused him the most
intense surprise, as he still has the most lively
recollection OF the almost daily visits paid to the
White House by Mr.. Hill in the early spring of
1877, and his continued subsequent assurances of
confidence and approval. The President was then
reminded OF remark made to him in April, 1877.
by prominent Southern gentleman, not an
ofhceholder, who had known Mr.. Hill for many
years. The remark was almost in these words !:
Mr.. President, mark what will tell you you
think Mr.. Hill firm friend of yourself and of
your administration, but the day will come when
he will turn on you.'' It may be that Mr.. Hill
will content himself with the issue of his letter
and will not undertake to stir up party strife on
the floor OF the Senate, but the Incorporate
language VIII ich he uses fully justifies the con-
clusion that he means to pitch in.