New-York tribune., 1879-06-12
MR.. HILL IN HIS OWN DEFENCE.


HE REPLIES TO Mr. BLAINE WITHOUT PLAYING"
HIM, ACTING ENTIRELY ON THE DEFENSIVE.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l
WASHINGTON. June Ex-senator Hill has prob
ably been misrepresented by some OF his friends
The event of to-day cannot properly be described
as an effort to "hay Blaine alive" although
1t the occasion about which that descrip-
tive phrase used in advance. The Senator from
Georgia made two three rather discourteous
illusions to the Senator from Maine; but mas
much as the latter is the bete nOir OF the whole
Democratic party, and Democratic Senators are
wont to go into commissions Of rage whenever
he manifests an interest in their personal records,
the speech of Senator Hill to-day was by COMPARE
son rather noticeable for Its avoidance OF offensive
features.
Senator Hill paid his whole attention to his own
record, and stood entirely upon the;defensive. He
explained his connection with regard to the Seces-
sion Convention which carried his State ont of the
Union by saying that the same record from
which Senator Blaine had drawn his in
ferences would, if examined further, have
disclosed that those inferences were incorrect.
To give Senator Hill the benefit Of every doubt, 1t
may be said that he only proved that he had advO-
Gated the passage of a conditional ordinance Of
F.! secession but when he had been outvoted he went
heartily with the majority and recorded himself in
favor of secession any way, while such men as
Hersche V. johnson and Alex. Fl. Stephens voted
consistently against secession throughout the con-
yention.
He declared there was nothing in his recent speech
to warrant the assumption on the part of Senator
Blaine that he believed the Democrats of the North
had saved the Union and he quoted several pass
ages from his speech to show that he had represented
the Northern Democrats as having taken part
with the Republicans in the suppression of
! the rebellion. Senator Hill said there
seems to be persistent effort on the part OF the
| Republican press of the North with, The NEW
| YORK TRIBUNE in the lead, to represent him as a
brutal, cruel man. He then referred to the famous
| encounter between himself and Senator Blame,
which occurred when he first entered Congress,
and he read from the record of Senator
Blaines speech on that occasion the portion
which refers to the retaliatory measures proposed
by Mr. Hill when a member of the Confederate Sem
ate. 1t will be remembered that this measure pro-
vded that the penalty of death should be inflicted
upon all who, upon pretence Of making
war, were taken in the act of committing
depredatons within the Confederate lines.
Senator Hill explained that during the excitement
created by the issuance OF President Llncoin's
| Emancipation proclamation many members of the
! Confederate Congress had been in favor of adopt
| ing retaatory measures, believing that tho procla-
nation was designed only to provoke servie insur-
| rect0n, anu that men VINO nau no connection Win
the Northern amy would be encouraged,
under pretence of lberating the slaves.
! to 90 into the South for the purpose
| of robbery, plage and outrage. The penalty of
death was intended by the orginators of the
measure IN question to be-executed upon this class
alone 1t must be said that this explanation is at
! tenuated and that would ever have guessed
| it from the language of the measure Itself
! In conclusion he made political speech upon the
present States rights issne. quoting, according to
custom, from Daniel Webster and the fathers.
Senator Blaine gave notice that he would reply at
some future time.