The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-04-03
BEN HILLS GREAT SPEECH.
HE SILENCES BLAINE ON TIE
FLOOR OF TIE SENITE

oAL1>-'CLo ON TIE
FLOOR OF TIE SENITE.
Exposing Radical Shams--The Cry of
Revolution--The South Restoring
Peace to the Union.
In the Senate few days ago
debate unexpectedly sprang up
over the removal of Gorham, secre-
tary of the Senate, to make way
for Il Democrat. Blaine especially
charged the Democrats with revolu.
tion, Senator Hill responded in
speech Of great cloqucnce and force.
After citing circular issued py
Gorham as secretary of the Repub-
hcan Committee charging the Demo.
Gratis with a purpose to oust Hayes
by revolution, Senator Hill den led
the chnrge and showed, moreover,
that the electoral commission spe,
cially provided that any measures Of
discovering tho facts might be
resorted to. The Senator contin~
ucd:
They had refused to look into tho
facts in the Electoral Commission ::
they had pronounced the ever mem,
orable decision which declares that
not only individuals but the Con-
gress Of the United States were
bound to believe as true what every-
body knew was q perjury, were
bound to accept as genuine what
everybody knew was forgery, wore
bound to declare and carry out as
constitutional and right what every
body knew was an unmitieated
fraud; and just as soon as that
dec's'on was procured by refusal
to look into the facts, and some
gentlemen desired that the facts
should be looked into and invcsti~
gated q radical tribunal in q Judi.
clal manner and by n indicial pro-
ceeding, the gentlemen on the other
side raised the cry of "revolution."
That is the point I make. i say
that that circu'as issued by the
Secretary was false utterly false. T
say that the Democratic party had
not announced, rs that circular saws,
any revolutionary purpose of the
expulsion OF tho President. 1 say
that no.man can produce proceed
ing OF the Democratic party in Con-
: yention, in Legislature or in tho
Congress of the United States to
justify the charge that they intend
ed revolution. The truth is, to tell
the candid fact, I always believed
that the gentlemen raised the CRY
OF revolution largely to prevent the
investigation, because they feared
the consequences if one should be
inaugurated
Alr. President, I did not rise to
discuss this question or any other.
This is very elaborate debate to
have grown out of tho simple prop
osltlon TO elect fcw officers Of the
Senate. AS am on my feet, I wish
to say one word in reply to what tho
Senator from New York said. That
Senator alluded to the fact that
when he came here in July, 1861, ~
large number Of these seats were
vacant. That is q fact we all know.
We had heard Of that before. He
alluded to the fact that they are all
filled now. l am gratified to say
that we Know that to bo true. Mr.
PRESIDENT, tho saddest day in Amer.
lean history, in my Judgment, was
the one to which the Senator from
New York alluded, when the South.
actuated by MS high and patriotic q
purpose as over actuated any people
since the sun has been pursuing his
course, left these halls and attempt
eel to secede from the Union. I
grant that they did not desire war I;
and L know they did what they
believed was their right, They
thought to make no war they
thought to engender no strife they
sought to end it 6; but they we're
mistaken and the whole world, knows
tho history that followed 1t was O.
sad day when the Southern States
with their gifted representative left
these halls and left the government
IN the undisputed control of the
Repuplican party, and every hour
and every day from that time to
this, as consequence of that unfor-
tunate act, the country has been
rocking in the throes of revolution.
Sir, l am not here to parcel out