The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-08-07
Force" and Freedom"

Force and freedom.
Senator Ben Hill, of Georgia, is one OF
those nervous, impulsive gentlemen, who is,
by his very mental organism. compelled to
be frank. Shutting the free air of the
North, his faculties have recently become
exceedingly active, and activity in that line,
with Mr.. Hill, means the out-giving of
sentences and sentiments, which require of
his party more time to explain than it does
Mr.. Hill to utter. He is reported recently
to have visited New York, to have counseled
with Tammany and Tilden headlights and
to have come to the conclusion that the ex-
ira session of Congress was great bless
ing, in that it clearly defined the national
issue between the two parties, and gives the
Democracy decent pretext to go before
the people in 1880 in an organized form, to
contest for the control of the Government.
Whether Mr.. Hill understands public SEN
timent, in respect to the extra session, or is
reckless of what the people think of the ex-
ira session or of what he himself may say,is
not very important. Mr.. Hill has committed
his individuality to an issue, and has deem
ed it important to state what that issue is,
and to that point attention will be attracted
because Mr.. Hill holdsa representative po-
sition in the South, and is presumed to
speak for those he in part represents.
Mr.. Hill is reported by the Democratic
organ at Washington city, to have said, af-
ter his return from New York, in speaking
of the probable effect of the extra session
of Congress upon the Democratic party,
that that party had been materially bene-
fitted by the recent session. Itrevealed, he
said, that the Republicans favored centraliza-
zion as against freedom and self-government.
He believed that the mission of the republican
party was to destroy this government, and
that it was the duty of the Democratic par
vito save it, That the tissue was cen
tralization against freedom andself-govern-
ment. The Republicans insist upon gov
eminent Of force, the Democrats upon a
government of freedom Thus Mr.. Hill
defines the issue upon which he assumes the
Presidential contest must be fought, while
admitting that the question of secession was
forever settled by the war, and to that de-
gree the bloody conflict settled something.
1t is well enough to give the terms Mr..
Hill employs a little thought in view of the
prominent association he has assigned them.
1t is true that the Republican party is in IA
vor of s'force'' as an essential agency of gov
eminent, because it is in favor of law, and
law means force. The whole jurisprudence
of the country is based upon force-that
kind of force that attaches penalties and
punishments to the invasion of the safe
guards of society and the rights of individ-
uals-that kind of force which invests with
authority the appointed agents to execute
the laws, and to inflict penalties when the
law is violated. 1t is because the election
laws impose penaltiesfor their violation that
the Democrats in the extra session sought
their repeal, in order that the Freedom -
which Mr.. Hill claims, might run riot over
the conservative restraints of law, and the
ballot-boX become the source of the perver-
sion of the popular will instead of the chan
mel through which it should be expressed
and the just and legitimate ends of govern
ment conserved. Mr.. Hills freedom
means, in the light of the history of Tam
many, where he had gone to catch in
spiration, the removal OF all restraints to
the bad designs Of bad men, and the pollu-
ton of the elective franchise by the grossest
frauds which ever stained the character Of
any. political organization-the license Of
passion-the rule of the bludgeon and the
bottle in elections, and the subordination
of the conservative influences and checks
of government to brute force, and the des-
perate purpose of political thugs to rule OIL
ruin. The history of the two parties, the
one represented by ''force," and the other
by freedom as Mr.. Hill states it, shows
that the Republican party favors force only
as it secures the operation and reinforcement
of law, and the Democratic party favors
freedom regardless of law, morality Oh
religion. The rise, elimination, decline and
fall of Tweedism In New York, where Mr..
Hill had gathered fresh spirit and pro.
phetic wisdom, sufficiently illustrates the
contrast we have mentioned.
But Mr.. Hills admission that secession is
dead is not the sentiment of the Democracy
of his own State, if Hon. Robert Toombs is
presumed to represent any portion OF that
party. Mr.. Toombs contends that the Con-
stitution is unconstitutional-tha no one is
under the least obligation to support the
amendments adopted as the results of the
war, because, as he claims, they were
adopted by ''force," and therefore not
binding. He still maintains that secession
is right, and that it is the only remedy for
the Capitalization which Mr.. Hill fears, and
that this right he is in favor of exercising,
in spite Of the action of the States in rati-
flying the amendments. Probably Mr..
Toombs is more candid than Mr.. Hill, and
has given more truthful Interpretation of
State Rights, as claimed by the Democrats,
than Mr.. Hill has, but with less caution and
reservation. Be this as it may, the Repub-
lcans will accept the issue as Mr.. Hill states
it, and show their willingness to stand
by the "force" Of law, as against the ''free-
dom" Of ballot-box stuffing and the licensed
rule of the mob.
It has gotten to be such fashion OF late for
ob,,-a boir fJ,of