National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-05-12
SENdTE.

other purposes.
Mr. BECK, of the Committee on Appropriations,
said the bill was substantially the same us that
agreed to by the committee of conference at the |
former session Of Congress.
Mr. EDMuNps inquired whether what is called |
political legislation is the same as that proposed |
last year or did it differ by enlargement or dlmnu-
ton.
Mr.. BECK replied he was not prepared to answer,
ns he had not compared the two propositions.
The Senate proceeded TO act ON the amendments |
TO the pending bill and agreed to those restoring |
the compensation of the Senate officers clerks |
duccd.
Mr.. BECK moved that the reading of the bill he
dispensed with, In order to afford Mr.. Hill, of
Georgia, an opportunity 10 address the Senate. as
he intends leaving the city aud may not return be-
fore the end of the present session.
Mr.. HILL then proceeded TO speak with reference
to That part of the bill proposing new legislation
with regard to jurors, supervisors of elections &c:
upon the country. the legislation proposed being
very very simPtfnmothing but the repeal Of some por.
war. He had watched the discussion in order to
arrive at the motive which prompted it, and was
now satisfied that party In this country had en-
tered upon well or rather ilConsidercd but n dc.
terinined purpose of rcOpening the sectional agia-
uon which 50 long disturbed the people, with a
view OF consolidating one section OF tile country
against the other for the benefit of party without
reference to the public good. He then referred TO
the recent speech of Mr. Conkling, charging that
Us purpose was In that direction. aud alluded to
Mr. Edmunds as having In his speech yesterday
taken the position that the little bill prohibiting
military interference at elections would have The
effect to change and modify all the laws to which
the Senator from Vermont alluded.
The Senator must have known that the bill If IL
should become Il law, would not affect in any de-
gree The legislation previous TO 1863. If the major.
lily In Congress declare from this time forward that
the army AMI navy shall not interfere with cleo
lions, they but re,enact what the custom, practice,
and law were before the act of 1865. The country
was to be told that the Democrats wanted TO destroy
the power OF the Government to enforce the laws.
The speech of the Senator from Vermont ought to
be studied, as II showed the great question of differ
cnce between the two great parties now struggling
Tor the mastery, and the assumption that there
could be no protection to the country save bv the
military arm. lithisshould unfortunately ever be
Deiieyed by INC county the Republic would be at
an end;
the south had been msrcpresened for the purpose
oil aiitGgonizing the North and to secure Republic
cans In the possession of power The Southern men
Ment to var IN yindication of their convictions.
The South did not secede from the Union because
they We're enemies of the Constitution and the
Union; It was driven into secessio by the ex
tyem l. IS, OF me North. The Senator from New
York (Nlr, Conklng) called the Representatives of
the South Coniederaes, aud then notified the
North that they ought TO be alarmed because the
legislation was proposed by the same kind of men
who were here before the war. lie tMr. HID had
beell making q count, too and, strangely MS the
Senator might think of IT, of the nine Representa-
tives and two Senators from Georgia. nine, certainly
eight were opposed 10 secession.
Mr.. CoNKliSG asked when?
Mr.. HILL replied: TIN 1t came. And then they
stood up III that dark hour like men for their con.
vlctions. They had no apology TO make OF the
nmety'thrcc Southern Representatives aud Sena.
tors about seyenty'iivc were opposed to secession.
He mentioned this for the purpose Of showing how
sound the southern people are They. are willing
TO be represented by men true to the Union The
people OF Troupe County in which he Senator
HID lived, requested him to serve us their delegate
~ the state Convention of Georgia. He accepted
the Trust III letter, in which he said he would con.
sent to dissolution Of the Union us he would to
the death of his father only from necessity that
bad and extreme men were fighting the Union
harmed q
never ask more from those who were DESTROYING
the Government in their folly than To give his chl-
dren better one. In January he had the honor to
make the last speech against the resolution IN favor
ofseccssion On the 10th of that month, when the
ordinance was framed he wrote to friend, telling
him the deed was done and that Georgia that day
left the Union. The streets were wild with excite
ment, a party came to serenade him as 1t had
others, but his room was dark, his heart sad and
his tongue silent. No matter who was IN the
wrong, he said in that letter the Union had fallen
The Georgia convention sent him tMr. Hid to
the Provisional Congress. The people believed that
II there could be delay of a few months war could
be ayerted; Virginia had not then gone out of the
Union, and she issued proclamation for peace
conference. His heart warmed, aud he hoped for
success. Seven States had then gone out, and,
therefore, they could not participate In such conven
tioh but they watched every movement with i'll
tercst Those very men who make charges of in
fidelity against the southern people went TO Wash.
meton TO defeat the purposes Of Virginia. In proof
OF this he read the following letter:
"WAsuNGToS, February II, 1861.
MY DEAR GOVERNOR: Governor bingham and
quest of Massachusetts and New York to send dele.
gates to the Peace or Compromise Congress. They
, admit at we Mere Tsht md hey We're wrong
gates, but they are here now and cannot get away.
Ohio, Indiana and Rhode Island are coming III,
and there is danger of Illinois. and now they beg
MS fur Gods sake 10 come to the rescue and save
the Republican, pnrty from rupture. ! hope they
win send Stiilbucked men or none. The whole
thing was got up against my Judgment and viii end
In thin smoke hope, as Il matter OF courtesy to
some of our errng brethren that you will send the
n',,,,..,,,.', - u, CHANDLER,
this letter n postscript was added, saying the
without little DloOd.ctting this reform will not
IN my estimation, be worth rush"
The Representatives of the South must be trusted
Tie south sought To avert the war while the eNtrrm-
lists OF the Nortif tried TO bring ii on. lie (Mr. HID
knew Ihc Republicans claim to have saved the
Union; but If there had been no Republican party
the Union would not have been In peril, and there
would have been no secession, no returning boards
and electoral commission.
Mi. HILL SAID II was through the very agency of
the authority and sovereignty of the States which
you thought you had destroyed, that we arc able
to be here tJ.day-nut through Intimidation and
fraud II is not true that wearc solid against the
North. We are solid against the Republican party
Why should we not be? Can YOU wonder? / viii
not speak Of the past Do you think We are going
TO love you for the speeches you have made during
the last four weeks eliminating aud slandcring us
men. Every vile story of fraud no matter how
unworthy oil belief Is paraded against the South.
crn people but no matter how much testimony
of good men We bring to letute these iasehoodS,
that testimony is cricd down.
We regard the Republican party us merely sec.
tomal, We join the Democrats OF the North be.
cause we admired their course during the war.
If the South were solid against the Consti.
tuition II would be Teprehcils.blC but they
were not. We are solid for preserving the Consti.
tuition and its principles u Is not we, but Northern
men who seek strife, and who are against the
Union 1t was not the Republicans, but the North.
ern Democrats, who saved the Union, aud they will
pIeseNelt, We could not help them TO save H. but
We are mere to help them to preserve it.
MI I'LL. said lie was born Il Shareholder but
never bought II slave, except one who asked him to
do so, ana lie WAS not ashamed of tlnt lie would
never Willingly deprive human being of any of
MS rights Born aud reared amid the traditions of
slavery, nc yet wished when secession was proposed
that slavery should perish rather than stand In the
way OF the maintenance of the Union. In disunion
he saw anarchy horror, the destruction of States
and only dcspOtism. Disunion IN any form wa,
nothing but bloody waste and ruin TO all races and
conditions of men. '''
Mr., CHANDLER, Mr., President, by the consent nj
the senator nom Minnesota | shall uccupy t6e
time Of the Senator for moment. - "
MI President this is tho fourth time since 1851
That nuSion has been made to u letter written In
me TO the Governor of the State of Michigan hrsl
II appeared in newspaper published in Detroit
q copy OF which was sent To me and COpy was
likewise sent TO the late Senator POWELL Tho
letter was private note written to the Governor
and no copy retained. Senator Powell approached
me with his copy of the letter and asked II il was
correct copy. | told him ] did not know: had
written 70 the Governor of Michigan private note