The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-12
sENA rOR HILL's SECESSION RECORD
He was Opposed 60 severinR from the Union,
but sustaIned his Stnte's ActIon.

WASHINGTON, June 1t.-Mr. Hill delivered
n speech IN the Senate TO-DAY in answer to Mr..
Blainos avormcnts relative to Mr.. Hills record
in voting upon the question Of Gcorgia's scccs-
sion from the Union. Mr.. Hill said Mr.. Blaine
had misrepresentod the facts contained In the
very book he had quoted from in that speech
containing tho proceedings of the Georgia
Convention. II that Senator intended by the
manner in which he represented those facts to
show that In that Convention on the test
question rs to whether Georgia should
or should not secede Mr.. Hill voted
for secession. or intended TO approve
IT. he stated that which the document
he profcsscd to have in his hand taught him
was not true. II was immaterial to the Senate
and tho country whether Mr.. Hill's record was
or was not consistent His constituents ap-
peared to be satisfied with the way in which he
had redeemed his pledges to them. But us Mr..
Blaine had chosen to Introduce the subject he
thought it proper TO glvo the facts in tho prem
iscs in the form OF historical statement. While
there was groat diversity Of opinion through
out the South on the main question as TO
whether accession should take place or not.
1t was universally conceded that II n State
should determine TO- seccde. when that de-
clnred will should bo Rscertained. IL was
the duty Of all her citizens TO support
her acts and two reasons were given for that
first. that to oppose the will OF the Statea. after
that will had been officially asccrtaincd and de-
cared. could only result in civil war among the
States which was determined at all hazards to
be avoided; second. because it was believed
thnl IL the northern people saw there was unnn-
unity in the Southern States. II would have the
happy moral effect Of nverting the catastrophe
Ot sectional war. rs II WAS widely charged that
tho movement for secession was merely factious
There were many southern men who sedulously
opposed secession and who believed that II wnr
could only be postponed for few months. the
sectional differences could be adjusted and war
avcrted. In this state Of affairs. and amid these
feelings; tho Georgia Convention met in Janu-
Mr.. Hill then read from the journal Of the
Convention extracts showing the following
Mr.. Hin was one Of the minority party which
eudcavored to secure tho postpOncment OF n
resolution for immediate secession until after
consultation could DO had with othor Southern
States. and until after the Peace Convention TO
be held Mt Richmond had acted. which action ii
Wa rcsputon SoN Was oersd m 6y NE Sesbit that
In the opinion OF the Convention IL the
right and duty OF Georgia TO seecede from the
present Union and cooperate with other States
to form Southern Confederacy on the basis Of
the Constitution OF the United States, and pro-
viding for the appointment by the Chair Of
committee instru ted to report an ordinance in
accordance Herewith,
Mr.. Johnson offered substitute for tho reso-
luton. This substitute had been agreed upon
by the opponents Of secession as embodying
the strongest ground upon which they could
stand with any hope OF success.
Mr.. Hill closed the debate in opposition TO the
| resolution. and there WAS certainly no speech
more earnest than his delivered against H. The
| vote was then taken on the adoption Of the
| resolution and Mr. Hll's name was recorded
| In the negative The vote was-yoas iGG nays
| 1870. committee Of seventeen was appointed
| composed OF nine who had voted for and eight
| who had voted against the resolution. An
| ordinance was adopted and reported by the
| Committee without n dissenting voice. Wny2
| Because 1t was simply reported that the ordi-
nance was proper form of carrying out what
the, State had already declared to be its duty
| to do.
When tho ordinance had been reported the
| bers whether the time had now come TO cense
resistance. Some favored voting against tho
ordinance as O matter oil form and aiterward
,Dut Mr.; Hill wished 70 make another effort
He was dlssatis fed that debate on the substitute
for tho original resolution should have been
| cut on by the previous question and square
,S vote on tho substitute thus prevented When
| that the johnson substitute be received AS n
substitute for the ordinance;. His motion was
| defcated-yeas 1873. nays lGi the strongest vote
that was cast by tho minority party during the
| Convention.
/ question was when should he signify his de-
| termination TO abide the solemn action Of the
Nothing further could be done and il being Ing
| agreed among the minority that every man
should vote MS he pleased on the hna passage
| OF the ordinance. one-third OF them voted for II
as q proper form by which to carry out the ex-
pressed will OF the State: but when IT came to
signing the ordinance. every man affixed his
name. This was nothing in the world but a
method ot attestlng their readiness TO abide
| the will of their State thus solemnly expressed.
| II, continued Mr.. Hill. the Senator from Maine
had seen III 10 state these facts aud say that my
| vote was inconsistent with my expressed prln-
| ciples, / should have cared nothing for tho
statement OF his opinion. But for some pur-
| pose Of his own he chose 10 suppress facts which
did not exist; and upon this double mlsrepre-
sentation Of the facts he displayed his wit AMI
seven hundred miles away. | make that
| simple statement and leave the Senator
to the judgment OF honest men and honorable
| debatcrs without comment MIR. II then spoke
| OF the clamor raised by his assertion that DEM
! ocrats We're largely instrumental in saving tho
| Union. He doned that what he has said could
be construed as meaning that Republicans did
| not also help in such preservation: but, no
added strike from the rolls Of Union troops the
| names OF Democrats and will any man say the
| war against secession would have succeeded
This was what he had meant before. Continu-
Ing, lie said there had been persistent effort
on the part ot tho Republican press and IN
other ways to hold him up to execration ms
years ago with Introducing retaliatory war
measures in tho Confederate Senate So fnr
the records that he was unaltcrably on.
posed TO any war measures not in the line
q right and according to tho law Of nations.
ures might in tho excitement of the time be
adopted, Mr.. Hill, while opposing all lcgisla-
in case OF need an act declaring persons or
parties raiding. maraudng. and committing
troops. TO lie criminals. Real soldiers were not
| touched by this provision; but 1t was framed in
view OF widespread apprehension Of seryile
insurrcction following tho Emancipation proc
lamation. No Legislation on tho subject was
! had, hoWcvcr-nOt even the moderate measure
| drafted 10y Mr.. Hill.
| MIR, Hill in further remarks showed that no
| had never been An extremist In politics and
| consequently had been denounced hy socosslon-
| lists ms n Nationalist. and was now blamed 10y
| the consolidationist element as a secessionist.
| He believed that tho truo theory OF the Union
was that neither the state nor the national Gov
| ernmcnt was master OF the other. and quoted
| view.
Mr. Hill closed with an eloquent appeal to the
| American people 20 abandon scctionalism,
| whether tending toward secession or toward
| dospotism, and return TO constitutional govern
ment as inaugurated by Madison and eX-
pounded by Webster. and as il stands un-
altered by the amendments growing out Of the
war.
MIR, Blaine (Me.) gave notice that he would at
another time reply TO Mr.. Hills remarks.