, 1879-06-13


In consumed under tho rrotenso Of personal
explanations. Tho profer Of such an oxpla.
nation Is treated ns matter Of tho highest
privilege. without stopping to inquire what
the proyocation has boon, or Whether thera
is my valid excuse for Delaying public busi.
ncss for mere personal purpose. The re-.
suit of this ready indulgence Is that the priv
ilcge of personal explanation is frequently
abused, aud We rocall no recont instance Of
moro migrant abuse in this particular than
WIS furnished by Ben H11Ls speocl in tho
Sanato Chamber on Wednesday afternoon.
This gentleman rose from his neat and
claimed hoaring for q personal explanation
which, oven If ithad been basod upon grounds
that would hare entitled him to considcra-
tion, should not have occupied moro than five
minutes. Instoad Of promptly disposing'of
tho matter, Mr. Hill ontored upon an elab-
orate defense Of Ills Secession and War record,
mud consumed two hours Of tho timo Of tho
Sonato in making part!sau speech without
my bearing upon any question before Con-
gross. In this respect his speech was an
outrage upon tho public, mud there should
be some means for Rhutting of ouch
harangues, which sorvo only 10 retnrd bust
ness, increase the expenses Of the Govern
ment, and egitato the public mind.
As a matter OF fact, llr. HILL would have
boon better off personally, md hia rnrty
would have boon better served, had ho main-
tainod silence as to tho Secession orn this
is true Of ivory othor ex.Confetlerato
who is fond of cxcusing or glorify-
ing, upon every possible occasion,
tho effort to destroy tho Union. As
n matter Of party policy, it is very ovident
from hundred circumstances not necessary
to recount that tho South noeds no stimu-
liant Of this kind to highten Its devotion to
the Democratic party as to the North, the
Democratic party can scarcely hope to mike
converts Or to acquire popular confidence by
giving nn unnecessary prominence to the
Secession record Of It's present lenders, OF by
encouraging them to justify their treason at
this late day. It will bo genorally regarded
by both Republicans md Democrats at tho
North ns picco OF impertinence for Alr.
ben H111 to uso tho floor OF tho United
Statea Senato for tho purpose Of expatiating
upon his personal connection with Secession
nnd tho Confederate Government.
From a poraonnl point OF view, Mr. Hill
can scarcely bo congratulated upon having
extricated himself from tho embarrassing
position in which 1rr. BLAINE has placed him
upon moro tl.nn ono occasion. In spito Of
ali ho may say, It is matter Of record that
he ioinud in tho Ordinance of Secession passed
by tho State Of Goorgin, whom ho might
havo resisted It, M others continued to do,
If he had boon as ainooroly opposed to Seces-
sion o. lo now protonds no was. It iB also
matter of record, adducod by Mr. blaine at
the time ho and S1r. ll1I1 crossed swor,ls tn
tho House of Representatives, that HILL,
whom Senator OF tho Confederate stah,s, In
troducea resolution which, 1t 1t had gov
erned the conduct Of tho War on tho Confed.
orato sido, would havo been equivalent to
raising tha black flag, and would Aave con-
stituted tho most basbarous warfare Of mod
arn times. All explanations Of tloso mat
tora only tend to make them tho moro con.
spiououa, and both policy and good tasto
should induce HILL to ayoid 50 plain a mis-
tako.
hIr. Hr1n soo,ns to hnvo boon especially
anxious to i1nproBs Lis haarors with tho faet
That ho WIS opposed to oontralization In tho
Confederate States during tho War, just AZ
he is now opposed to It In tho United Staten
Government. II this bo admitted, then 1t
oaly proves that Mr. H1LL'a influence did
not count for much In tho south during tho
War. Though tho establishment of SOP.
arato Government In tho South was Justified
by those who participated In 1t upon the
sovereign right Of ovusy individual State to
scceds from the old Union anl form now
alliances, the Confederate Government u.s.
Bartud and possessed q concentrated powor
such as lnd noyor been claimed or exercised
by tho United Statos Government. Gov.
ors,ora Of States who had boen great men
under tho United states systeln, md tho
state-1Io'lsa cliquos that worc 80 jealous Of
their powers under tie old regime. sank into
ineigIitacance, aad the ruling rowess ut Rich.
mond, among whom REa HILL occupied q
high place, dominated tho country as abso-
lutoly as any Gar Of Russia governs hia
provinces. AL the reserved rights which
3tr. Hill now talks about NJ boinR vested In
the State Governments wero utterly ignosod
by tho Confederate authorities; ,non wero
conseriptetl to fight for the maintenance OF
tho now Central uoyornmont the Wnr was
not for any Ssate or number Of States, but
for tho founding OF q rival nation on this
continent, in whiuh tho Preserved right Of
thu State to seceda would thereafter be de-
I'D ~ IL 7arrtaf1