The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-11-05
AN OPEN LETTER.
FROM HON. BEN HILL, OF GEORGIA
SOME PLAIN TRUTHS.

DEAR MIR. CRITTENDEN: | have read
your open letter addressed to myself and
published in the Tribune of the 4th inst.
You were entitled to the courtesy of a
prompt reply but divers engagements have
worked a delay which | know your good
nature will pardon. | am glad you are
getting well Of your physical hurt, and con-
graduate you on your escape.
have made no summer speeches in Geor
gin. ] made a few remarks very unex-
poctedlv ut Tammany Hall on the 4th of
july, and it must bc To this speech you re-
for, as have made no other during the sum-
mer or since the adjournment. have been
quietly, but with more than usual solici-
tude. watching the course of political events,
and have been studying to understand as
accurately Is / could the real temper of the
North toward the South and the Constitu-
ton, together with the cause, the tendency
and the final effect of that temper upon our
sectional relations and governmental insti-
tutious. However much we may differ on
some questions of policy, / believe you will
do me the Justice to admit that | am in the
habit of speaking, when / speak at all, pre-
ciscy what | think on all subjects. The
impression made upon my mind by the
study alluded to is hot a pleasant one. |
will frankly say that at no period of our
Union, as it seems to me, have the North
ern people 50 greatly or 50 uni Justly distrust-
ed the Southern people, nor do | think there
ever was a generation at the North who so
little understood the Constitution, or who
so little regarded that Constitution rs our
bond of union. | do not mean to be often
sive, but do mean to be candid, when l say
that to berate and misrepresent the South
and To misrepresent and ignore the COnsti-
tuition seem to me to be the two subjects
which absorb the hearts and minds of the
Republicans of the North, and to which all
other subjects are held rs Unfortunate. Your
own letter furnishes strong confirmation of
this sad fact You say "Your (my y can
didate for Governor-whO is an excellent
man, by the way-says that the election
lin New York; concerns only State affairs,
but everybody laughs at him for saying it"
What laugh at man for saying that State
officers are elected to attend only to State
affairs2 You go on: ''The common feeling
seems to be that the election is not only of
National interest, but that 1t is also the
final battle with the rebellion; the climax
of bitter sectional strife, and probable gate
way to comparative good feeling and assured
National prosperity" Battling with re-
bellion in a State election for only State
officers in New York nearly fifteen years
after the war has ended2 Pardon me, my
friend, but this far exceeds Falstatf's battle
with his imaginary but constantly increas-
ing foes Gin buckram" Nevertheless, you
seem to write correctly the views of your
party in New York and throughout the
North. l attended a Republican meeting
in Cooper Institute on the night of the 4th
inst-the night of the day your letter APP
peared.
The meeting was called to ratify the Re
publican nominations for State Offices. After
some sensible remarks by the Chairman, we
had two elaborate, evidently prepared, and,
| will add, able speeches. In these two
speeches made to help the election of State
officers there was not a single allusIon to
State affairs. Not one With single ex-
ceptiOn mot a singular exception, by the
way) the poor, rebellious, barbarous and
Solid South was the only theme! This ex-
ception was really noteworthy and com
manded full attention. The speaker made
what he called a constitutional argument,
in which he undertook, in behalf of absolute
nationalism, to give meaning to the Con,
stitution which | am sure never occurred
to its trainers nor to any OF the great ex-
FOUNDERS of that instrument IN the two
generations that succeeded its trainers, and
then added that if his construction was not
right he was in favor of tearing up the
Constitution and consigning it, with the
rebellion, to damnation !" Is that what you
mean bv the gateway to comparative good
feeling and assured national prosperity r
Is this tearing up" process to be the
''fnal battle with rebellior?"
The feeling of distrust, abuse and hate of
the South in the Republicans of the North
exhibits all the symptoms of mania 1t
il full of irrelevancy, 1rrationaiity ana I'M
truthfulness. Even your local elections for
State, county, city and town officers are
dominated by this feeling of hatred and
distrust of the South. 1t Is found In your
bar-roOms contingencies and pulplts. 1t
is beyond reason, and, / fear, beyond
remedy. | see no evidence that the
North sis weary of sectional strife" The
Republican party Lives on and thriyes by
this sectional strife. Bad men speculate on
it, and demagogues ply it as the best means
of getting office. You say: at there be
anything so bedded in our history, that 1t
can never be got out it is the fact that South
ern ideas and Southern men have generally
opposed the American spirit as represented
hv the people who planted and rooted our
;nstitnf !ans and thrift in the hard and
thorough discipline of New England.
I had supposed that our thrift as people
was due to the abundance OF our cneAP ieI
tile lands, the great variety OF our plOuu S
tions, the industry of our Peopi; al
that unprecedented constitutional system Ga
dual Federal and local free governments
which Washington, Jefferson, Madison,
Pinekney, Rutledge, and great number OF
southern men had much to do IN plant
ing and roofing in this country. | would
sabate not lone jot or title of the credit
TO which New England is entitled in this
work. despise all sectionalism, whether
against the North or against the South. l
believe no one section Of this country is all
virtuous or all vicious, and no one section
exceeds the other in either virtues or vices.
But II our history teaches any two facts
more indisputably than all other facts they
are Theses
First-That slavery was s'planted's IN this
country from Africa and ssrooteds Is the
South fhrongh The hard and thorough dis.
ciDline 81 New England ~
and rooted ~ doctrine In our constffn.
%snnel system BY New England, and NJ
ts,sght. advocated and thEeatensd q Con