Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-03-31

| the negro, was DaSed On falSe idea, |
was based on q pretext, which was
nothing but a pretext. The people |
of the South were just as
honest as the people Of the North |
Who we're the men in the South |
who owned property? Who were in
terested in peace and good society?
Were they not men who composed
chiefly the Democratic party? Why |
should they be in favor OF fraud and
violence? It was an incontroverti-
bic fact that in those States of which |
the Democratic party had first OBJ
tanned possession were now the most |
prosperous and most peaceable.
Greater wrong could not be inflicted
upon the colored people than to OF
ganize a movement based on
the idea of doing somes
thing for the colored race
independent of the white race. That
race distinction must be kept down.
Did this movement. mean that an
attempt to place Southern govern
ments under coalition of colored
people with the worst class OF white
people was to be revived? Was that
ordeal to be repeated? If so, he
had confidence that the Northern
people would repudiate it. Mr.. Gam
eron, of Wisconsin, sent to the clerks
desk, and had read the letter sent to
Mr.. Chittenden by Mr.. Hill, shortly
after the election, and inquired
whether Mr.. Hill was still of the
opinion that the Democratic party
ought to disband.
Mr.. Hill stated that he would an
swer the inquiry, though it would
have been fairer if the Senator had
broadeneds the question and asked
whether he was in favor of both
parties disbanding. There was
nothing new in the letter SO far as
his opinions were concerned. Hewas
of the opinion that the best thing
that could happen for this country,
| looking to it's future peace and proso
perity, would be the Or
ganization of patties wholly
disconnected with the differences of
the past. He contended that the
worst element in this country, The
worst traitor to this country, the
only real rebel in the country was
the man who imputed to the people
of any section the desire in their
hearts TO destroy the government.
The differences in the late war had
eliminated in an honest difference of
opinion as to what was the true
meaning of the Constitution. The
North had had the right to
maintain her views, the South hers.
When the South could not maintain
her side she had yielded as bravely
as she had fought. Her honor was
pledged to maintain the settlement
that had resulted, and the Southern
people would maintain it. In answer
to the question of Mr.. Hoar, he said
that the people of the South had
accepted in good faith the Constitu-
tional amendments, but expressed the
opinion that it would have been a
benefit to the colored race In the South
and the country if some plan had
been devised to improve the intel
lectual condition of the negro before
he was given full rights. He as
serted emphatically that the condi~
ton of unquiet and unrest out of
which the Southern States were
emerging had been due to the recon-
struction measures adopted by the
Republican party after the war.
The evil which afflicted the
South after the war was
again threatened to be repeated.
What was it The coalition of the
Republican party with the minority
element in the South, seeking not to
do good to the colored man, but to
get domination in that country.
Every movement that came from the
South in favor Of burying the issues
} of the war, in favor of forgetting the
passions of war, in favor of hiding
: from view the wrongs of the war was
} met by the Republican party with
slap in the face. Every movement
that comes from the South in favor
= Of burying the issues of the war is
met by a demand from the Republi-
can party that the people of the
South must evidence their faith by
joining the Republican party, and no
son of man is allowed to be
patriotic unless he accompanies his
profession of patriotic sentiments
: with hegira over to the Republican
} party. In conclusion, he warned the
Republican party that this coali
} ton over which it was now rejoicing
J was going to do more to set back
real liberal movement than anything
else could do.
Mr.. Hoar denied the statements
made by the Senator from Georgia
that the negro in the South was
allowed a free ballot and an honest
count. He challenged Mr.. Hill to
state upon what important measures
in regard to the South the Republi-
can party had not been in the right,
and upon Mr.. Hill replying ''the re
construction measures, he declared
that the so-called carpet-bag gov>
ernments had been necessitated by