Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-17

1928. He pursued his studies at the Uni
versity of Georgis, in Athens, and graduated
with the first honors in 1874 at the age o.
twenty-one. He continued the study of law
which had partially engaged his attention
while pursuing his course, and the nexi
wear, 1S45, was admitted to the bar and
commenced practice at LAGRANGE, TrouI
county. He at once took an interest in poll.
tics. being an ardent Wing, but it was not
until 1851 that he held Office, having been
elected to the House of Representatives. In
1855, The Wing party going to pieces, be
became an enthusiastic Know-NothiDg,
and was the candidate OF that party
for Congress in his district against the
Democratic nominee, the late Chief u.s.
tice Hiram Warner, who died last
wear. He was defeated by the narrow margin
of seventy votes, receiving 6Sl3 to 68S3 for
Warner. Two years later, in 1857, he was
the Know-Nothing candidate for governor,
against Senator Joseph E. Brown, who had
then received from the Democratic State
convention his first nomination for governor.
The contest was exciting but not equal, as
the Know-Nothing party never had a ma.
jority in Georgia. Governor Brown won,
receiving 81 ,631 votes TO 46, so tor Mr.. Hill.
The latter was elected 70 the q ste House OF
Representatives in 1859, and reelected in
1860. In the Legislature he was the leader
of the minority party, having hf some time
been recognized as one OF the leading men in
the State. In 1860 he was also an elector on
the presidential ticket of Bell Everett,
but went down with his colleagues, Breckin-
ridge and Lane carrying Georgia by hand
some majority.
In 1861 he represented his county in the
State convention which adopted the ordinance
of secession. He was opposed to the step,
and, with Herschel V. johnson, Alexander
II 4 nv.1
Hill, exerted all his influence and used every
endeavor to keep the State in the Union. He
voted against the ordinance of secession, but
after its passage signed it and was elected a
delegate to the provisional Congress of the
Confederate states, which met in Montgom-
cry. Upon the adoption of the permanent
Confederate constitution he was elected a
Confederate States senator, and in that ca
pacity served during the war, his colleague
being Elk Governor Herschel V. johnson.
During this exciting period of his public
career he was the strong and earnest sup
porter of the administration and the staunch
friend and devoted ally of President Davis,
with whom his relations were most intimate
and cordial. His course in this particular
ran counter TO the opinions OF a large body
of Georgians, among whom were Vice
President Stephens and Governor Brown.
His espousal of this cause resulted on
one OCCASION in aPersonat reneountsr IN
secret session of the Senate with Senator
William L. Yancey, of Alabama, during
which be threw a heavy inkstand at the Ala
bamian, from the effects of which, it is
stated, there never was a complete recovery.
Much has been said and written about this
occurrence, but owing TO the reticence of the
parties and the few witnesses, it has always
been difficult to obtain the tull and exact
particulars. At the close OF the war he was
arrested and confined for time in Fort La
fayette, but was soon released and returned
to Georgia to resume the practice OF law.
One of his first cases at that period was an
equity suit, in which he sought TO prevent
the Federal soldiers, then supreme in the
State, from forcibly seizing and arbitrarily
deciding the title TO a large quantity of cot
ton, then of enormous value. He continued
at the bar with unvarying success, and with
out turning his attention elsewhere until the
final passage of the reconstruction acts in
March, 1867, when he entered with his usual
energy and determination into tie then in
evitable contest with the negro party of his
State. He attended the Democratic conven-
lion about that time held in Macon to organ
ze the Democratic party of the State, took a
decided part and became at once the most in
1uential leader in the party. he wrote a
series of letters entitled 'Note on the Situa
.ion," which were first published in the Au-
yusta Chronicle and Sentinel, and afterward
copied into every paper Of importance in
Georgia, as we'll as issued in pamphlet form,
which did more to arouse the people and
weld them together in their assaults of the
Radical party than the efforts of nearly all
,ther combined influences in the State. In
bitter denunciation, scathing invective and
errible force their merits entitled them to a
irst rank in the worlds political literature,
ind their author became the idol of the
Georgia Democracy. Nor was his pen called
lpol to supply what his tongue lacked.
At this period of his life his equal as a
popular orator did not exist in Georgia.
IN July 4, 1868, when the Democratic State
assembled in Atlanta TO nominate
candidates for presidential electors, mass
Meeting of 10000 Democrats was held 10
he open air, under an arbor of bushes, to
listen to Howell Cobb, Robert Toombs aud
Benjamin n. Hill. These great Georgians
poke in the order named, and though Mr..
Hill labored under the disadvantage of adj |
ressing an audience who had listened for |
ver four hours to Cobb and Toombs, he so
arried away his hearers that they could |
lardly be persuaded to let him 60. All |
yer the State his receptions were character |
zed by the same enthusiasm on the part of |
be people. Seymour's majority OF 10000 |
hat fall was due more 10 the personal efforts |
L
lis ambition was a seat in Congress, |
nd had opportunity then offered, his |
fishes would have been unanimously
expected by a grateful people. At the |
ext election, however, in 1870, the State
a the meantime having been reconstructed,
! was deemed advisable not TO nominate
democrats personally objectionable to Radi
ais, and neither Mr.. Hill nor his friends
poke of his candidacy. He continued 10
L. he oil a hot1
aged in politics. In 1870 he seemed to
bandon the extreme political principals
hich he had since the war advocated and
ecame a leader in the movement OF the
democratic party IN relation TO the accept
nee of the reconstruction acts, known as she
new departure" Ia the fall of that year
| banquet given at the Kimball House,
tlanta, by certain prominent railroad men
nd politicians, among them Simon Cameron
nd Columbus Delano, who were interested
i a proposition TO lease the State (Western
nd Atlantic) railroad then pending in the
legislature, Mr.. Hill used an expression
nee then often quoted against him,
lat he had been an old Wing, and
he was Democrat he didn't ego
be-" The company be kept and
,e language he used were the cause OF
excitement in the State and
-ought out much adverse criticism, to which
e replied In another series OF notes, whlch,
sing mixture of apology and justification,
ere received almost az coldly as the former
ad been enthusiastically by his heretofore
aunch supporters, and it was seriously
-gued, and the opinion entertained by not a
w. that he intended joining the Republican
arty. This feeling gradually wore away,
ut il was so strong in January, 1873, when
Ie Legislature met to choose successor to
snator Joshua Hill, Republican, that Mr..
ill, being a candidate, received less than
rty votes, the remainder OF the 2l9 being
yided between the Hon. Alexander II.
ephens and General John b. Gordon, the
tier winning after few ballots.
In November, 1874, Garrett Mcmillan
as elected from the Ninth (Athens) district
the House of Representatives. He died
the following winter and the Democratic
invention met soon thereafter to nominate
is successor, a special election having been
.dered in April, 1875. The committee sat
week under the two-thirds rule, the candi- .
.tes being Mr.. Hill and Ex-Congressman
p Rail. the lstter receiving the majority |