St. Landry democrat., 1882-09-02
~GLEANINGS.
"Reminiscences of Ben Hill of Georgia.

Fourth Congressional District, and at an in
formal meeting of representatives of the
Wing party, held in the town of Newman, his
candidacy was Endorsed. In this canpaisn
Mr.. Hill was in reality the candidate of the
American or "knownothinE'' party, which
had just taken shape in Georgia. He was OBJ
posed by ex-Chief Justice Hiram Warner. OF
Grecnville. who ran as the nominee of the
Democratic party. The race was warm and
closely contested. Warner winning bv the
tritiing majority off votesin Il district which,
prior to that time. was &C 'ustomed to roll
up Il democratic majority of $500 votes. In
1856 Hill was placed on the electoral ticket
for Millard Fillmore. 1t was during this year
that his wonderful powers on the "hustings'
were first shown to the best advantage, he
having met and Vanquishcd both Alexander
ii. stephens and Robert Toombs in debate
in the town OF iexinston, oglethorpe
County. IoomDS didn't care to fight him,
but Stephens was so incen-cu at the
new great man who had literally laiu him out
on his own stamping ground that he forth.
with challenged him. In reply Hill wrote that
celebrated note which is now a part of the
political history of the State. # was in these
words: 81 will not fight You. Ihavc a CON
science and a family. Iou have neither" In
1S5S Hill was retained to defend William A,
Choice, who killed the bailitf, Webb. at Attain
ia. The case is reported in "a Georgia, and Is
famous. Bill Choice, as he was called. WAS a
man of good education and marked talent,
belonging to one of the best families of Rome,
Ga. While on a visit to Atlanta he got on a
~ w tiie iitN LII VIZ . INC / itlluS
in the bar of the old Atlanta Hotel, which
then stood where the kimball House now
stands, James Webb, the Justice court baiIiff,
handed him a notice showing that he had
been sued for $40. This SO enraged Choice
that he attempted to punish Webb on the
spot, but was prevented by bystanders.
Early the GLOWING morning, fresh from the
nights debauch, Choice walked into Prior
street, and. seeing Webb standing on the op.
posite side of the street, several hundred feet
away, drew his pistol. and having taken de-
liberate aim, shot him down without the slight
est warning. The town was in an uproar in
a few minutes, and many {. the best cit
liens were so outraged at the act that they
declared for lynch law. Choice detied the Of
ticers, saying that he would kill the first man
who laid hands upon him. He was finally
captured by strategy and safely lodged in the
lock just before the howling mob, clamor-
Gus for his blood, reached the station house.
Many able lawyers were engaged to defend
him, young Hill among the number. Public
opinion was against the prisoner. The de-
Tense pleaded insanity, and after the longest
and most exciting trial in the annals of Full
ton County, the prisoner was convicted. Hill
had thrown his whole soul into the case, and
WAS bent upon saving his client. In those
days the p~ardoning power was vested in the
State Senate. Hill went back to TrOup Coun-
ty, made the Choice case an issue in the cam
paign, and was elected to the state Senate,
where he made his celebrated speech for the
pardon OF Choice OF this remarkable effort,
State Senator William Harris, of Worth Coun-
ty, once said: sit was the 9randest effort that
ever fell from human lips: Mrs. Choice, the
kOou dIu lovely nlOLner OF the DI1SOnGr,u dress
ed in the deepest black, leaned upon the arm
of young Hill, as, pale, slender, and thought
full, he walked down the aisle. The galleries
were packed, and the excitement was smooth
cred but intense. Hill spoke many hours.
His tongue seemed ito drop MAMMA for surely
such exquisite strains of pathOs never fell up
onthe air: The Senate was in tears. The Presi-
dent wept aloud. The women screamed. I
shall carry to the grave two sentences of that
marvellous speech. They ring in my ears even
now, and that scene was enacted twenty live
VP9rS AGO He said Gnnokinp of Thoira'l in,
sanity: Soft as the zephyr from the orange
grove, carrying the prayer of an angel, the
spirit of Webb will whisper in your ear. Spare
him for he knows not what he did, And
again: If you hang William H.. Choice, in.
scribe upon the gallOws in letters Of blood,
that nn, all time may syllable the shame this is
clared insane by an Overwhelming vote and
sent to the asylum. Hill was the ablest and
bitterest opponent In Georgia of the recon
struction measures, and at the peril of e1pa-
triation, delivered a speech of the boldest
and most fiery invective in Davies Hall at
Atlanta in 1866, in which he denounced the
United States authorities and fiercely vi
tuperated and detied the Nothern SOL
dlery, who, accompanied by their Of
fieers, formed part of the audience: Toombs,
stephens. jenkins, and other public men had
been asked to address the people on the
situation, ut Hill alone had the audacity to
speak his sentiments in public. He contln-
ued his opposition to reconstruction by writ
ing his Notes on the SituatiOn'-which are
regarded in the South as the finest p%hilippics
since those OF Dem~osthenes-and at a vast
meeting of the people OF Georgia, held at At
ianta in 1868, he gave utterance to his cele-
DRAFTED Bush Arbor invective, in which he not
only advocated the social ostracism of Re-
in Georgia, Ght advised their own
wives to leave them. Howell Cobb and Bob
spoke at the same time and place,
and at the conclusion of Hilps speech Toombs
arose in the presence of the vast crowd and
congratulated him, saying: Sir, it was the
grandest effort overheard" Bullock fled the
State in 1871, and upon the coming into power
ut thu Nam aTnt =, ~, lS- Ill N.1r r,>I
stephens offered for the Senate. Gordon was
Upon the death of Mcmillan, of the
Ninth Congressional District, Hill, who lived
part OF the time at Athens, in that district,
became a candidate for the nomination. The
convention broke up in a row. and Hill made
the race before the people, beating his
renominated and returned to Congress with
out opposition. In 1876, while still in Congress,
ne antagonized Norwood o rthe United States
senatorship. The people held meetings in
various parts of the State, urging the Legisla-
ture to elect HUI, and he made Il three hour
speech, advocating his claims in a mastery
wood remained in Atlanta, buttonholing
the members. The galleries were crowd
during the three days balloting,
and the ,populace were for Hill. Nor
held his own pretty well, but the
pressure was too great, and on the third day, 4
man changed his vote to Hill, the
we're changed to give Hill the prize. The Re- t
and negroes in the Legislature vot- I
I'd for Hill. 1t has often been said that in =
'ratory Cicero was Mr.. Hill model, and it is =,
that of the great men of this country
lis favoFite was Henry Clay. Hill himself 6
the best definition of the true orator f
not excepting that of Demosthenes) the cor :
'espondent ever heard. He said: 1.-THE true :
orator is he who has the intellect to see the I
ruth, the heart to feel it, and the courage to t
peak it." How could q definition be more G
concise or comprehensive? Mr.. Hill.was dis :
in civil as well as criminal law, T.,
IND received the largest fee ever paid to a l.
in Georgia in a single case. 1t was t
10000, paid by Thomas Metcalf, one OF the v
vealthiest men of Augusta, in a cotton claim :,
argued by Hill in the United States Court '
Savannah just after the war. q
Miscellaneous Items. I
Jonesboro, Ark, had a sensation at a ;