Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1882-08-24
1AF DEAD souraesnea.
Sketch Of tho career Of th. Late senate
Hill.


Benjamin Harvey Hill was born in
Jasper County. Georgia. Sept. IA. 1923.
hisparsnts being Of the well.to.do planter
class, the father OF Irish descent and the
mother English. He received classical
education, graduating with the highest
honors of his class at the University Of
Georgia. at Athens, in 1874. Subsequent.
" he studied Law, and entered that pro.
fession at La Grange in l845. Six years
afterward he was elected a. . Whio TO
the lower branch Of the Legislature from
Troupe county. and won distinotion, as .
leader and speaker. In 1856 he ran for
congress on the American or Know.
nothing ticket, but was defeated BY the
Hon. Hilam Warner. MI. Hill did not
advocate the ritual or secrecy Of the
Know-nothinE organization, and disa-
vowed membership with il. II 1856 he
was placed on the American or Fillmore
ticket - elector-at-larRe, aud during his
canvass Of the state made much reputa-
ton as an orator and popular speaker.
The same party ran him in 1857, without
success, % candidate for Governor. Two
years later he was returned to the state
senate % union man. In 1860 he was
on the Bell Everett presidential ticket
as an elector at large. and was member
OF the secession convention of January,
1861. He was an earnest advocate of the
union until the convention passed q reso.
luton declaring that the state ought to
secede, when he voted for the ordinance
OF secession and cast his fortunes with
those of the citizens OF his state. He was
elected to- the provisional confeder-
ate congress that met at Mont
gomery, Ala, Feb. 4, 1861. and at the fall
session of the state legislature the same
year he was elected to the confederA,s
senate, in which body he served until
the end OF the war. In May, 1855. he
was arrested at his home at LaGrange
and confined at Fort Lafayette, in New
York harbor, until the July following.
when he was released on parole. He
presided over the convention that met
at Macon, Ga, in 1867. for the purpose
OF recognizing the democratic party,
and in that and the next year wrote his
"Notes on the Situation" "embodying ar
guments of great power against the re.
construction policy Of congress. On the
4th of July, 1868, he delivered his fa-
nous Bush-Arbor speech ct Atlanta, and
in the fall Of 1870 he Issued an address
to the People Of Georgis," which brought
upon him severe oensure from
many quarters previously friendly to
him. He. however, was understood to
maintain that it was but . step in ad-
vance towards that position afterward
taken BY other distinguished leaders of
the democratic party known as the "new
departure" and the policy Of which cal-
minated in the nominations made and
the platform adopted by the democratic
national convention at Baltimore in 1872.
MIR. Hill, therefore, supported the Gre.
ley movement with all zeal and eloquence
at his command. Agreeable to that line
Of policy, in January, 1873, be competed
for seat in the United States senate
made vacant BY the expiration of the
term Of the Hon. Joshua Hill. There was
but twolother candidates for tho same
Office, General John B. Gordon who sup.
ported Greeley but disapproved of the
"new departure" platform and Alexander
b. Stephens, who had been opposed to
the election Of Mr.. Greeley, rs we'll ae to
any departure from the fundamental
principles Of tho Jeffersonian denocra.
cy. In this triangular contest, General
Gordon was the successful candidate
Mr.. Stephens says that Mr.. Hills speech
pending the canvass on that occasion, in
vindication of his course, and in urRlpo
the democracy Of Georgia to stand By
the policy adopted at Baltimore in 1872
was one Of the ablest of his life.
When Congressman Garrett MCMILLAN
died, in 1875, Mr.. Hill was elected to fil
his place. and was reelected in 1876, but
resigned tbs same winter, having beer
chosen to succeed Thomas N. Norwood
in the federal senate for the six yea