New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-23
SENATOR HILLS List GREAT EFFORT

SENATOR HILES Last hFfiI Eff"hi
Longer. much longer, than the parched and
arid interval alluded to IN the ever memorable
conversation between the Governors of North
and South Carolina is the distance in time
from the Meclenburg Declaration of indie
pendence to the capture OF tho state OF New
York. The anniversary of the former was
celebrated on Friday, and the author and hero
Of the latter was the orator OF the occasion.
The reason for such selection is not obvious.
The two occurrences are aS far apart IN the
nature of the transactions aS in lapse of time.
But a great many queer things have been done
in North Carolina in the last one hundred and
seventeen years. II may be that the choice
was made in the belief that the persons whom
the orator Of the occasion had So, mp over the
State Of Ncw-York the Flowers and >hcchan'
and Bushes, the MaynardS and the Eiccs and
their associates. were the lineal succC ssors Of
the North Carolina patriots OF 1913. and that
they had brought 10 "A glorious contamination
at Albany the work begun at Alcckicnburg.
This was evidently the orators own view.
When he said the Mcdilcnburg Declaration
had "qualricd the cornerstone Of ali on future
greatness he must have Rad in mind his own
success in New OIk, which. il i known, he
looks upon a the greatest achievement OF any
American citizen. This was the caFNtOno.
Mccklcnburg quarried the cornerstone; he had
crowned the cdifce, and, rs he has repeatedly
said put the Democratic party III permanent
possession of his own state and the Nation.
Senator Hill was at his best. Nobody not
even Grover Cleveland could have spoken in
more complimentary terms Of the Mecklcnbmg
patriot, of enc hundred and seventeen years
ago, or so touched the hearts of their descend
ants, if any Of them were there. Tho'Dcclara-
ten, he said. was the very Kohinoor among
all the jewels Of American liberty. Turn il in
every light and il blazes with an Incompatible
lu.tlc." To have heard the work OF their fore
fathers described as a cornerstone must have
been extremely gratifying TO hear it described
almost in the saipe breath as a Kohinoor, though
title confusing 10 the average mind must
have aroused them to the highest pitch of en-
thsiasm. For this was man who had sat in
the full blaze Of the shirt fronts Of Tammany
Hall. and knew Kohinoor when be one.
Nor did he hesitate to say that the MecSlenburg
patriots had % sllrcr, iirmcr grasp of govern
mcnt" than jefferson himself. This, from such
a source, was the highest praise. For senator
Hill has made il the end and aim Of bis own
life. from its humble beginning with handful
of two bills to the promotion of Maynard, to
get sure, firm grasp of government. 'Such,"
he says, els the attitude Of fieemen Such is
the mind Of tho Democrat OF this there is
no sort of doubt anywhere, especially here in
New-York
On one point only was the Senator obscure.
When speaking of the Mecklenburg patriots he
said "Can you conceive of dcmagogue max
ing Roadway in that company?' he doubtless
had somebody in particular in his mind whom
he did not name This mystery, however. can
be easily clucidatcd in an interview. OF one
thing we are certain that if David b. Hill had
been on deck ut that time and there was any,
thing going on 10 get "a surer frmcr grasp
of government" he would have been in it
up to his neck.
Taken all together, this was a noble effort.
When the orator told his hearers that General
Jackson and James X. Polk, who were both. rs
he said appropriately born on the spot, were
1.-TWO great defenders of the rights of the peo-
pie" it must have given them great comfort.
And when he talked about kindling the fires
of liberty, and all that sort of thing there must
have been many Democrats who have had
"cold feet" for several years profoundly af-
fected by their emotions II is understood that
the Senator is ready to address anything in
any Southern State, from a Legislature to
circus. from now on till the meeting of the