The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-25
BENJAMIN HARVEY HILL.
By sAvoYARD.

And when the evil days came, when the
Incompatible army of Northern Virginia
was slain valor,'' buried on the stricken
fields from Bull Run to Petersburg-when
Herosm itself despaired and men shrank
from Jefferson Davis, Hill was faithful
found
Among the faithless, faithful only he
Had Hill been in the United States Sen
ate when Davis was there they would
not have been in accord, for Hill was the
disciple of Webster and Davis was the
disciple of Calhoun. But now Hin was
closer to the fallen leader than a brother.
He would not hear of surrender. He was
never so eloquent as then, his oratory
never so fervid, his patriotism never so
ardent Unrivaled as a debated, and
matchless as an orator. in the late winter
of 1855 and early sprin-just before APP
pomattox-he made tour of Georgia and
delivered speeches to the populace calling
to arms. Perhaps nothing equal to it
came from other lps, Northern or South
ern, during that momentous struggle. One
who heard him repeated from memory to
the writer of this passage as follows
THE army is our only safety. 1t is in
the ranks, in the forefront of battle where
independence is to be achieved. l discard
all mere personality at this moment and
place life and fortune on the altar of our
country and ofier them a free sacrifice for
the Sunny South. I could at this moment
take in my arms and press to my heart
the most hated foe 1 have on earth if ne
will but come to the rescue of cur be-
loved and boleaguered land. Nay more,
could cover him with immortelles, de-
corate him with garlands of flowers, and
crown him Will, wreaths of laurel and of
bay. Awake, Arise Ho. to the rescue
every one! Cur country is in danger Let
us conquer victory or welcome glorious
DEATH,
But it was unavailing, There was but
one Jefferson Davis. but one Benjamin H
Hill. but one Isham G.. Harris at the
South. A levy en- masse saved France
1t might have saved the South
The South was overthrown and Hill
was put in prison. The vultures and ver-
min of reconstruction preyed on Georgia.
A satrapy was where Il republic had been.
Despotism was where liberty had been.
Knavery was where honor had been. Vice
was where virtue had BEEN Ignorance
was where intelligence had been Free
men were enslavd and mad subjects and
slaves were enlarged and made rulers.
Since the invention of Magma Charta,
there was never such marriage of wick
edness and folly.
Now it was that Hill came from his
prison and wrote the Notes on the Stu
alton series of papers. twenty-five in
number, and each a political and literary
classic They reused the people and say
ed Georgia. In 1867 and in 1868 he made
some speeches that were simply the
grandeur of eloquence, logic and patriot
ism. At the close of one of them Robert
Toombs threw his hat in the air, and
clasping Hill to his bosom, exclaimed,
Three cheers for Ben Hill!'' The two
had never been intimate, had long been
rivals, but big as was the heart of Toombs,
there was no room for in it for envy
And now the work of reconstruction
proceeded and a something happened in
Georgia that reminds us of the medieval
Italy that now applauded Colonna and now
followed Ursini. When the work was
done, when the amendments were part
of the Constitution, Hill advised their ac-
ceptancc by the South. 1t alienated thou
sands. He further lost the hearts of the
people by favoring lease of the Georgia
State Railroad, and the Bourbons did not
like speech that he made at a banquet
given to one of President Grants Cabi-
net.