The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-06-06

~ talents and however
magnificent hts Intellect can be truly
great II he is deficient in these vir-
tues. History is full OF examples OF
illustrious men. who lacked the ele-
ments Of q lofty character described
as the b~eatitudes in the Sermon on
the Mount. The Duke of Marlborough
the greatest Of English generals since
the days Of the Black Prince, Is de-
scribed by Macaulay "aS commanding
In stature. with a handsome face, with
q singularly winning address, with q
natural eloqueHce that moved the envy
of practiced rhetortctanS with q temper
even in the most Vexatious and 1rrftat-
Ing circumstances, was always under
perfect command" But ~unhapp1ly
these splendid qualities were mingled
with an alloy Of the most sordid kind,
that disgrace and sully the most illus
trious character. Avarice, ambition,
duplicity, teachery. rapacity and
wrong were the d~espicable vices that
furnished his fair name. Treachery
Is the basest Of ell vices. Napoleon
felt most keenly the despfcab1e vices
that furnished his generals, men whom
he had elevated from obscurity and
poverty to places of wealth and honor
deserted him In the darkest hour OF
his greatest perils, while the poor
people whom he never loaded with
honor and riches, rushed to his aid TO
console with him IN his ~reverses.
The great emperor, when he abdicated
his throne and departed for E1ba ex-
claimed in the bitter anguish Of his
souls: 1T IS not the loss OF the throne
which renders my existence insupport-
able. There is something harder to
bear thar the reverses Of fortune DO
you know what that is which pierces
the heart most deeply. It is the ingrat-
tude Of man. 1t kills more surely than
steel or poison. I am weary or life.
Death Is repoSe." Fortunately our
hero, Mr.. Hill, has none Of the vices
of disloyalty and ingratitude. In this
story Of him l shalI portray his loyalty
to Mr.. Jefferson Davis and his devotion
to the Confederate government Lik
Napoleon, Mr.. Davis in his defeat felt
the pangs of ingratitude OF some OF his
own people:
OF deeper y than all the guilty train
OF human vices, it's ingratitude."
Benjamin H. Hill was born In Jas
per county, Georgia, fifteenshrdlushr
1898. His father vas John Hill, who
In the beginning Of the last century
emigrated from North Carolina to
Georgia. His mother was Miss Sarah
Parham~ Young Hill worked on the
farm with his brothers and the few
slaves his father owned. his mother
di1U SlSlCtS OOIuS dlc IOuScIlOlO vi n
weaving and making all the clothing
for her family and the slaves. This
was usual ca southern plantations be-
fore the var. I have seen my mother
stand for weeks at q table cutting out
clothing for more than 800 slaves. They
were given three suits Of clothing a
year, SO q southern planters wife had
no easy Job. In his boyhood days he
attended such schools as there were in
a sparse1y settled country, in those
Io
was taught by "a graduate of Yale and
two years later he entered the sopho-
more class at che University Of GeOr-
gia and graduated in 1914. He studied
law and at once entered upon a lucra-
tive practice. He married and settled
in La Grange. Georgia. In 1850 when
the country was agitated over the slav-
cry question, he became a candidate Of
The Wing party for the Legislature. He
saw that a continual agitation of the
slavery question woul resu1t in the
dissolution of the Union, and the over
throw of the institution Of slavery.
In 1855 he vas a candidate for Con-
gress as a Constitutional Union man
and was only beaten by twenty-four
votes IN a district whose usual Demo-
1856 he was a Fillmore presidential
e%lector, meeting in joint debate the
most illustrious Democratic orators.
He denounced the men both North and
South who sought to destroy the Union
on account Of slavery. He discussed
great national questions, not as a parti-
san, but as a patriotic statesman.
Toombs and Stephens had both been
Wings, but in 1856 they supported
Buchanan. h Democratic candidate
Ior president, and became jealous par
hsans of the Democratic faith. They
we're several years Older thai Hill, and
lad been political leaders for more
han a decade, and they looked upon
he entrance Of young Hill into the
~!oaitical rel as an inpextinent In
Eusion. Hill laid town the following
b his political text: THE crn