Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-30

field Of honor" Hill declined to accept the
hostile invitation. Stephens then denounced
Hill in the most scathing terms in the pub
lie prints, to which Hill replied, and
quote the following concluding paragraph
from his answer, as a most interesting con-
tribution to dueling literature:
Why Hill Declined Challenge
II regard duelling as no evidence OF
courage, no yfndication OF truth and no
test of the character of a true gentleman.
shall be bra ggart,' liar poltroon enough
now and forever to declare that what the
laws Of God and my native state united in
denouncing as murder could give me. 10
satisfaction to do to attempt or to desire.
This determination has but strengthened
when the contrary course involves the v!o-
ation Of my conscience and the hazard or
my family, aganst/a man who has neither
conscience nor family. But I have had, and
shall continue to have, courage enough to
do my duty firmly and truthfully, and to
defend myself anywhere and everywhere,
even in the Eighth district. and if any gen.
tleman doubts it there is short ana easy
way to test it."
Time rolled on and each man ran
brilliant career Of public honors. Hill died
August &c, 1882, while a pre-eminent
United States senator. Stephens passed
away in less than six months later whue
occupying the exalted station Of governor
Stephens Objected to Preamble
And it came to pass than in four months
after the death OF Hill the general assem-
bly, of Georgia adopted a resolution, De-
cember IS, 1882, appropriating one thou
sand dollars to purchase the painting OF
Hill now in the rotunda Of the capitol and
under which Chancellor Barrow was pen
sively sitting. Preceding the resolution
was a glowing preamble regarding the sena-
tor Governor Stephens made remark
able protesting notation against the pre-
ambe before affixing his signature OF APP
prevail to the resolution. Evidently the
governor had never forgotten Hills alleged
T-GiV no
fore, and the subsequent dueling CORE
spondence and was unwilling to subscribe
to the laudatory character of the preamble.
Historic Resolution and Notation
The following is a copy OF the preamble
and the resolution, adopted by the leg
isature, and Governor Stephens notation
and signature attached:
"Whereas, in the order OF the providence
Of the Great Ruler of the destinies OF ma
lions and men, the Hon. Benjamin Harvey
Hill Georgia's gifted son, orator, 1urist
and statesman, has been removed by death
from her service in the national councils, and
that he, who in the darkest hour Of our
beloved common wealths history, was true
to all Of her interests, and when oVershad-
owed by the clouds and smoke Of political
despotism and all the voices. OF southern
statesmen were hushed and none dared to
break the awful silence and plead the cause
of equal rights before the national tribunal,
stepped into the arena and proclaime that
we are in our fathers house. and with
the power Of his eloquence and the force
of his argument, stayed the crushing bill
lows OF political fanaticism and labored on
in faith and hope till all the SOU hern
states were weIl-nigh freed from carpet
bag misrule and placed abreast with their
sister states.
ut is therefore resolved by the house, the
senate concurring, That a committee Of
one from the senate and two from the
house be appointed to procure life-size
oil painting of the Hon. Benjamin Harvey
Hills likenessy to be by them placed in
the representative hall of this state as a
memento of his distinguished service In
the halls of the national council
NResolved further, That the sum OF one
thousand dollars Cor as much thereof as
may be necessary be, and the same is
hereby, appropriated to pay for said oil
painting, and the governor is authorized
to draw his warrant on the treasury there
for, to be paid out Of any money not other
wise appropriated"
without reference to the preamble this
resolution is approved by me-"
ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS,
Governor.
"December 49, 1892"
| The foregoing preamble and resolution.
with the governors notation and signature,
can be found in the published acts of The
1t is an interesting coincidence that
forty-one years after the death of Hill and
Stephens, the latter Is looking from his
portrait directly at the Hill painting oppo-
site to him in the rotunda of the caoitol
of their native state.