Year: 1867



 BY HON. D. II. HILL, or GEORGIA. r But it is said the negro race is now free, and made citizens by our laws, and, therefore, are entitled to the po- litical as well as civil equality.

 It is idle to reason with fanatical mind. A fanatic is lunatic. The l conclusions of such are never founded in reason nor affected by experience; {; they are founded in feeling and live l only on passion. We must appeal and still appeal and net cease to appeal to the rational American mind, aud by reason, and the experience of mankind save, if we can, our country from the awful, indescribable horrors which must result, and result soon, from the crazy domination of men who make 'liberty and equality" the touchstones of political wisdom. This mad theory is nothing but war upon the teachings of reason, the experience of all ages, and the law of God. It was never the doctrine of any but the agents of rev. olution, and it never bore for any peo- pie any fruits but anarchy and blood and the evils that follow in the train of unrestrained passions.

 But to suppose, as an abstract prop ostion, we concede the negro race is entitled to political equality; how does that justify these military bills 1? Does the negro's right to vote author Congress If it is right to enfran- chise the negro, is it right to disfran- chise the whites?

 No principle is better or more uni versally conceded ia American politics than that the people of thc States alone must regulate the political franchises of their citizens--each State for itself. If this principle is to be rejected then no other need be respected. The first great question we must determine is this: Do we mean to support the Constitution, or do we mean to violate it? Do we mean, when we swear to support the Constitution, to vote for that which violates the Constitution and justify our perjury by some vagary abont abstract right? l press the question to every mans conscience. Have you OBTAINED YOUR CONSENT to I EA~,stttot.n,, n4,,ft dodge, or explain, or qualify; answer the question. Have you obtained your consent to disregard the Constitution Have you obtained your consent to swear to support the Constitution, and then flippantly write or say, "The Constitution is dead?" If dead, why swear to support it! If not to be re- garded, or respected, or observed, why swear to support it? The military bills are conceded to be unconstitu- tional. Whether we be States or Ter ritories or provinces, Congress is for bidden by the Constitution to deny trial by jury, or to authorize warrant without oath, or put upon trial without indictment, or suspend habeas corpus, except during insurrection or invasion, in case of a citizen, or establish militia ry rule over citizens in time of peace, anywhere--in any single foot of land State, Territory or Province. These, these, oh, my deluded countrymen these are the constitutional shield and buekler, and helmet, and breastplatc of every grade and color, on every inch of American soil. They are the whole armor of liberty. And every one of these the military bills authorize to be disregarded, and placed at the will of a military officer, who is not even a citizen of the State or territory in which he dominates!

 ask again and again, and I beseech all men to ask; it is the earnest, anx- ious, piercing appeal of the dying hope of liberty: AXE YOU WILLING TO vIo- LATE THE CONSTITUTION Are you willing, first, to swear to support it., WITH THE INTENT, at the same time of SWEARING to violate it? Then, pro- claim-all posterity will proclaim your hell-mortgaged conscience will never cease to proclaim: you are PER- JUREp, and perjury is not HALF your crime--you commit perjnry in order to become traitor!.

 And now mark this: The very oath which you take requires you to swear to support the Constitution, and ifyou take that oath and then vote for con- vention to carry out these military bills, or aid in carrying them out, you vote to accept. to approve, to establish that which is violation of the Consti- tuition, and, just as sure as passion shall subside, and reason return to our peo- pie, and sober. oath-observing patriot ism shall again rule in the land, so sure will you be branded, and justly brand ed, as fclon and whipped throughout the land with the singing, ceaselcss lasher of public infamy, because you took an oath to support the Constitu- ton with intent to violate, because you committed perjury in order that you might help to destroy your country. And in vain will you hunt excuses to paliate your changeless infamy. The malignity which now makes you call patriots rebels, the cowardiee which continues war upon the unresistins whom you induced, with the most sa,