Year: 1879

The Senate.


M'DoNALD's ARMY BILL.


WASHINGTON, June l1.-Consideraton was
resumed of McDonald's bill to authorize the
use of troops in certain cases, and to repeal
certain election laws.


Senator Hill began speech on the bill by
saying he intended to reply to private allusions
but not to retaliate nor to make personal at.
tack on any Senator. he said his vote in the
Georgia convention was against secession, but
the secession resolution was adopted by the
convention, and after that it was only ques-
zion of whether citizens of the State should up
hold its solemn action in convention. He
therefore signed the ordinance of secession af-
ter its passage, as did all of his colleagues,
though one-thlrd of the members voted with
him against it. BE read from the records ar
ticles from Blaine's late speech, in which the
latter assumed that Hill, rather than have a
minority in the Georgia secession convention,
had consented to the death Of the old Union
by voting with the majority to secede.


Senator Hill said Blaine had misrepresented
the facts contained in the very book he had
quoted from in that speech containing the pro-
ceedings Of the Georgia convention. If that
Senator intended. by the manner in which he
represented thosa facts, to show that in that
convention, on the test question as to whether
Georgia should or should not secede, he (HilD
T..
he stated that which the document he pro-
fessed to have in his hand taught him was not
true.


As Senator Blaine had chosen to introduce
the subject he thought it proper to give the
facts in the premises in the form of a histori-
cal statement. While there was great diversity
of opinion throughout the South on the main
question as to whether secession should take
place or not, it was universally conceded that
If State should decline to secede, when that
declared will should be ascertained, it was the
duty of all her citizens to support her acts
and two reasons were given for that: First,
that to oppose the will Of the State. after that
will had been officially ascertained and de.
clared, could only result in civil war among
the States. which was determined at all haz-
ards to be avoided. Second, because il was
believed if the Northern people saw there was
unanimity in the Southern States it would
have the happy moral effect of avoiding the
catastrophe of sectional war, as it was widely
charged that the movement for seces sion was
merely factious.


There we're many Southern men who sedu.
lously opposed secession, and who believed
that if war could only be avoided for a few
months the actual difference could be adjusted
and war averted. If the Senator from Maine
had seen fl to say that my vote on secession was
Inconsistent with my expressed principles
should have cared nothing for the statement of
his opinion, but for soTe purpose of his own
he chose to profess facts which did not exist
and upon this double Misrepresentation of facts
he displayed his wit and smartness, and all
when he knew was seven hundred miles away.
I make this simple statement, Senators, to the
Judgment of honest men and honorable de-
baterH without comment


Senator bill then spoke of the clamor raised
by his assertion that the Democrats were large
ly instrumental in saving the Union. He de-
MED that what he said could be construed as
meaning that Republicans did not also help in
l>,,AL 81 Iol S,&- H. e
the rolls of Union troops the names of the
Democrats, and will any man say the war
against secession would have succeeded" This
was what he had meant, but before continuing
he said there had been persistent effort on
the part of the Republican press and other
ways to hold him up to execration as brutal
and cruel man. He had been charged years
ago with introducing retaliatory war measures
in the confederate Senate. So far from this
being true he showed from the records that he
was unalterably opposed to any. war measures
not in the line Of the lights ard ac-
eording 10 tho law of the nations. When
there seemed danger that such
measures might IN the excitement of the time
be adopted he while opposing all legislation
on the subject, drafted and held in reprieve in
case of need, an act declaring persons or
parties raiding, marauding and committing
outrages under pretense of being federal
troops to be criminals. Real soldiers were not
touched by the provision, but it was framed in
view of the wide spread apprehension of ser
vile insurrection following the emancipation
proclamation. No legislation on the subject
was had, however, not even this moderate
measure drafted by himself.


Senator HILL after further vindicating him.
self from similar charges and denouncing the
unfair attacks pom him, said he had under
stood his political opponents had sent agents
through the South to hunt up his ''record." J"
He had never made it a practice to preserve
or 1effera IN n n
of hls would ever be found justifying charge
that at any time during, before or after the
war he had ever spoken in the slightest degree
disrespectfully of the Union of States under
the cons tuition; He had spoken burning
words against the Republican party, against
the war, against reconstruction, but for q
Union of States. partly national. partly fed
cral, as framed by Madison and expounded by
Webster, he had felt a constant admiration
from the time when he first understood to this
hour. Upon this subject he de6ed criticism
and challenge malice.


Senator Hill in further remarks showed that
he had never been an extremist in politics and
consequently had been denounced by seces-
sionists a nationalist. and was now blamed
by the consolidation element as a secessionist.
He believed that the true theory of the Union
was that neither the State nor national gov
eminent was master of the other and quoted
from Websters utterances to confirm his view.


Senator Hill closed with an eloquent appeal
to the American people to abandon sectional
ism, whether tending towards secession or des-
potism, and return to the constitutional gov
ernment as inaugurated by Madison and ex-
pounded by Webster, and as it stands unalter-
ed by the issues growing out of the war. His
remarks were frequently interrupted by ap-
plause in the galleries.


Senator Blaine gave motto. he would, at an
other time, reply to Senator Hill remarks.


Senator Morrill, then read speech princi-
pally devoted to a defense of the ReDublican
party and support its financial policy as OPP
posed to the initiation plans of the Democratic
party. He eulogized the resumption policy,
dwelt upon the reduction Of the public debt
and, while not charging the Democrats with
advocating reputation, said all repudiationists
found congenial resting place among them.


THE LEGISLATIVE BILL.


Senator Beck, from the committee on ap-
propriations, reported back, with sundry
amendments. the House legislative, executive
and judicial appropriation bill and said ht
would endeavor to have it taken up for action
tomorrow. Ordered printed and placed or
the calendar.


JUDICIAL EXPENSES.


The Senate went into executive session anC
when the doors were reopened the President
pro tenn. laid before the Senate the House bill
making appropriations for certain judicial ex
peuses of the government, which was referred
to the committee on appropriations.


CONFERENCE.


The President pru tenn. appointed Senator
Davis, W. Va, Wallace and Allison member
uf the conference committee on the bill re
pealing certain clauses OF the sundry civil ap
preparation act of the last session, the House