Hill On Hayes

Some inonths ago, Senator Hill, of , Georgia, who was, upon Mr. Hayes' nccession to office, so kindly disposed toward the President as to almost excite the suspicion of his Democratie ! ente, pnblished somo rather caustic ; liisions. to the President' civil-sewicr policy. These remarks have been sharply commeiited upon by Northern jonrnals. Mr. Hill, replying to a Georgia ucqnaintance, defeuds his accusation in the following letter : Atlanta, Ga., Oct. 2, 1878. My Deak Sik: In this day of much priuting it is almost impossible to havo one's opinions or motivos ourreetly ropresontod. I mippoKo it is beoause misrepresentation is o easy. I have never casi any"alurs upon the Preeident" I have nevel esprossed auy ITnttemeas toward Mr. Hayes," because I liave never feit any. I have never complained orindulgediu any piqne because Mr, Hayos did not appoiut persons to office who were reconvmended by me. I have never ïecommeildcd any. I have indorsod somo npplicants as qualilied, and have groatly dcsiro.cl toBCothe civil service improvcd- espceially in the Soutli. I trust do man who knows ine aeeds to be assured that in the discharge of my public du tisa I ;mi incapablo of being infloi in. i', by personal piques and disappointmont.s. V. itli me ;i 11 personal feelings ana relations, wheSher ol fhendBhip or othorwise, are sútiinliuati cl to Hit' public good. lïut I should bc uncandid ir I duf not confesa that I havo been most grievously disappointed in bothMr. Hayes and hís administration. If my grieyance waa only personal the world would never siiapect it in my official conduct and opinión. It is be! cause my grievanco relatos only to our national cbaracter and tho public weal that I make known it.s existence, and will proceed to set forth briefly my roaaons tor it I believe that what is known as onr 'vivil serviee" a it noiv exista, and has long existcd, is a crime against popular govcinmont aud eivilizatdon, l believe it lias been tho chief cause of man; kroubleffand corrupflons in the past, und if not thoroughly reformcd ivill gurety undermine and dostroy our free insötutions. I' Hill not stop boro to diacusss tho grounds of this belief. They liave been long and well ron sidered, and hare produeed absoluto convietion. Ialwaysdid abhor that old party slogan, "To the victore behing the spoils." It was liever Buited to any but bandits and plnndorers, and was always disgiaoefnl to men claimingto be patriota and stateamen. It reduces the si of govorninont to the trieks of gamblers, the bypocrisy of demagogues aud tl; blows of rufBans. IheardMr. Hayes when, in his inaugural address, be aunounced his policy, or ratlicr lus [uirpoHe of civil-servico reform. To say I was ploased would feobly oxpress the truth. lu apite of my conriction that he was not elected by the people, but owed his office to onmitigated frauds for which I believed he w?.s not responsiblc, I feit willing to bnry this last and greatest wrong with the many that had proceded it, and for which all sides were moro or less respcmsible, and unite my humble efforta in support of a poliqy wbicb, in my judgment, prönuséd eseape to our whole country from all BUeh wronge in the future. Wliat if. spoken of as Mr. Hayes' Southern policy was of far lees signifieauce. The ; ern policy was a necessity of the situatioiL Mr. Hayes had no power to avoid it. The oud ol carpet bag plundering in the South and disgrace tottienatfon had come by ovonts. Even Gen. Grafit saw that tho anny could no longer be osed to sattle coetepted elections in the atetes ' and maintain robbers in power. But with our ' eorrupt atid ever-corruptiug civil sorvice the situation was different. ïhis evil had its origin before the war. It had grown vp under uie uurturc of the leaders of partías, ithadpushed it il 'i-azen sTipportere aud beneficiarios, to the fniiit Mats of authority. It had grown and Btrengthened with every ycar, and seemed to liaveintrenched itself impregnably during Gen. Qrant's administration. VVhen, thereforo, in tho very day of its insolent power, in thovery midst i of its pampered eourtiers, and on the very field of its greatest sway, Mr. Hayes annouuced in i clear and unfaltering voice his purpose to stranI glc this hydra of many heads, he seemed to exI liibit the courage, manliness and patriotism of hui: wurthy to 'lm President. This exhibition ■h hopea of the man, and sbveral I ico aiid fraali interviews whieh I feit on couragéd to seek withhim greatly strengthened and encouraged these hopes. Now, my iriend, it is tho otter and siekemng dijappoiutmont whieh these hopes have experiemed, and nothing elHC, which has forced from me the few worfls to whieh you alinde; and which have been falsely construed by Bepubliean papers to express personal bitterness and hnstility on my part toward President Hayes. Iu my opinión Mr. Hayos has utterly faileg to improve - indeed, has strangely thrown away - an opportunity to make for himself a name worthy to bc eurollcd with that of 'Wasliiñgtóü, beoause that opportunity improved would have conferred on his country a benefit equal to any conferred by Washington himself. He has failed becauee ho has shown himself nöorlyunequal to nis opportunity. Helias shown himi self uncqual in that 'he has utterly failed t realize that the Chief Magistrate f a great eouniry lias no personal friends, no persona] Íes, and owes no personal obligations, but is ander obligations only to his country, aud to that eountry's honor, glory, prosperity, eonsti1 tutioH and laws. He has thrown away an opportanity to honor himself, aud even his country, by recogrúzing an obligation to reward ; th'ose who, by frauds most disgracefnl to their ■ country, gave him this opportunity. He Uas thrown away the graude.it opportunity. ever ! given to man, ojily that he might givo offices to as worthless a set of rapsenllions as everdis graced humanity. A man may become President by reaaou of a crime and vet himself not be tainted or even culpable. Twiee, in our liistory, have Jiien beeome Presidents by reasou of crime. Andrew Jo'mson becarae President by reaton of a wtoked and fpiil assasBinaiion. Mr. Hayes became President by reason of a wicketi and foul conspiracy to chango, and which -did chango, tho ballots of the people aftor íhose ballots hiuí been cast. Yet eaeh necamo President through th forms of the eonstitutiou and laws. How did Mi'. Johnson doal with those whoeommitted and who were charged with aiding to eommit the crime by which he became President? íle ! pursued them punishmcnt with such vigor 1 that, as all the world non believes, an innocont WDÍñan was hanged! How has Mr. Hayos dealt wiih those who committed and thoso wlm were charged with aiding to eommit the crime by v.hich became President? If you will.oxamine the list from the humblest manager of ': eloction precinets iu Florida nnd Louisiaua, ül igh tibié rísiting stateemen (as flièy are now j in mockery ealled), and up tí) and through the ' ira! Commission, aud show me ouo, black or white, high or low. who is knowu to be guüty, or who is BUSpecied of the guilt of this críate, wli has not re;oived or been olTeied im oílice, you will rílievr to that extent the pain and mortificación I feel in looking over {hese siokening developments. There waa a woman charged to be among the i conspirators in both erimes. In Mr. Johnson's oa.se ISib. Surratt, protesting her innocence ■ v. itb an hoaest woman'a tears and a devoted motber's entreatie, was chained aud mix'ked and j hung! Ín Mr. Hayes case, Agnes Jenks, confessing bot giiüt iii blazen gibberish never before equaled, roceivee auofliceof good pa-y uud little work in the treasury, and that, too, at a time wheii ladies of unquestioued vortli, with hun: gry chüdreD, and husbands slain in battle, wore ! rudely turnea aw:.y v.ith the gruff answer " no ncies." If, instead of fleeing as acriminal, Wilkes Booth had sought the' presenco of Aadrew Johnson as ono who had rendered tho latter good service, aud Mr. Johnson had ontert.iined him at tho Kxecutive Mansion and given liim an oftice, what would the world havo said? Wliat wimld you say? Lottors have boon produced before the Potter committeo, writteñ by líepublican members of CongreSB, which wero writteu to liepublican friends and not inteuded for publication, whicli strUdngly exhibit the superior influonee of Kellogg, Packard, Wells, and Anderson at the Executivo Mansión. In other ways wo know now that almost every person coniieetcd with the fraud has claimed or exercised special intlueuce or favor at the White House. Hut the contrast may bo stated iu one short sentence: In Mr. Johnson's case all the crimináis, roal or suspected, wero specially markod for punishment. In Mr. Hayes1 case all the ennnnals, i-oal or Kuspocted, were specially marked for reward. I would be really glad if I could llnd somo exouse, some apology or somo pallialion for o ooiirsn Mr. Hayos has pursuod in this matter. 1 But, after full consideration, I can find none. It is no palliation to say that assassination ma a greater crime than fraud. Both were crimes. i If it is riglit to reward crime at all, then tho i greatest crimes should receive the highest re' , wards. You eannot produce innocence, much less merit, by grading crimes. All deserve ; pu ïishment and none are entitled to reward. ui reward fraud isa greater crimethan to comniit i!. for the reward invites many commissions. If Andrew Johnson had rewarded Booth t!ie whole world would have prondunced him a greater criminal than Booth. It is dlfficult to oonoeiveof a greater crime than the defeat by fraud of the popular will in a governmont which resta on the popular will. If thero be a greater crime it is committed by those who reward the authors of such frau'd, for sueh reward invites the perpetual defeat of the popular wiU, and, therefore, a direct subversión of the Government, and assumes the most iusidious l'orni of treason. It is worse than no (Musí - it i.s itself a erimo to say that Mr. Hayos was onder obligations to these authorsof' fraud. If thero liad boen no assassm Booth there would havo been no President Johnson. Hut was tho President, therefore, under obligation to the assassiü? If there had been lio frauds iu Florida and Louisiana thero would have boon no President Ifciyea Is tho l're-i dont, therefore. undor obhgatiou to all who ■ helped to conimit the trand? It (seoms that all havi' elaimefl reward. It is no apology to say that Mr. Haye } ! believe these people were guilty of anyfraud. I It wm hto duty 'to jirotoct the cliaractw of tho nat ni and tilo integritv of tlio admiiiislratioii. He can do neitbor by pïacing great numbers of men in oflieo who aio chargi d with crimes and whom kfrgely more tlmn half of the people bolievo are gnilty. In (ratb. I do nut bolicve any Intelligent man doubta theirguilt Jiut 1 trust ui bave in this country a snmeient number of men of luieuspëctod honcsty to Jill the officeH, ana botn public eharacïer and the public interesis roquín tliat only sueh men Hhould be appointed. Bosides., if these men jera in truth innocent thev would not havo asked or accepted oftice f rom Mr. Hayes, f or they tíouM tíot havo been wiUinR tq bririg weaknesa ti(pn the adniin - iatration or disrepnte npon Uie i vil servioo. Their universal and brazen demanda for offloe is the bjgbest proof of Uieir gnilt, for it shova thev earriiotlüng fur Mr. Huyes - nothing for the'honor of the country- nothing for the good repute of the civil service. Thoir overy act in presshig f cir office shows that roward was their object, and reward thev niuat havo. Every man of the guilty gang who has not been natisfied wifli tliu oflico ofïercd liim has confossed the frauda. Every man wiio lias not eonfossed the, f rauda has beon kopt Batisfted with office. Why shonld lic conforts whosc cgnfeesion would defeat Ms reward V How does it happen tliat those only are not entitled to belief who confesa the fraude? And liow doe it happen tliat tho credit of noiH was denied uutil after eonfessiou was made? It is no palliation now to say that the larger numbor ol tliosc appointments wcro made l certain members, or by a member of tho (kabinet. If Mr. Johnson had made Wilkos Jiooth a nionibor of liis ('abüiut he could not have eoniplained if Bootli liad provided jilaceu for his tiiols and subordinatoH. Nevertheless, if, wben tho roi-lati(His on this subject wore made bofore ho Potter coinniitteo, Mr. Hayos liad promptly urdí red a Bweep'ing purgaHoü for the civil serviro of thoso ohnoxior.s chai-aotors, :is I greatly ! hopcil be would do. he would have boon fargely vindieated. Instoad, however, of diHinissing anv he appointed more, and some of tlie appoirituïenra seemed to have the special purpose of suppressing or affeoting testimony béfore the cominitteo. If anything were wántíng to increa.se the wii-liod heinonsáesa of the frauds upon tlio bailóte in (florida and Louisiana it will bo found in the only excuse' whicli the authors and abottors of these frauds have offerod for thoir porpe'raüon. It must nover be forgotton that tho yit'at J'adB are nol denied, but adinitloil - to wit. that the bailo were ehanged after they were cast. and the verdict of tho people reverwjd after it had boon rendood ana was known. The excase for this, as allegod, is that thefc wero inümidationa at the precincta whieh prevented a tree expresaion by tho people. If this excuse is falsi; iii tact, thentlie crime stands couïesséd witüout excuso. Those of iis who havo bei n familiar with carpet-bag villainies kuoivfrom the rirst that the excuse was false ; but tho proof now revealod abundautly shows that the excuse is not only falso, but was aetually manufactured for tho expresa purpose of a cover for the f rand. Th lis the excuso itself becomes part of the f raud, and tho most infamous part oï it. Xat only was the exeuse itself mauufactured, but tho'ividoiioc to mase the exeuse deceive the Northern jk-ojjIc was also nmnufactnrod in tho ( usii.in House in New oiieans and elaewhere. loi-iiii s aro shown to havo boen mmierous, and perjurios wcro socurod under promises of reward. lu this vile work meu holding bi&b positions took active part, and every one who took such part bas rocoivod high oftiee froni Mr. llaves, and has thus. been enabled to b come lümself a dispenser of rewards to bis subordina -. Tako it all in all- its .origin, its extent, its wieked adroituess, its deliberation, the varioty of characters snagea, ts numberless perjurios and reckleaa forgeries, itH marvelous sueeess and its absolute control of a graat govemment of unequaled patronage for iis reward - and it must le coulesscd that the Presidential fraud of 1870 fa without a parallel in auy histury. It dwarfs all othor frauds, conspiracies and robberiea into comparative insignifieauee. Il' allowed to go nnpuniabed it will elévate perjury iuto a vir'tue. forgery toto an art, and will rodtlcd ntiurpation to a ciéñete! Il han pVen me no pica are to writc this letter. I havï been slow aud reluetant to give np the hopes I had fonnod of this adininistration. I ara not willing even now to (liscredit my own judgment of men so f ar as to admit tliat my lirst impressions of Mr. Hayes were altogothciincorrect I prefer to bohevo, and do bi'lieve. that he has fallen undor the control of men whoworo deeply ravatved in the gufltpf ttiB fraud, and wliose power over liim 1; ha not been able to rosist. Even now, if ho would purge his adininistration of evry person conuected with the frauds he ïnifAt yet rally good men to his support and close his term of service with BOtnetning of benefit to this country and respect for himself. l!ut I fear the serpeuts of fraud h.ivo th ir coils so Wrapped around him ■ that ho is unable and may have beeome unwillingto release hhnseli. Théreia but one more I step betwoen our (ree institutions and I I tion. The Government has beeome iudentiih il with fraud. and is administorod by the authors of fraud. ïf the peoplo shall fail to repudíate tbn f rand and its authors. abettors and rewarders. then wc shall liave entored upon that phasc of our career when the ojiicew and immense patronage of ihis richest of countries will take the fonn of glittering prizüs offered to induce the (iommission of crimes agaiust the popular , will. Assassius will be made héroes, and the greatcst crimináis will beeome most entitlcd to i e.ijov the houors and live on the benefactious ' of' govorninent. liovond that., the man who talksof tho Kafety aml pnrity of popular goveromenta will be :i lunatic. Your friend. Benjamin H. Hti.l. Hen. Kobort ('. Hniuber, Katonttm, Ga.