Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-11-27
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SPEECH o. DAN. w. VOORHEES,, in
sa1y 20 Eea. LBwIs.. WALLAcE, on the
.oc ssitn of the Silver Pitcher presentation,
at Craw.ordsville, on the 1lth inst !;
Mr.. RaB.cs, and
Gstissas Of Montgomery County;
The power of language grows feeo.e ar.
tame at moment ike this. A whole llis-
time of emotion and feeling, such as words
vainlY struggle to describe, seems crowded
into the narrow compass Of single hour by
a scene ike that by which am now sur
rounded. II / could fully and adequately
wrsak the fnllness Of my heart upon express
sion. would pour forth to you in no stinted
measure the strong and burning gratitude
newly awakened to-day By the great honor
YOU have bestowed upon me. Did l say
anewly awakened?' Not so; for at no time
since my good fortune gave me an acquaint-
ance with you has my gratitude for your par
tiality and kindness been allowed to sleep.
A few brief years ago, and oh how brief
they now seem as / glance back over them,
| came here and first set foot in your beauti-
full and hospiteble town as student in the
profession of my choice. From that hour to
this / have been made to experience IN an
unwonted degree, and in almost every con-
ceivable manner and form, the uabroken
friendship, encouragement and support oi
the citizens of Montgomery county. Cold
and still forever must be this heart of mine,
and the dusty seal of the grave upon my
lips. before cease to cherish in the vaults oil
my memory, more fondly than the miser
does his gold, your unselfsh devotion and
your generous confidence The unhesitatiug
trust which you have more than once indica-
ted in what YOU have been kind enough 10
term my integrity to principle, is to me a
more precious treasure, far brighter and
more inestimable jewel than the wealth OF
worlds can buy. He who possesses the con-
fdence of the national men of the country
cannot be poor, though stripped of all the
world beside; though broken upon the wheel
of capricious fortune, yet he is sustained by
a power that the proudest Kings Of the earth
well might envy; and, though dead to the
places Of worldly honor, yet if he lives in
such hearts as now beat around me, flowers
and not thorns, joys and not sc-rows, hope
and not despair, must crown his lot.
We come together to-day, my friends, un-
der more peculiar circumstances than ever
before. We meet for the first time since the
decision of the great battle of the Constitu-
ton to congratulate each other that liberty
and union are still one and inseparable, and
to feryently ask that God who guides the na-
tons of the earth to continue them so forev-
er, in the midst of the great States of our
proud confederacy. You have been pleased
to indicate, as yol say, your appreciation and
approval OF my humble labors in the great
and memorable contest that has Just closed.
The approval of the National Democracy
and the safety of our common country, con-
stitute an ample and all-sufficient reward for
the tolls and political warfare have under
gone. With that am content, and ask no
more. The fact that the partiality Of the De-
mocracy made me their standard-bearer in
this District during the past campaign, has
also been alluded to. / think may say,
without impropriety, that the result, although
different from that to which all our energies
were directed, yet is not such as to beget
shame or modification in the breast of any
Democrat. No selfish grief rankles in my
breast. There is no cause for wall or COM
plant. battled for an adorable principle
That principle is triumphantly endorsed by
the mightiest people of the earth, the un-
purchased and the unpurchaseable voters OF
America. i fought fol the success and glory
of party whose existence and prosperity are
dearer to me than my own. Its fall drags
down with it the pillars of a government more
glorious than Utopean dream, which gives
happiness and peace to millions, and prom.
ises hope to unborn generations. My own
fate amounts to nothing, perhaps, outside o
that sacred ana charmed circle of "wife, chill.
dren and friends" When the warrior falls
fighting in defence Of the liberties Of his
country, if in the hour when the eye becomes
CLASSY and dim, and the heart labors heavily
If in that hour the shout of victorious friends
falls on his dull, cold ear in death, smile o.
peace and exultant Joy illuminates his paflic
features, and his triumph is full. When tn,
shaft of personal defeat entered the greave
of my armor, i heard, in that moment tn
peans of victorious army, in the ranks o
which had been an humble soldier. 1t wa
enough. He who, in an hour like that, in tn
presence Of victory before which AuSter
litz and Marengo grow pale, would turn III
thoughts upon his Insignificant self, bis world
ly aims and ambition, would be found on tn
morning of the Resurrection, coveting th'
gold on the pavement Of the New Jerusalem
instead Of admiring the triumphal processio
of redeemed mankind.
Calumny, vile and black, the offspring of
shameless and corrupt partisan press, has nc
failed to strike with its poisoned fangs at what
ever Of good name I possessed, but at thi
hour embraced by your confidence and boun
up in the fate of the glorious and time-honol
ed Democratic party by chain Of might
principle, inhabita city of refuge impregns
Bile to their assaults of malice. throw dow
the guantlet Of defa1ce against the enemit
that have environed my great party and m
humble self, and here proclaim war to en-
only with life. For myself have no comprC
misses to make with the foes of the Uniol
Let Us have clean victory or perish amid
the ruins of the noblest Government the 81
and stars ever shone upon.
While congratulate you upon avictory
the election of Mr.. Buchanan to the Pres
dency. equal in importance, so far as the gre
interests of mankind are concerned, to Il
victory achieved by cur fathers at Yorktow
vet speak not as if this contest between q
friends and the enemies OF the Constitute
was ended. 1t is not A party has had d
audacity to organize and carry through for Il
first time in our history Presidential canva
on platform only half as wide as the Co
stitution, bounded by a dividing line betwe
the States of this Union, and embracing t
one hideous and revclting principle, th
American citizens are not capable Of Sc
government. Like the serpent of old, Il
new party in plausible disguise has crept in
our fair and lovely Eden of liberty, and wi
giozing lies has caused, alas! too many he
est citizens to eat the forbidden fruit Of d
union. 1t is true that in the late contest
touched this monster with the Ithuriel.spt
Of truth and reason, and caused him to sta
forth in his true demon shape, but the ne
must thicken and grow deeper until this g
and baleful spirit is driven forever from
borders and the Democracy placed as the fit
sworded cherubim at the gates OF our polltl
citadel to guard against his remittance. I
bottomless gulf of popular execration, a
patriotic wrath must be dug for his recepti
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