The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-08-12
New Hampshire Democratic State Con-
VentiOn
8
AT CONCORD, JULY 4, 1868.
SPEECH OF
HON. DANIEL ". VOORHRRS,
OF INDIANA,
OF IN D I A N A,

Voorhees,, Of Indiana, who was received will
the heartiest cheers. He addressed the Con
vention as follows srz
Mr.. PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
1 stand for the first time on the soil OF New
England. l. look for the first time on the
majesty of her mountains and the beautiful
face of her valleys. L feel for the first time
tanning my chsek the winds that arise from
the beating ocean at her feet. I have beheld
for the first time those blooming achievements
of art, science and industry which long since
filled the world with her fame. have pondered
for the first time over the sacred spots of our
national history, contained in her bosom, and
made classic shrines of liberty to every age
and to every people. The scenes which filled
the hours of my boyhood with burning de-
votion to the memory of the great dead, and
which have inspired the maturer years of my
manhood with an unalterable reverence for
their principles and conduct have for the first
time saluted my eye. This to me is land OF
! history. Every step in your midst calls to my
mind the imperishable lustre of the past, the
dear memories Of more fortunate, more bless
ed day than this. And with my face rever-
eDtly bent toward the antiquity of New Eng
land, pray the august shades of l776 to. par
don the feeble though sincere utterance of a
| distant and humble stranger. invoke, too,
| the charitable judgment of my present audi
ence, and appeal to the calm verdict of not
| distant future for the integrity of my views,
| against the blind Injustice of partisan rage.
| We celebrate to day, citizens ofsNew Hamp-
shire, one Of the great anniversaries in the an
nails of the world. Events give import ,nce to-
dates The progress of humanity is mark ed
| and measured on tho map of history by sacred
days of common congratulation and national
festivity. Every people have them, but whose
anniversary of Joy and pride has been so full
of glory as this birthday of constitutional lib
erty Swelling periods of stately eloqucnce,
inspiring song and ambitious art, have all laid
their richest offerings on the altar ofits praise
The ringing bell, the booming cannon, rejoic-4
ing multitudes have ushered it in. We have
vaunted ourselves in the face of all nations
We have gloriedein the flowing cup of our
prosperity. We stood upon the top of the
mountain and claimed kindred with the stars.
We coursed the pathway of national greatness
with the feetDess of the eagle in his aerial
home. Where others crawled, we flew. That
which other nations reached by slow and pain
full steps we attained by single bound. We
disdained the measured gait and plain expert
ence of other people aud other ages, We
struck boldly aud at once while in the very in
fancy Of years for the dazzling and dangerous
heights of Dational supremacy. We bore ri
valry with impatience, and tolerated no supe
riority in any department of human thought
or action. Nature seconded our national pride
Our country vast, various and prolific as an
Eastern fable, presented and still presents such
theatre for industrial and scientific enter
prise as was never before the heritage of any
of the children of men. The sweeping rivers,
the inland seas, the illimitable plains of un-
wonted fertility, the sheltering harbors of com
merce, all proclaim the munifcencn of the
Creator to this Western world. The govern
nent formed in the happy days of our nation
al purity, stimulated there elements of physi-
cal greatness into marvellous activity. Degel-
opement followed deyelopement with the air
of magic. The imagination was bewildered In
keeping pace with the reality. Fancy paused
on tired pinion far short of the lofty peak on
which fact sat securely perched.
This is but feeble and faint picture of the
emotions and sentiments which have inspired
occasions like this in former years. There
were no spots then on the sun. The unbro-
ken theme of every tongue was the boundless
happiness, individual and national, which filed
our borders. I would gladly prolong this
pleasing theme to day. Iwould gladly take
up the accustomed strain of con gratulation.-
7 would gladly surround this occasion with the
bright omens which have cheered similar as
semblages in former times. But we stand in
the presence of sad and mutilated picture.
The bright dream of the ration's youth is
over. The enchanter's spell, under which we
were invincible against evil fortune, and in
vulnerable to the shafts of maevolent disaster
has been rudely dispelled. We stand naked
this day to the biting winds of terrible advers-
ity. The voice of our grief fills the whole
earth. If. we are asked to sing the songs Of
our prosperous days, we will be silent and
weep, as did the daughters of Isreal when
they remembered Jerusalem in their captivity,
and hung their harps upon the willows, and
mingled their tears with the waters of Baby
lon Our Eden has been smitten with curse.
Its sky is dark sned with a raging tempest.-
The Eghtnings glare upon us in hate. Amer
lean soil is drunk with fraternal blood, and
enriched with sinister and ghastly fertility
BY the commingled bones of brethren. Sob
ling sorrow is in every gale. TIE mother
weeps within her widowed home: The cry of the
fatherless goes up strong TO the face of the AL
mighty. crime without name and with
out parallel has been committed against hu-
manity in North America. Let us reckon
with our darkened5 prospects and shattered
hopes as become the defendants of an unfal-
tering and indomitable race. Let us keep the
book Of events fairly and honestly recorded as
We move forward on the stream of time. Let
us attach responsibility for our woes where it
belongs, in aid Of impartial history. Let us
look firmly in the face of the thick, coming
evils of the present hour, in order to overcome
and escape them. Let US, too, if such power
may be given us, penetrate the somber and
sbrouded future, and determine, to some ex-
tent, at least, what fate there awaits the Amer
lcan Republic. sei5 iieih=..litLLe 5azo
It is said, by those who are nov, in power,
and with angry emphasis, that no inquiry