The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-02-05
An Eloquent speech.

Until the present time we have been un-
able to find a full report of the able speech
made in the United States Senate by Hon
Henry 8. Lane of Indiana We copy there
from all our space will warrant, but regret
that we are compelled to omit single word
of the eloquent effort. The first extract re-
fers to the arbitrary arrests made IN
Kentucky, over which such floods OF croco-
die tears have been shed by Northern To-
ries: and the second relates to the traitor
ous threat of division and reconstruction
Of the Union which shall leave New Eng
land out We commend both extracts to the
careful perusal of our readers
"No, let us 60 for moment to the ar
,ests which have been made in the State OF
Kentucky. The distinguished Senator from
Kentucky TMr Powell characterizes those
arrests as acts of usurpatiou and oppression,
in direct violation of the Constitution, and
dangerous to the public liberties. Who are
the men who were arrested in the State OF
Kentucky, and under what circumstances
With a dsloyal Governor, as was generally
believed in sympathy with the rebellion !;
with disoyal Legislature, ready to carry
ths S.ate into the Confederacy with many
OF her most gifted and distinguished sons
already in the ranks of The rebel army, and
many preparing to leave that Commonwealth
to Join the rebel army, certain arrests were
made in Kentucky, the most prominent OF
which was the arrest of Charles S. More
head, now an emissary Of treasn to the
courts OF Europe, denouncing the Govern
ment which has protected him, and the Con-
s,itution which, in the presence of God and
man. he has again and again sworn to sup.
port There is one Of the blessed martyrs
to Linco'n's usurpation and oppression
But the distinguished Senator from Ken
lucky says that perhaps six hundred OF
the citizens of Kentucky have, first and
last been restrained of their liberty by these
military arrests. Has the distinguished Sen
ator from Kentucky ever thought to himself
how many citizens Of Kentucky, loyal and
true, have bee, .inushiere by the enemy
upon the hattie field or led into captivity
worse than death' While denouncing the
Administration for IA unauthorized exercise
of authority, has he ever reflected upon the
raid of Morgan, Of Bragg, and OF Buckner,
which carried desolation over the fair fields
of kentucky, with robbery, murder, plum
der, arson. treason, and all the da'nnlng
critres in the catalogue Of human crime,
darkening upon the skirts of the rebellion 7
We hear from him no word Of denunciatlon
of these acts
Let the distinguished Senator from Ken
tucxy take another instance, which appeals
to my heart, which lives in my memory. |
allude to the case of Col Sudduth, Of Bath
county, Kentucky, Union man, who had
been instrumental in raising Union troops
and in carrying Union guns to tbs State OF
Kentucky-an old man, gray haired, almost
seventy years Of age, mild and gentle as
child; yet brave a. a lion. He was driven
from his home, and when he returned, his
first act was to call his fellow citizens togeth-
er and speak to them in reference to the
great crisis now upon us. At night he re-
tired to his house. During the night that
house was surrounded by fifty guerrllas -
He was called out and shut down in cold
blood upon his own threshold and at his
own hearth but he died with his face to
the foe and his back to the geld" Before
his death he shot their Lieutenant, he NOR
tally wounded one and seriously wounded
Rnother of the attacking party. He died in
defense Of the Constitution and the flag he
loved so we'll and what was his crime p
Simply that he loved the Constitution under
.ich he lived /; that he loved his country
and oil the glorious memories surrounding
the country. found home, when an or
phan boy, in that mans house-a friend and
q kinsman. There is theme drawn from
the Senator's own Kentucky, worthy of the
kindness of his heart and the eloquence of
his tongue. 1t may be mere matter Of
taste but for my part would rather hear
eulogies delivered on the martyred dead ef
the Union Army, and upon the efforts of the
Government to suppress rebellion, than this
continual charge Of u>urpation and violation
Of the Constitution.
So much, Mr.. President, for the arrests in
the State of Kentucky. say nething in
unkindness in speaking Of the State of Ken
tucky. These things are said more in sor-
row than in anger" for know the past his
tory Of Kentucky, her devotion to the Union,
her bravery upon the battlefield. Every
battlefield during the war of 1912, from
Lake Erie to New Orleans, bore witness to
her gallantry. Her volunteer soldiery made
the crystal waves of Lake Erie blush red for
the honor of the British name. remember
how that fearless orator and statesman,
Henry Clay. rallied the volunteers of Ken
lucky upon the heights of Georgetown, and
how nobly rang out the battle cry of I" free
trade and sailors rights" l have listened
for the same grand utterances worthy OF
Clay, and worthy of Kentucky, from her
present leaders, but, SO far, hsye listened
in vain. say nothing Is to the motives Of