North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-07-29
SPEECH
HON. D. w. VOORHEES,
... INDIANA,
DELIVERED AT CONCORD, N. II JULY 4th, 1866
To an Approving Audiaace of 10000
Continued

! Continued | .s. . jan. .- ....
| Thus reasoned the fathers of New Eng
land and in like manner will reason their
children. ] have often gaznd long and atten,
lively npo7 the assembled group on the deck
OF the M1ytlower as you see that vessel
idle as painted ship upon painted
| ocean" npon the canvas in the rQtunda of
| the Capitol. How small was their ;untrv
at that moment, but how fee! They DOS
scsSed not one toot Of ground They had
weighed country, home, ancestral raves, all
ID the balance against liberty, and found
them light as empty air. How insignificant
to them in that hour seemed all the wars Of
occupation and possession which from the
beginning of time have defaced this beautiful
earth aud destroyed the image of Cod! A.
time, and lis interests and pleasures 1eceie
and disappear from the eye Of the dying
Christian, and Heaven and its glories mag
Nifty themselves to his awak";c,;;.;,- senses 8,
10 the Pilgrims on the face of the waters the
love of liberty rose with such efI'ulrence in
their minds that all else became obScured
hike the stars hiding their dimi ,ished ligft
bfiore the sun of monday. That little speck
alone on the despIate bosom of the great
deep, anima led and Inpcled, however, by d
prmcpie lndcstrnctble as matter eternal.
aud of equal origin with the human soul,
ht.f, Ipb tI I,I,
empires G'il prostra;c, p tent As the elements
themselves, and trIumphing over them in
search o: u new theatre OF glory, has ever
Geen to my mind lesson for the American
statesman. Though free commonwealth
be no larger than the decd Of a ship, cut of
from either shore, yet under G cd it is a pow
er and llght in the midst Cf the earth The
voice OF the Messiah cries out 0 US from the
fountains Of Inspiration What shall it
profit man if h gain the whole world and
lose his own soul A voice too comes up
from the to)mbs Of dead Republics Of former
ages, saying to the American people: "What
saaII it profit You you maintain by the
sword your extensive possession and lose
your own liberties" No; rather a country
on board the Mayaower again, rather the
narrow limits of Plymouth rock, rather the
original boundaries of the old thirteen colo.
mics, vi the undsturbed enj pyment of
Constitutional liberty, than the possession
of all the lands on which the dews of Heav-
en- descend, with the unrestrained caprice
aud unbridled will of one man for my govern
ment. "C"mpared TO the breach Of our Con-
,titution says Edward Livingston" ;" and the
establishment If al bitrary power, every other
topic is trihng arguments of convenience
sink into nothing the preservation of wealth,
the increase of commerce, however weIghty
on other occasions here lose their importance
when the fundamental principles of freedom
are in danger" Will it be said that our OBJ
seryations on this point have no sufficient
facts for their support? VIII it be contend
ed that there is nothing in the current his
tory Of the day to warrant a well-gro unded
apprehension that American liberty is in
danger? Must prove by argument tina,
the sunis shining2 Must demonst
that the night follows the day ? This ser
vile cry of all is WELL" in the face of the
unbounded exercise of lawess power, leads
to but one result as inevitably as mathemat,
ical science reaches its conclusions. The
fawning cOurtier who, from the bare motive
# promotion and gain, seconds with the
voice and smile of appreciation every en-
roachm ent on the rights OF the people, is the
most dangeaous instrument by which pop
ula governments have been overthrown in
all ages of the world. lie seeks to full the
people into false sense of security, and at
the same time invites the daring usurper to
h"!dd,y bound over every barrier. A cele-
brated foreigner thus fairly describes the
manner in which this class obtain eminence
and fay,r with a corrupt and designing exec
utivc: .t. F ef.....|
sOnc makes fortune because he can crnge nu-
other be cruise he lie this be .duse h1 sea-
sonaoly dishonors himself that because he betrays
his frieud but the surest to mount as high as
Alberoni is offer like him, ragouts of mushrooms
to the Duke of VeRdorne. and there are VendOrnes
everywhere. They who are called great have gener-
aliy no other asseniency over US but what weak
ness premits them. what onr mcanness gives them
The class here portrayedis is unfortunately
ormdable at this time in control of public
sentiment. BY it, every warning voice in
behalf of the supremacy Of the Constitution
and the rights Of the citizen under it is at
ouce clam prously denounced as evidence Of
hostility to the Government. It's pecliar
province is to paint to the public eye the dis
penssrs Of patronage as incapable of
error, infallible, without spot or
bletnish, and subjedt to none of the infrmi-
ties of sinful flesh. The disciples of this
school Of political Magdalens have the extra
| ordinary aculty of Transforming the most