Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-13
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HON. DANIEL W. VOORHEES,,
- THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, FEB. %. 1863

OOhrit-e. consequently may not De 20 tamil
lar with the rules Of propriety that obtain among
members of deliberative bodies a. Others who have
bad more experience But must coufess. Mr
Speaker that, with my limited experience. have
observed the course OF this debate with amaze
ment, and with some degree OF honest indigna
ton.
This debate was opened by the gentleman from
New York, Mr Oir With lecture To this side
OF the House, informing how he desired We
should discuss this question he expected US 10
observe certain rules and maxims laid down by
him for the government Of our minds and of our
tongues. tie informed W. what were 20 say,
and in what spirit were To say it Our de
pertinent was his especial care He gave Us that
kind of warning beforehand that schOomasters
sometimes indulge in when their pupils are about
10 be paraded on exhibition before the public
We were desired TO behave ourselves and 70 pur
sue certain line of conduct marked out for Us in
advance by his magisteria authority The air OF
a testy. domineerng pedagogue pervaded the
style and substance of all his remarks.
Now, sir, with all the respect that have for
the position which the gentleman from New
York occupies as Chairman of the Military Com
mitee, allow me to inform him plainly TO his face
that | know OF nothing IN his position, nothing
in his principles. nothing in his talents, nothing
in his character. that entities him TO make, or
justifies him i'm attempting To make tor me- or Tor
any member of the minority this side OF the
House any rule of conduct any subject what
ever. Those which he has laid down TO govern
this discussion will not find respectful considera
ton at my hands, much less adoption.
After him comes the strap and button gentle
from Pennsylvania, Mr. Clmpbelll who
howled forth his threats on this floor like some
angry animal in pursuit of prey. lie tells us
what will happen 10 Ls both here and hereafter.
He consigns all. benevolently chartably
10 eternal condemnation and special damnation
That is very kind of him Possibly it has affected
somebody's nerves Doubtless it did affect his
own. must say. however, that il did not affect
mine at all, except gust of harsh and dis
cordant sound is always more or less Earring to
my nervous system. 1t passed by this side of
the House wind. somewhat unpleasant
and disgusting, but entirely harmless. | submit
that the military and malicious gentleman from
Pennsy lvania has no right thus to afiliet and
nov the prosecuted minority in this Hall.
After him. in the order of debate the other
side, comes that strange aud eccentric gentleman
from Ohio, Mr.. Bingham who so often holds
this House and these galleries in listening and
wondering suspense and attention. In his private
intercourse he is one Of the kindest and most
amiable gentlemen whom | ever had the good
fortune To meet; but on this floor stranger
would take him to be, not merely Cato the Cen
SCR. for. | believe. Cato very dignIted and
certainly the gentleman from Ohio hardly ever
is laughter but some furious actor in n play,
whose part required him To scod and rave at
every human being who was SO unfortunate as Ia
fall beneath his dreadful scowl. He is stormy
and terrible to those who know him not. but To
those who know him we'll, gentle as summer
and rs tender as the dove who woos his mate.
am apologIzing for his manner to those who do
not understand him. His terrific outbreaks here
against the minority may be regarded "A sort OF
pleasant episode 10 the grave proceedings of this
House. little ridiculous. but perfectly innocent
Ii is only his manner that is severe, not his mat
ter. He tells us what will be tolerated. and what
will not be tolerated. how we shall behave, what
we shall say, what will be worthy of u. aud
what unworthy of US. lie starts out by telling
us that the language of the distinguished gentle
man from Ohio. Mr. Vallandighaml who held
spell bound this House from the position in which
| stand, with one of the ablest arguments | ever
heard, all unworthy of member of this
body. Who constituted him Judge Of his col
leaguesr Where does he find the authority To
arralgn his peers OH this fioorI Sir, there is hut
one reply to language aud conduct like this. We
reject with scorn your un 'sked advice; we spurn
your offensive lectures; We despise your puere
threats: we defy the malice which actuates them
We hold YOU and your outrageous insolence in
sovereign and most unmlugated contempt. While
YOU keep within the rules OF propriety aud of duty
all will be we'll; but whenever you step out of
them, as YOU have 10 night you have my an
Sir il i'll becomes gentlemen who have met
with reputation at the hands of their people;
who. for their policy and conduct on this floor.
have been rejected by their own constituents. and
who stand condemned before the country. To come
here and lecture Democratic members. In com.
mon decency you ought to keep silent. rs mere
cumberers OF the ground. whose days are mum
bercd Popular maiorities have been piled up
against you by thousands and tens of thousands
Loyal people have spoken your knell the funeral
bell has been tolled over your political graves by
patriotic hands: the grass Is growing green on
the sod which covers YOU. Aud vet you dare
come here 10 lecture living mcnl We bear in our
bodies political vitality YOU are political ghosts.
specters from political grave yards. where the
people buried YOU last fall. and wrote on YOUR
tOmbstones. "NO resurrection How dare You
lecture the living. who yet stand the shores at
time. and who have something % do with earthly
afursY Laughter invoke the spell Of
decency aud oi regard for proprety and. in the
name OF that spell. exercise these spirits. aud
tell them, down. down, 10 whence YOU came "
Laughter The ~ man whom Dante saw in
hs vision OF hell. ''hoary white with ED, sitting
"Beslde the wocful tide Of Acheron.p
is waiting for YOU below
"Cpisg, woe 60 YOU. wicked spiritsl hope not
Ever 20 see the *, again. come
To take you g. the 9th shorc across
Into ttrrna darkness there 90 dWell
In fierce heat and ice. And thou who there
Standr~t. live spirtsi stand apart and leave
These who are dead"
You talk about what j. worthy and unworthy
Shall 4 accept gibbering and squeiking political
ghosts who will troop home on the 9TH of March
10 the vast charnel house OF repudiatcd politicians
my mastetsg | own but one master in this
Governments IS the sovereign people | rep
resent a loyal and magnificent constituency They
know me ell
They my faults a little blind"
But TO my virtues very kind"
We live somew hat according To the Scriptures.
for We love one another. What fail i'm works
rs their representative they credit 10 good inien
tons To them, Ia grateful memory of the past.
| acknowledge my responsibility TO night IL j.
their right 81 approve or condemn | accent no
verdict. however. on my principles or my conduct
at the hands OF the fossil remains of dead party
which, when alive, was not even respectable
Before my constituents stand ready 10 be
Judged. They have already judged me They
have judged my Democratic friends too. who
sit around They have jndgea my Demo
cratic colleagues from the State ct Indiana We
have passed the popular ordeal a. YOU have: aud
while YOU have been made 90 ferry the melan
eholy hood-the river Styx--with the grim ferry
man, which poets write OF, unto the kingdom of
perpetual night, 20 return % the living land no
mote IN the tesl, We stand here renewed and
strengthened by the life giving power Of po3u
lar approval-the embodiment VI the popular