The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-04-07
81 & rsPEECH OF
Hon. j. B. GRINNELL.

The House being in Committee of the
Whole on, the State Of the Union, and
having under consideration the Navy Ap.
preparation Bill, Mr. Grinnell, said; an
Mr.. Chairman: We have listened this af
ternoon to very remarkable speech from
the gentleman from Indiana. IMr Voorhees, |
/. regret that lie is not now in his seat,
as shall notice few Of his most extraors
dinary statements. One Of his first utter.
ances was that we are at the feet Of a usur-
per. That is no small compliment to the
President Of the UunitedS ates. He a usurperl
Why, sir. we saw him, on the eastern por-
tico Of this Capitol, take the oath to support
the Constitution of the United States That
was not the act Of d susurper; and all his
acts are in keeping with his oath, in my
judgment. 1iat@ 7Af
The gentleman also informs us that the
Republic is dying. IF it be dying / desire
TO ask him how? Dying, if at all, by the
acts Of traitors in arms at the South, and of
sympath,zers on this floor, and in theDorth-
ern part of the country, avowed Democrats.
\ He passed out Of his way to ftraduce one
Of the Generals of the National Army, He
calls him "the monster Burnside Why
has that gallant officer drawn upon his head
the vials of the gentleman's wrath? Is It
because General Burnside was always in
the front of his army and was ever ready
to fight? A friend Of mine who happened to
have two sons in TIE army, once said to me
that | should not criticise SO much Me-
Clellan, "for." said be. "he is a man that.
love" asked him what he had done. The
reply was, "He is friend of NINE have
had two sons under him for many months
in the army. and they have come home
without ascratch. thank God" That is the
condition Of the General himself As I un
derstand, he has never been in the range Of
nusket ball or capnon-shot: and he is wor-
thy Of the gentleman g compliments. y
The gentleman from Indiana eulogizes
Clement L. VaIlandigham as Christian
statesman. Clement L. Vallandigham a
Christian statesman! Whv, sir did we not
hear him declare onthis floor during the
last session. Of Congress that he:never had
voted, and he never would vote, dollar to
carry on this war? And yet he is lsuded
here as a Christian and q patriot He was
placed in the right position now among the
Tories of Canada. .-,.;... ''s's 4 go -
He further asks, has the Administration
given us domestic tranqu;lityi will tell
the gentleman why we have not now do.
mestic tranquility? It's because the Gov
ernment has been engaged in fighting the
armed enemy atEthe' Sonth and at.the same
time fighting the insidious enemy in the
rear at home. The people. understand this.
The gentleman r. m Indiana has alluded
to another pnre- minded patriot, as he calls
him, Mr.. Alexander Stephens. the pure.
minded patriot of Georgia grant you
sir, that Mr.. Stephens is a noble Democrat
after the gentleman's pattern; and why?
Mr.. Stevens has declared that the founda-
tions of the Southern Confederacv are diff.
ferent from those Of any other republic, It's
cnrner-stnna resting on negro slavery. 4
The gentleman says that peace would
come if the leaders on both sides would
stand aside. DO the loya, people Of the
country ask that? Are twenty million Of
people to bow down before six or eight mil.
ion in arms, upheld by three million Of
slavess And yet that is the test the gen.
tleman invites, which allies his votes given
during this session Of Congress to measures
which in my judgment afford the highest
qualification to the traitcrs' conclave at
Richmond. -.