Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-03-25
sPEECM OF MIs. GKlNNELL,
-. i- OE IOWA. -..-.--.. tees.
"A Reply to Copperhead Voorhees,,
u. sis. lIrS ils9. Of n(lihna. -H 1888 2

Nv. i.,-.-5-7 OE,s AOSt a. rrru9-77 54rs
A Reply to Copperhead voorhees,
ls9 OF Intlfaha. -F 1898
Z Ls.is3 ytrnps iDH;--- lJ8 ss1s sti
a'Yls sn.s7gc nj WASHINGTON, March 5.
The House being in Committee of tn
Whole, Mr.. Grinnell, Of Iowa, said ey -.f
Mr. Chairman, we have listened this after
noon TO a very remarkable speech from tho
gentleman from I, diana, (Mr. Voorhees)' ]
regret that he is not now in his seal, as
shall notice few Of his most extraordinary
statements. One of his first utterances was
that we are at the feet'of a usu per. That is
no small compliment to the President Of ths
United States. He usurper! Why, sir
we saw him, on the eastern portico of this
Capitol, take the oath to support the Consti
tuition Of the United States That was moi
the act of a usurpsr, and all Ibis acts are in
keeping with his oath in my Judgment 10
The gentleman also informs US that the
Republic is dying If it be dying, desire
to ask him -tows Dyine, If at all, by the
acts of traitorsin IN arms at the South, and o.
sympathizers on this floor, and in the north
era party of the country, avowed Democrats
He passed cut Of his way to traduce one oi
the Generals Of the national army. He calls
him "the monster Burnside. Why has
that gentleman drawn upon his head the yials
of the gentleman's wrath! !! Is it because
Gen. Burnside was always in the front of his
army and was ever ready to. fight? A friend
of mine who happened to have TIVE sons in
the army once said to ne that should not
talk so much against Gen Mcclellan, "for y
said be, "he is man that love" | asked
him what he had done. The reply was, 90 he
is friend of mine. II have had two sons
under him for many months in the army, and
they have come home without a scratch,
thank God ~" That is the condition Of the
General himself. As understand, he has
never been in the range of ,musket ball or
cannon shot and he is worthy Of the gen.
tlenan's compliments. -. .e..r
The gentleman from Indiana eulogizes
Clement L. 7Val'andigham as Christian
statesman. Why, sir, did we not hear him
declare on this very floor, during the last
s. ession Of Congress, that he never had voted,
and that he never would vote dollar to carry
on this war? And yet he is lauded here as
a Christian and a patriot. He was placed in
the right position when he was sent among
his friends at the South, and perhaps he is
not greatly out Of his right position now
among the tories of Canada. @t
He further asks, has the Administration
given us domestic tranquility? | will tell
the gentleman why we have not now domes-
tic tranquility. It is because the govern
ment has been engaged 10 fighting the armed
enemy at the South, and at the same time
fighting the invidious enemy in the rear at
home. The people understand this. FL
The gentleman from Indiana has alluded
to another pure minded patriot, as he calls
him, Mr.. Alexander Il. Stephens, the pure
minded patriot of Georgia. grant you, sir,
that Mr.. Stephens is noble Democrat after
the gentleman's pattern; and why Mr..
Stephens has declared that the foundations
Of the Southern Confederacy are different
from those of any other Republic, its corner
stone resting on negro slavery. ....-1.
The gentleman says that pace would come
if the leaders on both sides would stand
aside. Do the loyal people Of the country
ask that? Are twenty million people to bow
down before eight million people in arms,
upheld by four. million slaves !? And yet
that is the test the gentleman invites, which
allies his votes given doring this session of
Congress to measures which in my judgment
afford the highest qualification to the traitors
conclave at Richmond.
There is here, know, nominally, war
and peace wing to the party in opposition,
and the excuses found for inaction may be
by the plans of the camel bird Of
the desert, known as.'the ostrich. Ask it to
carry No, am bird. Bid it fly; No, !
am camel. Thus has thtre been an altera-
ton of excuses here save on the question OF
early adjournment for dinner andilarge appro-
priations of money.
We ask for more efficient army bill to at
once fill up our depleted regiments in the
field and early bring the rebellion to close,
and you delayed it weeks by denouncing the
policy of the war and the tyranny of draft
The confcation bill, with tender regard for
the traitors, you pronounced unconstitution-
al, and by your votes deliberately asserted
that they who got up this dance of DEATH
should not pay the piper. and that there is
more justice and craftsmanship in securing
the estates Of the rebel slave owners to their
children than to put their proceeds, as a
matter of safety, into the national treasury,
and ofjustice in giving portion to our brave
soldiery and the children of patriots made
orphans in our war of defense of liberty.
To the resolutions which had the honor
to introduce asking for more vigorous efforts
to enlist .acclimated colored men in our army
and spare our Northern mechanics and farm
ers to their industrial employments and their
families, you made opposition establishing
this, that your pr judice against black men
IS stronger than the love for your white con.
stituency, and shows your indisposition to
use that arm of our power and the policy oi
war which the rebels so much dread.
The proposed amendment of the Constitu-
ton. to blot out slavery by Law met with some
favor. These and similar acts give denial
to the assumptions so often made in behalf oi
a neutral party, or peace party, being nei.
ther, but embracing all that is offensive in
these designations, neither cold nor hot, pro
posing no direct Intervention for liberty IS its
spirit no war but with protection to slavery
q condition precedent, and peace on any
terms. sri 7a7
The rebel cause has been discussed by the
gentleman from Indiana and others, and what
more than sigh can have escaped the peace
friends across the rhamber thai
has become the second ''peculial
institution" of the South What terms o.
reprobat,on are heard for that society which
under the instruction of modern Democratic
Cabinet officials, has reduced stealing to one
of the fine arts; digni6ed perjury to the rank
of the learned professions; and raised assas
sination to the keystone in the arch of cardi
nal virtues, supported by robbing Of the poor
and the rearing Of their children for the
None. The hope of the return
of the traitors to the Union is found in {
leniency Of this government to their institu
ton for which they made war, and the resto
ration of Democracy to power is dependent
either upon the defeat of our armies or the
return of their allies Of eleven States into the
Union. Such is the party in whose golden
circles are held the carnival of traitors, and
so base and shameless is its political harlotry
Who would not, for the honor of his country
rather 60 backward and hide its nakedness
than name the party founded by Jefferson as