Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1866-01-20
S p E E G Ii
OF
HON. DANIEL w. VOORHEES,,
of Indiana, Delivered in the seth
Congress.

Mr.. Voorhees,, of tudianna, called up
the resolution heretofore submitted by him,
viz:
ResolUtd, That the me sssge of the Pres.
ideut of the Uuitcd States, delivered at
the opening Of the present Congress, is
REGARDED by this body as an able judicous
aud patriotic Stale paper.
HrSofret, That the principles therein
advocated Tor the restoration o. the Union
are The safest and most practicable that
can now be applied ~ our dlsordered do
ne,,ic affairs
HcSO'red, That no State or number of
S's,e' conIederated together can 10 any
mauuer sundcr their connection with the
Federal Uuion, exc pt by a total subver-
sion Of our present system OF Government,
and that the President in nuuclatinG this
doctrine iu his late m,s,age has but given
exp res4ion to the sentiments of all those
who deny the right or power OF State to
sereIc
RoSD(ved, That the President is entitled
to tie thanks Of Congress and the country
for the faithful, wise and successful efforts
to restore civil gov rpmcnt, law aud order
TO the States whose citizens were lately in
ihsurrection against the Federal au,hori-
ty, aud we hrr1by pledge ourselves to aid
aist and uph0ld hIm IN the p,icy which
he has adopted to give harmony, peace
and union to the co4ntrY.
Mr., Voorhees, said that 10 introducing
these resolutions he did not intend to step
in between the majority and the flesh p Is,
He had no eye on the public crib on which
they had fed and fattened SO long nor
upon unfathomable sets, or anything
that was theirs Those of the minority
had lived without such assistance 10 their
patriotism, and would not bend the knee
that thrift might follow iawnipg For hi.
own part, IN the future, as in the past, he
would pursue the course which ae thought
was right, irrespective OF rewards or the
pcrils OF reproach,
What where the issues declared by the
Pre>ident! Were they new, strange aud
sinister that they should be received with
Indignation and alarm they had been as
sailed by the veteran Of the Republican
party. Mr.. Stevens, as it every word was
filed with contagion and death that gen.
gleman had deliberately declared that the
Southern States were destro ed by the re-
beIion, and remain destroyed to the pres
ent day. And now the House were asked
to ravel to pieces all that the President
had done and begin TO reknit them.
He himself should stand by the Pres
dents position rs cure against the blint
empiricism which first prouoances the pa
tent dead and then gives the medicine
lie was in no sense the Presidents parti
san, lie did not support him for election
He decided the issue which would be mad
if he obtained power, but since the Ia,
be took the oath of Office be beheld in him
the magistrate not the private cit tizen. Ill
(Mr. Voorhees) never maintained that tn
Southern States had the right to secede,
Many Of the men OF that section, Will
maintaining the same view, held that the
possessed the right of revolution. To sa
that the Southern States are dead, is t
assert that the war 10 restore the Union
al utter failure, In every aspect was tn
, theory Of the majority iraught with deaf
G and disgrace to the government. With thi
he eontrasted the course Of tho President
who, when the temple of Janus was closed
extended the hand OF friendship to tb
Southern States, to meet the demands {
f the people.
He did not, as others, view the conduc
Of the President as an usurpation Of pow