Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-04-10

hOn. OahieI w. fOOrhces made speech
before the Democratic Convention at Indiun>
apolis last week, of which the following is
the substance:
SPEECH or MR. VOORHEES,.
Under the circumstances in the midst of
which L have retu: ned to IndIana, welcome
such us you have given me Is peculiarly graf
flying attribute it, however, but to one
thing not to personal merit, but to that iu-
te=rity that has commanded the respect of
our fellow citizens ever since it was enunciu-
ted in Holy Scripture 81 have fought The
good fight, and kept the faith" My first
thought to-day is one of ferveAt gratitude to
Almighty God for the changed circumstances
that surround US since was in u Democratic
Convention i'll Indiana. There are no cannon
now to the right or left of US, aud no bayo-
nets around or about Us, as there were then
l congratula the Democrats of indiana that
they have compact organization that it
! stands firm and true, where it has ever stood,
for the Constitution of our country. for the
Union OF our States, for liberty aud law
We are now rapidly advat cling into II terrible
conflict in behalf OF our ancient principles
We are approaching one of the most eventlul
crises that has ever occurred in the history
of political parties i'll this country. The con.
test is not with any new or unknown Toe.
am not an old man, but | have met this
enemy before. We fought that party before
the late war thirty yeurs ago, when it had
dsunIon, the higher law, disruption Of the
bonds OF hurnIuny Inscribed us now upon its
bunner. 1t is represented now by the Con.
gress of the United States. The Union of
the States, supremacy of the Constitution.
preservation OF civil Liberty is to-day. SO far
as civil power can represent it, represented
by the United States. Great cheers. Here
stands the two cUntendrug parties; the Con-
ventluH that met here on the I'D of February
made their choice; they chose to say in the
miserable insulting resolution to the President
that they would stand by him while he stood
by the Constitution, and that they would
judge how far aud how long he stood by the
Constitution, but that Congress WAS the proper
depository of power to emuuciatc the princi-
Piles of restoration and further, that they
would support Congress ut all hazards. On
that resolution the issue is presented to the
people of Indiunu. have SAID that the party
to which we are opposed Il dIsuuium 1urtv
1t is represented by the Stevenses and Sum
mer.., the leading GIsunionists of the Iand-
But Tor them the Southern men would never
have moved in their schemes of uIsuuiun
These men were not for the Union in the
beginning, when then the South attempted to
sccede. Witness their newspapers In
dianapois Journal, Cimcinnutt Commercial,
New York Tribune, all saying Let the South
60" They talk about us beng the diSuniun
party When and where was there ever IL
convention, township, county, State Or Ma.
tiUnal, but what resolved that the Union of
these States must be restored? I he only
difference between thcm aud us was that when
the war broke out, these men that never loved
the Union, seeing schemes of plunder aud
political rule looming up, thought they would
slide into power Oh professions of patriotism
and of being honest men. What do we see
now Are they for the Union of the States!
They say the Southern States shall not be
restored except upon their destructive, des-
pOtlc tyrannlcal partisan principles. The war
Is over aud thUse States desire to RETURN
The President desires to assist them to re
turn, but the leaders OF this party, the men
whom the Republican party vi Indiana en-
dUrses, shut the door inthrIr faces and refuse
to receive them. Is there 4 nrun who says
it is done because diSluyal Representatives.
offer themselvcsI | Saw battle Scared
Colonel from Arkansas present himself, but
lie was not permitted even the courtesy ut
the floor of the House. Why? Because
they regarded the State as dead, having no
political existence that i'll attempting to
destroy the Union, they killed th hemselvrs
l hold to no such doctrine.
When they say they will admit representa>
ton from the South us soon as they send loyal
men, it is false, for the record has been made
against them twenty times by men who have
taken the oath, and who have borne scars t.f
honorable warfare in defense Of the Union
Sh !. this state of things lie prulouY d My
Scripture dues IOt read. = Thou shalt hate
thy neIghbor," but Thou shalt love thy
neighbOr )" and when see the President Of
the Unlted States adopting the words Of con-
clliatlon, saying, 81 want to see harmony once
more. desire nothing more than the resto-
ration of the Union OF the fathers. My for
eign policy would be strengthened by iepre-
sentatives being admitted from the SOUTH
My financial policy would becolLe stronger,
the credit of the Government increased by
seeing the war completely terminated. And
when, On the other hand. | sec the malignant
savage majority in Congress. hunger,ng for
the spoils of plunder. SUI eau hesitate what
course should pursue 7"
l took my stand carly for the President
thought | saw his policy tending for good
He was not my President or yours, but let us
do rI"ht aud stand by him who gives evidence
to the country that he is trying to do right
! him whom ! know to be an iron man, who
has this day his grip ON the throat OF that
factious minority III Congress. When know
that he intends to mash them, or that they
shall mash him when that nashng process
goes on. am for assisting Andy johnson.
[Great cheers. You may think bear some
memory Of the wrongs have received at the
hands OF Congress. Net at all On the con-
trary. they paid me compliment when, in
violation of law and dccency, they dismissed
me from the body that had become loathe-
snme i'll consequence of its own corruption,
and permitted me to seek the society Of re-
spectacle people. They left me to choose my
own company, and you see how have done
it. [Checrs.] Not merely dues Congress re-
fuse admission to the SCARED veterans Of the