The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-08-18
SPEECH or MR.. VOORHEES,.


some cane, bearing very complimentary
inscription, was presented to Hon. D. w.
Voorhees, by his friends at Washington.
In accepting it he made an eloquent
speech, from which VIC give the following
extracts eee,
You have most kindly alluded to my
course in public life. entered Congress
Eve years ago in the midst of grief and
gloom. Civil war was upon us like
balefnl simeon of the desert, darkening
the very sun aud quenching the light Of
the stars: Men were cropping about in
tho darkness and confusion for firm po.
litical footings. Some left their old and
solid positions to take their places on the
shifting and treachcrous quicksands Of
the hour. There was n vast political mi
rage just before US oil deluding us away
from the ancient landmarks of safety.
Many plunged forward into its deceitful
Fcmbrace aud thus increased our calami.
tics. They acted rs If the Constitution
had already perished in the storm, and
society was remitted to its original ele-
ments wherein each man is u law unto
himself. On the contrary, / recalled the
sublime origin of that instrument, the
wisdom that framed it, the startling mag
niicence and glory which il had given
our country in the midst of the nations
of the earth, its suGiciency in times past
for all the purposes of war and of peace,
and | determined that whatever others
might do, on it, and on 1t alone, would
build the house of my political faith. The
winds have beat upon it, the rains have
descended, but that house has not fallen
| have lived to hear the Executive Of the
nation proclaim from the steps of his
mansion to the listening ears of the civ
ilized world that the Constitution is once
more unrolled and lifted up for the heal
ing of the people. have lived to hear
him declare that it needs no amendment
that it was sufficient for our fathers,
and that it is sufficient for us | have
lived to hear him denounce its original,
ancient aud persistent enemies as traitors
to their country. Gentlemen, the Con-
stitution is once more triumphing. II
has passed through long night, but the
dawn is breaking. Malignant elements,
1t is true, still strive TO rctard the coming
day of deliverance, but they will be dis
PEELED before the SHOWS of another winter
whitcn the earth. There is great polit-
ical alliance now being formed between
which no combination shall stand. II is
the alliance of the American people with
Andrew johnson on the basis OF re.
stored Constitution and an unbroken
Union.
Butin uiy devotion to the Constitution
of my country it has often been charged
!. that lost sight of the importance of the
union of the States. Is this true I? Can
| ne, who give5 all the labors Of his life TO
the supremacy of the Constitution, be an
enemy to the Union Did /, or those
with whom | acted, engender and foster
the fierce sectional animosities which re-
suited in war? Did /, or my friends, aid
in enacting laws in nearly one-half of the
Northern States prior to an appeal to
arms, multiplying the laws of Congress, and
making it felony for any one to attempt
to enforce them in their borders? Was
not the Democratic party rather engaged
in close and terrible contest with a par.
ty whose watchwords were "No Union
with shareholders" "The Union is a
league with hell, and n covenant with
death, "Down with the fauuting lie, /"
"Let the South go she can't be kicked
out of the Union ~ Did We ever circu-
late Helpers Infamous book with nearly
a hundred of the names of our party
leaders to il Did We liken the execu.
i, tion OF John Brown to the crucifxion OF
our Saviour Gentlemen, there IS a re-
cord of the past which cannot perish. II
bears the impress Of dark premeditated
n crime-crime against the Union and the
peace of the United States. The leaders
of the party which now holds high car.
nival over the rights and liberties of the
people in the halls of Congress were dis
unionists before the war and arc disunion-
lists now nor would they have professed
to be for the Union even during the four
years of war but for the fact that they
thought that they could use the engines
of war and its results to carry out their
long-cherished purposes and overthrow
our system of government.
These arc the men who have impeached
my devotion to the Union. There were
many and powerful reasons why they
should be in favor of dismemberment
ofthe country-none why I should. They
hated and still hate the people of the
, South. I loved them then, and I love
them now. The Northern disunionists
never desired, and do not desire to live
on terms of equality with the Southern
people. They do not claim them as
|, friends, or love that portion of the coun.
try. hail them as American citizens
: equal under the law, and entitled to all
their rights under tho Constitution.
have never seen moment since our trou.
, bles began that I would not have given
!, my life to restore them to their allegi.
ance and fellowship in the Union. It is
9 constantly charged that there is a sym.
pathy between the Democracy of the
: North and the people of the South. II
may be SO. I trust it is; but if such
|, is the fact, why should we have wished q
permanent separation from our friends
: leaving us naked and exposed to the ran.
cor of a merciless, sectional party? No
/ \ Al