Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-08-05
Speech Of Hon. T. A. Hendricks,

OF INDIANA,
In THE UNITED STATES SENATE, ON THE 4Tr
July, 1868, ON THE ISSUES OF THE PREsy
DENTAL CAMPAIGN.
Mr.. Hendricks-Mr. President, it WAS my
desire at this time to submit some rather ex,
tended remarks to the Senate upon the politi
cal questions now occupying public attention
but the condition of my health to-day will
only allow brief reference to them.
Ihave observed for some days past a pur
pose on the part of Senators who represent
the majority to avoid the position of the de-
fensive, and to assume, if possible, that of the
offensive in this political contest. In my
Judgment that is neither practicable nor pos
sible on their part; it is not in the nature oi
the case For eight years the Federal Gov
errment and most OF the State governments
of the North have been controlled by the
party now in the majority in Congr ess, and it
is not possible that that party can avoid re,
sponse to the people upon the questions that
attract public attention.
Waving an ioquiry into the conduct OF
that party during the =ar, which they claim
it is not just to make. aud cohfining the in
chS
war and the return Of peace, there are GER
tain important questions hat must be an
swered And, first, the people will desire to
know very distinctly and e,nphalically what
has been done with the 81, 200, ,000,0 900 that
have been collected from them under the in
ternal revenue law and the tariff system since
the first day of July, 1865. know that
100000, 900 may be accounted for at least
in part in the payment of interest upon the
public debt. Then the people will want to
know how it is, independently of the interest
upon tie public debt, that it has taken $780,
100000 to- carry this governments through q
period ofthree years. when in time OF peace
it used to require but from sixty to seventy
or eighty million dollars annually: The peo-
pie will wish to know during this contest
whether this enormous sum of money, which
has put the citizaps everywhere oyer the land
upon the observance Of the strctest economy
10 respond to the demands of the Govern
ment, has been expanded in the promotion of
the public welfare, or whether 1T has been ex-
pended in the promotion of the interests of q
party; whether it has been expended to ex-
tend the enterprises of the country or to
maintain in the Southern States that system
of government which had gradually proceeded
from step to step in arraying one race against
another; whether it has been expended in
genuine acts of benevolence and kindness, OR
in maintaining political system by which the
colored people have been organized through
out the South into political party, in other
words, whether this enormous sum that has
been wrung from the people has been expen.
ded for their benefit, for the promotion Of
their interests and their good, or for other
purposes; and no arts of the orator or inge
nuity of the sophist can avoid an,answer tc
the grave and important inquiry.
Why is it, sir, that in time of profound
peace it hos cost SlOO,O0O,O0O year to sup.
port an army of 6fty-six thousand. Thepeo
pIe especially will want an answer to that
question when you propose to elect to the
Presidency the head of that army, who for g
portion of that period was not only the Gen
eral of the army, but the Secretary of War
They want to know how it was that during
the administration of the department by him
it cost at the rate of $120,0OO,0 900 to support
the War Department and army, when it used
to cost but 81 ,O60,00C to the regiment. The
people will want to know why it is that in q
time of profound peace, when we have no war
except incopsderable strifes on our borders
with the Indians, $95 900 900 were expended
in the fiscal year before the last, to maintain
the army, Independent of bounties, and thai
TO- the quarter when the candidate for the
Presidency was the Secretary OF War, it cost
about thirty million dollars, or at the rate o.
Sl2O, ,0OO,6OO per annum &2,000,QO0 10 the
regiment; $4,000 to the man. The people
will want the majority, in Congress, when they
demand the continuance Of power beyond tins
period Cf eight years, to answer why it is
that so much money is drawn fro1l them by
the extraordinary power Of taxation, that II
may thus go to support the most expensive
military system that has ever been known IN
the world.
might speak of some of these expendi'
lures. ( night spesk ef that fagoritism in
small way which has SHOWN ltfett in ne pub
LEGATION in the newspapers that aFe fayored by
special legislation in the District Of Columbia
of notices for inconsiderable army supplies
upon the Rio Grande, and at the.distant forts
when it was impossible, from the date of the
publication that any man could receive infor.
nation By such publication which would en-.
able him to compete in. the bidding. might
spesk Of other expenditures of like sort, in
dicalirg q tavoritism not worthy of any polit
! cal party that cisips the confidence of the
country, but will not occupy SO much ofthe
time of the Senate.
The people will wish to know during this
contest Why it is that the Supreme Court has
been denied the right to inquire into the con
| stitutiouality of tile legislation of this Con
gress. The people know that the Supreme
Court was established as one of the securities
to their liberty, as one Of the props and pill
lars underneath their institutions. They wan
to know why this prop and pillar has beer
stricken down, snd for yhat political and par
ty purpose it has been done. If yopF legisla
ton Be constitutional, valid, and right, ther
the people will wish TO know why Congress
should shield itself in its enactments from
that inquiry that the Constitution intended
should be had in regard to all legislation.
The people during this contestIwill wish tt
know ,yhy isthat the executive departmen
has been strippsl of that power which ha
! been conferred upon 1t by the, Constitution
why it IS that Congress has: assumed to, itsaeel
! atI those powers which, for nearly eighty years