Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-07-22
THE PRESIDENCY.
ISSUES OF TIE CAMPAIGN
A CORNERSTONE STATEMENT.
Great Speech or Hon. T. A. Hen
dricES, or Indiana, In The
United States Senate,
July IA, 1868.


Mr.. Hendrieks-Mr. President, IL vi
/ my desire st this time to submit son
rather extended remarks to the SenA
upon the political questions now Occl
plying public attention but the cond
ton of my health to-day will only allO
s brief reference to them.
have observed for some days past
purpose on the part OF Senators VIII
represent the majority to avoid the pos
ton Of the de:ensiye;s and to assume,
possible, that OF the offensive in this pc
litical contest. In my judgment that
neither practicable nor possible on thei
part; 1t is not in the nature of the case
For eight years the Federal Govern
ment and most of the State govern
ments of the North have been cOntrOlle
| by the party now in the majority il
Congress, and il is not possible that tina
party can avoid 8 response to the peOpl
upon the questions that sttrsct publi
attention.
Waving an inquiry into the conduc
of that party during the war, which
they claim it is not just to make, anC
| combining the inquiry to the three year
since the close of the war and the return
Of peace, there are certain important
questions that must be answered. And
nrsf, the people will desire to know very
distinctly and emphaticslly what hR;
been done with the 81 200 100000 thst
have been collected from them under
the internal revenue law and the
tariff system since the first day of July,
1855. 1 know that S400,00 900 may be
accounted for at least in part in the pay
ment If interest upon the public debt.
Then the people will want to know how
il il, independently of the interest upon
the public debt, that IL has taken $780,
900, 200 to carry this Government through
a period If three years, when in time
OF peaee il used to require but from sixty
to seventy or eighty million dollars an
nually. The people will wish to know
during this contest whether this enOr-
nous sum Of money, which has put the
citizen everywhere over the land upon
the observance Of the strictest economy
to respond to the demands of the Gov
eminent, has been expended in the pro-
motion CT the interests Ct the party
whether it has been expended TO extenu
the enterprises Of the country, or to main
tain in the Southern States that system
OF government which had gradually pro.
eeeded from step to step in srrayirg one
race sg4inst another; whether It has
been expended in genuine acts Of benev-
Oienee and kindness, or in maintaining
8 political system by which the coloreu
people have been OIg4niZed throughout
the South into POLITICAL party; in other
words, whether this enormous sum that
has been vrung from the people has
seen expended Tor their benefit, for the
promotion of their interests and their
g Jod, or for other purposes; and no arts
Of the orator or rgenuity Of the sOphist
can avoid an answer 70 that grave and
important inquiry.
Why Is 1t, sir, that in q time OF pro-
found peace it has cost 500 900 900 8
year TO support an army OF fifty-six
thousand The people especially vii!
want an answer 20 that question when
you propose to elect 10 the Presidency
he head Of that army, who for portion
u mat period was not only the General
u the army, but the Secretary of War.
rhey want 10 know how il was that
Turing the administration OF the depart .
nent 0y him 1t cost at the rate Of Sl20,-
'uG! ODO TO support the War Department 7.
md army, when il used to cost but ST.
w 900 10 the regiment. The people will .
want TO know why it is that in time OF .
peace, when we have no war,
kept inconsiderable strifes on our bOr-
ers with the Indians, sos, 600 600 were
10 the fiscal year before The
ast, 10 maintain the army, independent
I bOnntes, and That for the quarter
7hen the candidate for the Presidency
vas the Secretary Of War, it cost shout
hirty million dollars, or at the rate of
10000, eco per annum & O0O, 900 TO the
egiment; 5000 to the man. The pe0-
lie will want the majority in Congress,
hen they demand the continuance Of
over beyond this period Of eight years,
, answer why II is that so much money
drawn from them by the extraordi-
airy power Of taxation, that il may thus
0 to support The most expensive mill
lry system that hes ever been known
] the world.
l might speak of some Of these ex.
enditures. l might speak OF that favor
ism 10 small way which has shown
SELF IN the publication in the neWspa-
srs that are favored by speoiSl leEisla
on IN the District of Columbia OF no.
ces FOR iucODsiderable army supplies
pom the Rio Grande, and at tire distant
IRIS, when IL was impossible, from the
ate Of the publication that any man ,
Juld receive Information by such publi-
alton, which would enable him TO com
9te Ia the bidding. ! might speak of ,
Their expenditures OF like sort. indicat- 8
q favUTitism not worthy Of any polit- I
al party that claims the confidence of J
10 country, but l will not OCCUPY SO Z
Uch Of the time of the Senate. /
The people will wish TO know during 9
rs contest why 1t Is that the Supreme G
1urt has been denied the right 10 in
lire into the cOnstitutiOnality Of the [
gisletlon OF this Congress. The people q
BOW that the S9premeGo1 was estSb- t
he'd rs one OF the securities TO their 3
Derty, IS one OF the props and pillars Z
lderneath their institutions. They a
ant to know Why this prop and pillar j
Is been stricken down, and for what Q
'litlcal and party purpose it has been
me. III your legislation be coDstltu- v
)pal, valid, and right, then the people d
III wish 70 know why Congress should %
leld ltself la It's enEOtIents from that D
quiry that the Constitution Intended [,
Opld be had in regard to all legislation. "
The people during this contest viii Il
sh to know why II is that the execu- h
70 department has been stripped OF
ct power which has been conferred v
on it by the Constitution why il is u
1T Congress has assumed to Itself Gil /
ose powers which, Tor nearly eighty u
ars, were exercised under the Consti q
lion by the executive department and ci
: what purpose Of good to the people a
IS was intended, Why is it that from o.
3 Executive has been taken the re- b
lnsibility for the execution Of the law? ii
by Is Il that 10 the Senate has been n
sumed that responsibility Why is it Il
1t Congress has said that the right TO Vi
move from office shall be taken from in
3 Executive, when that power has
DO exercised, and as l believe accord ~
: to the spirit OF the Constitution, and d
1 know, according TO the construction 10
the fathers, by the Executive ali the N
ne and that in the Senate a many W
aded body, where responsibility Is vi
7ided so that it lights upon no partfc er
II Individual a responsibility should "a
assumed which is worth nothing to
fidelity and security Of the public 70
vice. n,
The people will want TO know why for IA
zee years 2 party with = majority Of d