The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-08-05
SENATOR HENDRICKS.
His Great Speech. in The Senate.
FAyoRs SEYMOUR AND BLAIR AND THE DEMc
CRATIC PLATFORM.
Senator Hendricks said:

Senator Hendricks said:
Mr.. PRESIDENT It was my desire at THU
fine to submit some rather extended re
marks to the Senate upon the politica
questions now occupying public attention
but the condition of my health to-day viii
only allow brief reference to them.
have observed for few days past pur
nose on the part of Senators who represen
the majority, to avoid the position of the
defensive, and to assume, if possible, thai
Of the offensive in this political contest
Tn my judgment, that is neither practica
nor possible on their part. 1t is not in thu
nature of the case. For eight years the
Federal Government, and most of the State
governments of the North, have been con
trolled by the party now in the majority in
Congress, and it is impossible that that
party can avoid response to the people
upon the questions that attract public at
tention. Waving an inquiry into the con,
duct of that party during the war, which
they claim it is not just to make, and con-
fining the inquiry to the three years since
the close of the war and the return of peace
there are certain important questions that
must be answered.
And first, the people will desire to know
very distinctly and emphatically what has
been done with the $l,200,000,000 that
have been collected from them under the
;nteranl revenue law and tariff system since
the first day of July, 1865. / know that
-s4O0 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 inter-
est on the public debt, that it has tai en-
$500 100000 to carry on this Government
through period OF three years, when in a
time of peace it used to require but from
sixty to seventy or eighty millions of dol
lars annually. The people win wish to
know during this contest whether this enor-
nous sum of money, which has put the
citizen every where over the land upon the
observance of the strictest economy to re-
spond to the demands of the Government,
has been expended in the promotion of the
public welfare, or has it been expended IN
The promotion Of the interest of party.
Whether it has been expended to extend
the enterprise of the country, or to main
tain in the Southern States that system of
government which has gradually proceeded
from step to step in arraying one race
against another. 1
x Whether it has been expended in genu-
inc acts of benevolence and kindness, or in
maintaining political system by which the
colored people have been organized
throughout the South into political party.
In other words, whether this enormous sum
which has been wrung from the people has
> been expended for their interests and for
their good, or for other purposes. And no
arts Of the orator or ingenuity of the soph-
ist can avoid an answer to that grave, d.
rect and important inquiry. Why is it,
sir, that in time of profound peace it has
cost one hundred millions of dollars year
to support an army of $4,000 men? The
people especially will want an answer to
that question; when yon propose to elect
to the Presidency the head of that army,
who, for a portion. of that period, was not
only the General Of the army, but the Sec
rotary Of War. They want to know how
it was That, during the administration of
the department by him, it cost at the rate
of one hundred and twenty millions to sup
port the War Department and army, when
it used to cost but million of dollars to
the regiment.
The people will want to know why it is
that in a time Of profound peace, when we
on our borders with the Indians, $95 ,O00,-
600 were spent in the fiscal year before the
last to maintain the army, Independent of
bounties, and that for the quarter when the
candidate for the Presidency was the Sec
rotary of War it cost about $50, 900 900, or
at the rate of one hundred and twenty mil
lions per annum-two millions to the regi-
ment, 50 900 to the man. The people will
want the majority in Congress, when they
demand the continuance of power beyond
this period Of eight years, to answer why it
is that go much money is drawn from them
by the extraordinary power of taxation,
that it may thus go to support the most
extensive military system that has ever
been known in the world. ff
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 constitutionality of the legislation of
this Congress. The people know that the
Supreme Court was established as one of
the securities to their liberty-as one of
the props and pillars underneath their in
situations. They want to know why this
prop and pillar has been stricken down,
and for what political party purposes it has
been done. If your legislation be consti-
tutional, valid and right, then the people
will wish to krow why Congress should
shield itself in its enactments from that in
quiry that the Constitution intended should
be had in regard to all legislation. Tho
people during this contest will wish to
know why it is that the Executive depart
ment has been stripped of that power
which has been conferred upon it by the
,efonstitution why. is it that Congress has
o assumed to itself all those powers which,
for nearly eighty years, were exercised un-
der the Constitution by the Executive de-
partment, and for what purpose of coed
to the people this was intendedP
The people will want to know why, for
three years party with majority of two
thirds in Congress have not restored the
Southern States to their practical relations
to the Federal Government? Why is it
that such period has elapsed and no gen.
uine> peaceful and permanent results have
been attained? They know what is the
condition of affairs. They know what tenn
porary enterprise have been set on foot in
the Southern States. They understand all
that quite well but they want to know,
and they demand to know, in my judgment,
with very earnest demand, why 1t is that
these States have not been restored in the
spirit of the Constitution, and with that
harmony which will promote the ,perma-
nency of the Union, the stability of our