The Van Buren press., 1869-04-20
Senator spragus's Speech.
Senator SpTasus, in sddTessing the
Senate a few days since, said

success. la point of means, think my
contributions exceeds that OF all the
other members of the Senate
And what position do We occupy to
day? Il there peace at the South Is
there spirit of harmonious influence
here IN this Senate toward those people y
Do their occupations prosper: Are they
not in state Of chronic revelation
And have YOU not had four long years in
which TO assure peace among that people, =
have called TO the individual attention
of Senator'S, and have called to the at
ten.ion Of the body, the fact of the loss
of nearly ALL may say. to day, all Of
your industrial interests ; but the apathy
which seems to have been inocuiated into
every nerve and into every vein Of this
body aud of the country, will not allow
them 10 believe it until the mischief Is up
on them. Your immigration fell off thir-
~ thousand last year from the year be
fore II Why is that so Is it not a clear
case that it must be so ? Where can these
people obtain employment. by coming
here? If they take possession OF. the
farms at the West can they produce suili-
cient to supply themselves, at The cost OF
everything now, with the ordinary neces
saries of life Sir, il cannot be done
They cannot come here; and is it not
shame and 4 disgrace to all your legis
lston that it should be so? d
You have lost your commerce. You
ask the reason for it ! and there Is not
man in this chamber ths; gives satsfuc-
tory reason for the loss, except and be
cause We are not paying specie for our
bill. The rea.en is plain and simple that
the construction of your treasury is such
| that you, In common with the capitalists
of this country, are specializing upon
every industry and upon every laboring
occupations That is the reason, and there
Is no other told you the other day
that the condition in which the crops Of
the South we're placed, consequent on
high prices. was the most dangcrou, and
/ disastrous position that it was possible to
I place them in, for the apparent high prices
here give a stimulus to the operations in
aud thc production Of cotton in Egypt,
in India, and in Brazil 1t is my deliber-
ate Judgment, and nobody can gainsay
it, that in five years you will be clamor-
ing here for tariff to keep out foreign
cotton. How IRE you going to pay your
debts with that state of things Send
more bonds to Europe, send more Of
your capital away from the Industries
of the people .oae "'i ...
! .ft 1os Eru.nf 80 sd
There is paralysis throughout this
| body and throughout the country.
have pointed to Mexican society, l have
pointed to Spanish society, | have point
| ell to Italian society, and if have read
anything find that when they powerful
civilized, refined, commenced the demor-
! alization and loss Of honor aud virtue
and prosperity. they occupied similar
position to that in which this country Is
| placed to- day. .IDu eaH '..
favored the election Of General Grant
in opposition to the aspirations OF one
sssaeH Sasftt IT ths 7iiii iiriiac,cos 81 those who had
had charge OF tho government, that he
would have capacity TO see through the
ntrieacies Of the things about him, and
would judge more correctly Of the exac,
condition in which things were, unbiased,
unprejudiced, uninfluenced. I watched
his inaugural with anxiety. listened to
every word that he uttered | respond
ed to the words wherein he prorcsccd to
be the champion of freedom and liberty :;
that he should be independent and fear.
less in the discharge OF his duties; but 7
,csnt array ,cith a sorrowing heart rhen 7
heard that etaase nt his inaugural that he
,ooaid protect the government debt. / sou
that tic cankcr thal had possessed the body
poiific Qt the -fms,icoR mutton hnd not 10
him. Tent array ldisheortenea, so,row
'a9, n2aro'cd.l But, sir, / will not give
up the ship, even with that impression. I
hope he viii discover the error into
which he has been led by bad advisers.
and will retrsct, rctrogradc, turn away, a.
he would from a charncl house
For this speech, SO damaging to Radi-
ca!ism, the Senator has been made the
! butt for ridicule by smart writer's and
bitter partisans, some of whom charge
him with insanity, others with being the
sport Of his wife's ambitious flncies, and
others with being the mere creature of
his fatherin.law Chase, who, it is said, is
prepared to ruin party he could not
control. Sprague, himself, has answered
these calumnies, and they are now the
text for many vol written letters by regu.
lar correspondents at the Capital, among
them the noted Don Piae, who thus gives
his convictions .''.
This gentleman. who has occupied,
with becoming punctualitv. his chair in
the, Senate for years. saying little or no.
thing, has sud ienly broken out in an ora.
torical way more astonishing than pleas
ant. ,,5a.. i...t.i a,i.,t l,6 .II 10 auat
After closing my letter yesterday, 1 |
passed over to the Senate Chamber and
found the Senator in one of his spasms
OF talk. lie is not distinguished by his
personal gct-up, nor attractive from his
graces Of oratory. Small of stature, and
and very slender, he throws his little
round scull forward from his shoulders
like the figure head Of a vessel, and jerks
bis words out in a crack.whip sort of u
way that is yet more striking by the .jerhy
gesticulation with which he accompanies
them. lie reminds one of that feeble
minded lite Barnacle bya continual co n.
test with his gold trimmed eve glasses