Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-04-13
sPRAGUE.-
His Last Speech.


land has again spoken. This time he falls
below the standard he had set up, and instead
of ventilating the Senate and its corruptions,
he has only given himself good airing
Having pompously advertised himself, much
was expected from him, but the millionaire
Sprague didn't meet expectation. The job
was too extensive for one of his mental calibre,
and at point where success was SO greatly
desired, he founders and gives his political
opponents the advantage. On Thursday last,
the rump Senate had up for consideration,
bill to amend an act imposing taxes. on dis
titled spirits and tobacco, and upon this the
Rhode Islander went in, and so far as any re-
port of his speech has reached us, he never
got out again. The following sy nopsis of his
remarks, we take from the Baltimore Sun of
Friday:
Mr.. Spraguc said it was not his purpose to
address himself directly to the question be-
fore the Senate. He complained that dis
examinations were made in favor of importers
The Senate was not conversant with the BUS
mess interests of the country, and what he
C0mDlllDeu OF WAS tudL lHC 1ubClSStS Va ehS
people we're being constantly tempered with
for the object of raising government revenue
Everything was done tor the government
nothing for the people.
Mr. Sherman did not wish to interrupt his
friend, but every section of this bill had been
framed after consultation with those whose
interests were to be effected by it.
Mr.. Sprague.-Such Is not my information.
20 from
The attendance in the galleries to-day is sig
nificant. Whether those who occupy these
seats are here from curiosity, or from deep in
terest in the welfare of the country, each
who sits there can best tell for himself. When
public man becomes satisfied that he has
heretofore been wrong in views he has taken
it is his duty to retract them, and he had con-
ceived it to be his duty to come here and give
the Senate and the country the benefit OF his
anxious thoughts and deep reflections, which
had now become part of his nature. There
is no reason why Senators should not change,
unless they wish to continue to arrogate to
themselves all power. DO the people of the
United States reflect that there is no check
on this body? Look at the Executive
What a spectacle was there presented. Was
there not an effort which convulsed the
whole country when the President OF the
United States was brought 70 the bar of the
Senate to be tried for what the Senate deemed
an undue exercise of power! And what has
been the spectacle of the last few weeks
when this body has held to its power with a
tenacitv unsurpassed in the annals OF tyranny
When thoughtful men look at the three
branches of the government they must feel
satisfied that the powers exercised by them
are far in advance Of the powers exercised
when the constitution first made.
We have in the country two great religious
societies not only controlling religion, bu pol
itics and the social life of the people. lie
pointed the reflective mind to the growth
which was otherwise than that ori ginaIly con
templated when the constitution was formed
Two great railroads stretching across the con-
tinent are here before the Senate cOntending
for vast powers and he asked the people of the
United States if it was pleasant spectacle
to them to see Senators ranged on one side or
the other Of these great corporations Look
at the trades, look at the two classes in New
York, the rich on one side and the poor on
the other Will they not respond to the
words 1 am utterng? The times had sadly
changed since he came into the arena of pub
lie and private life. Everything that was
great and powerful was throwing its overshad-
owing influence all over the land. The ex>
ample of the government in arrogating to it
self all power is followed as fast as it can by
the people.
lie had intended to elucidate these points,
which had been prepared in words such as he
was himself not capable of framing, by those
who could do better; but for the ideas and
thoughts. he would not take the second place
to any man in the Senate, nor in the country.
.ali L., 70 ElnTh bod ho0
been uttered before hut they had not taken the
hold OF the popular heart that they did now.
Never before had the future of this country
appeared so gloomy to the people of the Uni>
ted States as now. They were weighed and
pressed down by dim forebodings; they know
not what to do, and they looked to the Con-
cress for relief They listened to his words,
and they felt, from the forcshadowiuS Of the
remedy, that there was hope for them. lie
had no desire to create sensation !; he did
not care to come before the gaze of the peo-
pie of the country. He would have been
glad to have gone and hid himself from sight
rather than to witness the impending ruin
which was surely to come upon this country
unless the policy of this body was reversed
1t had always been his nature from boyhood
to seclude himself and to keep his views and
reflections from every one, and he might have
continued, as member of this body, to keep
silent and apparently inattentive to what was
going on around him. But he could not do
it he could not keep still and see the ruin
which was so surely to bury this country
Things we're not half so satisfactory as they
were year ago. Letters were coming to him
from all parts of the country soliciting em-
plovment. ] am supposed to be rich, and am
made the objective point for all these appca-
tons How is legislation accomplished here !!
People who have claims to push through get
attorneys to help them, who come here and
familiarize the lie gal minds of this body with
them, and they are put through, despite the
-. ...s., md Nth no renard to business