The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-05-05
Speech of Sprague.

Senator Sprague, of Rhode Island,
delivered rather a remarkable speech
in the Senate. He is beginning to
find out that the country is in a bad
condition, and that unless the people
are aroused from their apathy, ali is
lost. He aided in the election of Gen
eral Grant, but after hearing his in
augural he went away disenhearted.
He asserted-what everybody knows
that Congress had not restored har-
mony and prosperity to the country.
We take the following abstract of his
remarks from the Congressional re-
ports:
"Mr. Sprague administered a re-
buke to the galleries for laughing at
him the other day, by saying that they
reminded him of the idiotic inmate of
a burning dwelling, who laughed at
all warning and persisted in the flames.
He would nevertheless repeat his
warning The affairs of the country
were being mismanaged by lawyers.
He had felt deeply interested in the
success of the Republican party in the
past, and had contributed to it., he
thought, as much in character and a
good deal more in money than other
Senators. Indeed he believed his con
tribution of the latter had been great
er than that of all other Senators COM
bined. He denied that Congress had
restored harmony OF prosperity to the
country, and asserted that the people
of the South are rather IN a state of
chronic revolution, and that there ara
no justice for the poor man, or protection
for rights and liberties of the citizens IN
this boosted land Of freedom. Immigra-
ton has fallen off; the industry and
agriculture of the country were so
Frustrated at the West, that immi-
grants a not find remunerative en-
ployment, for they can not sell their
products for enough to supply them
selves with the necessaries of life. The
reason aCGs that TIE legislation and the
administration acre so shaped as to en-
courage capital to speculate atpon erery |
industrial occupation IN tile country.
IF this cOurs was to be continued, in
less than FIVE years there would be a
clamor for a tariff to keep out foreign
But great as was the mis-
management of Our affairs in every
the greater abuses were
in our financial policy. That policy
cas- directed and controlled By tie bank
ers. They no doubt gave as good adj
vice as they could, but experience has
that dealers in money knew lit
tie OF nothing about the relations of
money to other occupations and inter
est. The bearing OF this was. if the
legislatures of the country had done
own work so badly, how could
dare to assume the powers of the
also? The social condition
the country was quite as bad as the
financial condition. There was more
virtue and morality in American So
than in any other civilized socie
~ on the face of the earth. The pre-
decentralization was frightful.
What mother could send her son out
.rto the world with any confidence
he would be able to resist the
temptations that would surround him:
What husband could close his door
laughter, in which the balance of the
sentence was lost.) The country was
the brink Of a precipice, and unless
he people could be reused from their
all qras lost! He had wished
or, and aided in the election of Gen
,ral Grant to the Presidency, because
he believed that lie president Grant,
lad not been contaminated by Politci-
ms, and had the capacity required to
through end defeat their machina-
ions. He had listened to the inaug-
lral address with intense interest, and
lad been pleased by the Presidents
expression of his purpose to be indie
pendent in the discharge of his official
but when he heard the passage
.sserting the s~acredness of the public
lebt, he had gone away ~disheartened
nd sorrowful, because it had shown
lin that the canker that possessed the
American body polite had got pos
ession of the President also, Still he
vas not without hope. He hoped the
in which bad advisors had led
i'm, and would turn away from this
as from a charnal house.-E,r- )
hlR9e.