The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-07-22


Senator sprague-Anothcr Exposition OF
His Views.
Senator Sprague made a speech at q
Masonic picnic at Scituate, r. l., on
the 9th inst. We copy as follows:
We have country the richness of
which has never been equaled. It has
been given as much to you as to me. its
benefits are as much yours as they are
mine. But have its riches been equally
distributed? The idea of the founders
of the republic was that the blessings of
the Government should be equally dis
tributed. But I ask any one of YOU
however loud his voice or extensive his
in1uence-what power he has TO- day to
control the acts or will of those you have
elected to lead you. I am a representa-.
tive from Rhode Island--a Senator. ns
you know-to the Federal Government
OF the United States. There is a dis
junction to be drawn between nv oblipa-
tlons as an individual and my obligations
as member of the Government. When
you send me to represent 200, 900 people
IN the Senate, and vote entirely in your
interest, when the vote L give concerns
4O, OOO, OOO people, am I not asked to do
more than [ ought to do? And when the
independence and honesty of Rhode
Island character requires mo to speak nv
best convictions, 1 am sure you will be-
generous enough to accord that full pri-
yllege to me. For Rhode Island men
aud women have been celebrated for
their independence and fair dealing from
its settlement to the present time, and I
hope that the spirit of independence has
not departed from me. Rhode Island
men will see in what have said and
done their own characteristics You are
here to celebrate the nations birthday
and you have the intelligence to know
that unless the Government is admins
tered upon correct principles, you are
affected accordingly. If the administra-
ton of your Government is not in ac-
cordance with the principles which your
ancestors fought for, the question is
the Government deriving it's power from
the people-if you have the power to
make change and effect good admin
lstratlon. Your ancestors fought for the
destruction of that great power which
forced officers and taxes upon them not
OF their own choice or imposition. The
idea, then, which was carried into effect
0y the events which ended in 1783-that
1T was the power of the people which
should give direction to the affairs of
their own government-was the one
which triumphed in the end. I have
asked you if in the exercise of that
power you have been able to control the
political events of your own times. I
answer that you have not been able to
90 so; or certainly you would not have
controlled them to the evils of the past
eight or ten years. The sacrifices of orr
ancestors in the Revolutionary struggle
have not had their legitimate result.
what ls the reason of this? No free
people, of their own act. would have pro-
duced the disastrous condition which re-
suited IN the civil war and its bloody sa-
crlhces. There is some power which
prevented you from the enjoyment of
mat liberty which our forefathers thought
they had established for you.
You may look at the institution Of
slavery and learn useful lesson. Come
with me to the South and examine. if
you will, and see what it was that gave
to that section so great political power
and made it dangerous to the peace of
the country, and you will find that it was
not social and religious questions which
produced the troubles, but it was o
tO"N ASEASoClCCo NY Ju6 ueRTO.
1t was capital in negroes which deter.
mined the danger and brought on the
great civil war. Capital in ne
groes-this it was which. in the progress
of time, centralized in the hands Of the
few. and, "heading up' at Charleston,
made the negro the agent of the power.
You destroyed that power in the war.
But in destroying the negro power you
created QnOther-a burden of dabt VI Oh
is crushing every industrial and manu-.
featuring interest, which is corrupting
society and sapping away your liberties,
and which threatens to bring about q
condition of things similar to the one we
put down. How can free people per.
nit that there shall be absorbed in a
few hands similar power, as vicious, as
dangerous and as wicked, as that which
we have once destroyed? Certainly the
people cannot permit condition of
affairs which centralizes all the facilities
of business and commerce in the hands
OF the money dealers, and subjects the