The Republican journal., 1871-04-06
THE CONGRESSIONAL FORCE BILL,
Speech of Mr.. Voorhees, =!

finally passed Congress and is now cloth
ed with all the forms of law, was pending
in the House, it was ably opposed by the
Democratic members. Among others
Hon. D. w. Voorhees, of Indiana made
an eloquent speech against it. From the
speech we make the following extrac
which we ask our readers to consider ant
reflect upon. And we ask our Republi
can friends in view of the result of the
New Hampshire election, if that ''good
time coming" predicted by Mr.. Voorhees,
is not in very truth near at hand "when
the people will rise up and cry out in be-
half of the old landmarks of liberty, OF
justice, and of right Mr.. Voorhees,
said:
I call the attention of gentlemen upon
the other side of the House to the great
fact, now almost forgotten, now fading
away in memory, that there was time
once in the history of this Government
when such a thing as a Federal officer
approaching the ballot-box in the various
States of this Union and supervising pop
ular elections all over this widespread
land would have been looked upon with
as much alright as if wild beast had es-
capped from menagerie, and was prowl-
ing for prey in the midst of peaceable
neighborhood. Until these latter and
| evil days the people in the cities and
towns and villages, and in their far-away
hamlets, along the banks Of the creeks
and rivers, met and held elections, and
no Federal spy Or informer dared tread
the hallowed precincts of the peoples
place of voting
In that way the Government. was sus-
tanned upon the principle of the fathers,
for our fathers did lay down that this
Government rested upon the consent of
the governed. They did lay down that
the virtue and the intelligence of the peo-
pie could alone sustain it; and whenever
we proclaim that the people are not to be
| trusted, that it is necessary to haye force
bills in their midst, that Federal satraps
have to 90 among them with bayonets in
their hands, that informers have to stand
at the polls with the Army and Navy at
their backs, to regulate the canvass, to
inspect the ballot as it goes in, and after
it is in, and as it comes ont, it will be
proclamation that our Government has
failed, that its foundations are false, that
their virtue and their intelligence are
myths and mockeries, and do not exist
That is what your bill does here. 1t ac-
complishes this fell purpose. Itlays hold
upon the foundations of the Republic. 1t
drags them to their downfall 1t declares
an absolute loss of faith in the people.
Sir, ] knew when you entered upon your
career of violence in prostrating the South
ern States by your misnamed reconstruc-
ton that it would not stop there. knew
when the sky darkened in that quarter
that it would darkcn likewise in this. |
knew that usurpation could not be con-
fined to any one section OF the country. |
knew that despotism had no boundaries
when once begun save the outside limits
of the Union. | knew that when you
overthrow and chained 4 portion Of the
States, YOU would seek to overthrow and
chain all the others The unlawful exer-
else Of power is the tigers taste of blood.
1t cannot be appeased. 1t grows more
insatiate upon its unnatural and horrible
repast. 1t ravens in fierce hunger and
thirst upon each new draught from the
veins OF its bleeding and dying victims.
The lust has not been quenched in your
hearts by its unbridled Indulgence.
You crushed the States Of the South
after their people had surrendered; you
invaded their voting precincts, YOU regu-
lated all their elections with the iron hand
of the military; YOU elected such persons
as you desired There is nothing more to
be done in that quarter. Your ruthless
work is finished under Il southern sky.
And now, unlike the great Alexander,
who wept because there was no more
worlds to conquer, you have found new
and inviting fields Of conquest over your
own countrymen; and this bill declares
the war, and orders the ravaging and
devastating march, q march over the ark
of the covenant of a free Constitution and
over the downtrodden forms of American
freemen. You turn away for awhile from
your southern captive. You turn the
edge of the sword now to the States OF
the North. You point your cannon
toward Saratoga and Monmouth and
Brandywine and Bunker Hill.
What are some of the leading features
of this bill of nineteen sections? My
time is too short for more than glance.
You provide tor the appointment of two
persons to supervise at each voting pre-
cinct, the registration of all the voters in
all the cities and towns Of over twenty
thousand inhabitants in the several States.
Who ever heard of such an outrage on
local liberty in the good old days now
gone, and, ! am afraid, gone forever?
You say these two officials shall be of
different political parties. What care [?
If they were both OF my own party |
would denounce the principle just the
same. Sir, despise argument based up
on such an idea. | spurn it, loathe it;
it is unworthy the Hall of the national
Legislature. l cast it from me as false
and pernicious.
Another section of the bill provides that
the United States marshals shall have
certain high and almost unlimited powers
they shall appoint as many deputy mar
shals as they may desire, either for the
public good or Tor malicious OPPRESSION
There is no limit in this respect. He
may organize companies, regiments, and
battalions of deputies. No words of linn
itation contract his powers. He makes
his selections also to suit himself. No
appointments from different parties are
here provided for. The execution of this
terrible bill rests in the hands Of the mar
shall and his DEPUTIES, and they will all
belong to the party in power. This is u
cunning device There is u deceptive
show Of fairness in regard to the appoint
ment Of the supervisors, but where the
real power to grind and Cypress is lodged,
none but the adherents Of usurpation are
trusted tor a moment by this bill.
And what does the execution and en-
forcement Of this measure involves? Who
can contemplate it with calmness? By
section twelve of this monstrous revolu-
tion-it is nothing less--provision is made
that marshal, or his general deputies,
or his special deputies, or either one of
them, shall, upon his own judgment, if
he thinks or pretends to think that he has
been interfered with, or opposed in the
execution of his duty, call the command
er of the nearest military post to his aid
to enforce this bill with United States
troops.
appeal, in all candor and kindness, to
the gentleman from Ohio in the face and
hearing of the country, tell me what you
mean when such section as this is writ
ten; where power to command the Army
and Navy is given not merely to a United
States marshal, but to one of his deputies