New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-07-21
DAN VOORHEES,.
His Great speech at Terre Haute Thurs
day-He Abides the Action of the Bal
tImOre Convention, and Will support


tImOre Convention, and Will Support
Greeley and Brown.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, July lS.-In accept
| ing the Democratic nomination for Congress
at the convention in Spencer to-day, Hon
! Dan VOORHEES, made long prepared speech
the most interesting portions of which are
given verbatimin the following language:
MR.. VOORHEES, SPEECH.
| Gentlemen of the Concentration have
| done me a great honor to-day, the greates1
I ever have received, and greater,
think, when all the circumstances are con
sidered, than usually falls TO the iot OF pup
lie men in this country. You have, one anq
| all, refused TO listen 10 what has beer. sale
no nv disadvantage and you have demand
| ed that l should remain in your service
| YOu know me better than all the world De
sides. We have Iabored together IN the
mast. and You have bestowed upon me al
ready, ten years OfOttcial life.
If therefore, after so much experience OF
each other, you find me IN any degree
worthy Of such confidence as you have mere
manifested, may indeed feel. that L nave
not lived altogether in vain. l call you 10
witness, also. thatI have not sought this
nomination. but urged that it might be
Given to some one else. 1t is prize, IL Is
true, coming from the source II does, whlcA
is equal TO the highest, ambition; but CIR
cumstances Of a purely personal anu 40
nestle life led me to declare, two years ago,
publicly in every part Of the district, that
was then making my last race Tor Congress.
AGAIN. one wear ago, repeated my wish to
omit pubHc life, and to bestOw what aolIty
and energy possessed to my private inter
es+s Il can not. therefore, be SAID the re-
luctance which l have manifested N regard
to the present contest is of a recent date
l am not here, however, to shun tIe
events Of the last two months. DO the
new and peculiar responsibilities when
thew impose deny an occasion Tor peIIect
frankness between you aud me l VIII
talk to Won as If l was seated at your
hearthstone, and if the outside world Is
listening il will hear nothing OF winch We
will hereafter be ashamed. a close obseF-
walton of the laWless and outrageous con
duct of the present admins traitor and the
great and increasing disgust N the pupAc
mind long ago convinced me that an easy
opportunitv would be presented this year
for the Democratic party, by presenting
one of its ablest and purest men Tor TIE
Presidency, to regain the control OF the
Governments and re-establish civil liberty
and EQUALITY in the burdens as wei
as the blessings of the republic l
gave honest Republicans the same
credit which they now give us II
believing that they would sufficiently rise
above party to vote against corrupt al
miDistration, without regard to the com
pany in which they performed so noble an
act, | still believe they would have done
So and then any one Of four or i've Demo
cratic statesmen who might be named,
eminent for ability and pure character,
could have been elected to the Presidency
over the present unpopular incumbent. En-
teCtaining this opinion, with the force OF
absolute conviction, / made an earnest
effort to prevail on the minds of others in
view OF an approaching national conyen-
ton. l exercised my right as member OF
the Democratic party in pointing Ou- what
l thought its action ought to be. This is
right for which l am hehOlden to no one.
have no apologies to make for having eEer-
cised it as l did. l would DO so again under
similar circums stances. l do not claim 70 b5
shrewd and managing politician, Il
shrewdness and management consists IN
suppressing nv honest opinions on pubic
Questions. and waiting until | ind ont
whether they are popular or not. / hold
that all men have a duty TO perform n as
sisting TO create correct public sentiment
by expressing their own on all proper Occa.
siOns. In opposing the nomination OF HoT-
ace Greeley, acted on this principle, and
no one viii expect ne now or hereafter TO
Tetract a word l have spoken or written on
that subject The influence OF nv words,
if they had any, was directed to the Balti-
more convention, and not beyond the action
of that body They must stand as my sin
cere utterances in behalf of an object over
which that body had legitimate authority
and ultimate control But l will doubtless
be reminded that my views were not
adopted at Baltimore, and that NY
opinions were disTegarded. All this is true,
and l do not pretend to disguise my deep
regret. l would gladly have it otherwise,
and | have given the subject a careful and
conscientious examination in order to ascer-
tain the true path of duty as it has been in
my power to make. If I could at this point
abandon nv public station consistently
with my obligations to my party, nv
and the duties I owe as a citizen 10
my country, the path before me would be
easy and smooth Your action. alone. how
ever here today, under all the ciIcum-
stances Of the past and present. impels me'to
accept your nomination, and make one more !
with you, and for that purpose we
must look the present and future cOOllv
and resolutely in the face, and in the light
of the recent result at Baltimore. Whenever
and wherever, in all the ages and nations of
the world, men have associated themselves
together Tor common objects, whether in
AFFAIRS OF church or State, the power Of a |
final decision over matters. in controversy
among themselves has been specialized ged /
somewhere. Without. this authority. no |
JSLA4 NOG2N pE wig bLOlS L ~ DEDuGEb a /
united action IN behalf of any purpose. |
however great and benefcent, SO widely DO |
men honestly differ IN regard TO the means |
md the.detalls by which the most desirable |
ends are TO be attained. OF course no sect
II party, religious or political, has therigbt |
u the power to crush out the independent |
Of It's members. And It is not. |
)nIy the privilege, but the duty of the MEM |
JeTs OF any organization to abandon il /
thew fbGy-. q
y secure the great objects they have in |
new by doing sO. Great and bindiug. 7
therefore, as ali Democrats eOncede the an /
horlty of more than twO-thirds majority
II National Democratic Convention 10 be. |
yet II you were fully persuaded you could |
peter serve the country, and more certainly
'escue her from the shame and disgrace info
which she has been plunged. bv leavinS
your Oh organization and seeking new.
'arty relations, you would be justified in
uch course. But let me saw to the Dem
cratic masses in this district and throUcL-
'ut-the State that Isee no-such coarse o1,er
o any friend OF his country. To those Who
ave SO warmly conceded in opinion wish
- on the prOpTeJy of Mr.. Greelevls nOn9i-
,atlon, and their name is legion, let me say
nat the Democratic party is si1iinivel = pre-.
cradle, IN my Jud gment, even with Horace
greeIey as Its candidate, TO that portion ofs
he Republican party which acknowlefI ressI
ne leadership of Grant, and.the predicate
managers by whom he s-led to. his own
10 MS coantry's ruin. No thought fire. \
reancy or iRfdelity to the Democratic
arty ever enteredmy mind. AISLE moi
ontrol its councils, ] shall submit te, tbafo
oplng that time may. show its ways-to he
User and. more beneficial TO tIe country
nan lzpredicted,s He .who.cansnot have bis
Tnsway in, this world, is not, Therefore. IN
y opinion, justified in doing nothing. He
an, WIthout incOnsistencv. cnncede 80 i