The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-07-27
SOUND TALK
Eloquent Speech of Hon. D. W. Voorhees,

IERRE HAUTE, IND, July lS In accept
ing the nomination for Congress at the cons
vention in Spencer toNday, Mr.. Vo, rhtes,
made loug and ella borately prepared speech,
the most interesting portions of which are
given Cerbatim in the following extracts:
GENTLEMEN OF THE Convention Y.u
have done he a great honor to>day. the
greatest have ever received, and greater, |
think, when all the circumstances are cul-
sldeTed, than usually falls to the lot of pubs
lie men in this country. You have one aud
all refused TO listen to what has been said to
my disadvantage, and you have demanded
that l should remain in your service. You
know me better than all the world besides.
We have labored together in the past, and
you have bestowed upon me already ten
years Of official life. Ii, therefore, alter 50
much experience of each other you fad me
in any degree worthy of such confidence as
you have here manifested | may indeed feel
that | nave not lived altogether in vain.
call you to witness, also, that | havs not
sought this n"miuatiOr, but urged that it
might be given to some one else. 1t is a
prize, it is true. coming from the sOurce~it
does, which Is equal to the highest mbitlUn,
but circumstances Of a purely personal aud
domestic nature lee me To declare two years
ago publicly in every part Of the district
that | was then making my last race for
Congress.
again, one year ago. | repeated my wish
to quit public life, and bestUw what ability
and energy l possess upon my private inter
ests. 1t cannot, therefore, be said that all
the reluctance which | have manifested in
regard to the present contest is Of recent
date. / attn Dot here, however, TO shun the
of he w he
aud peculiar responsibilities which they inn
pose. This is an occasion for perfect frank
ness between you and me- [ will talk 10
you. therefore, as if | was seated at your
hearthstones, and If tue outside world Is ls~
tening | rust it will hear nothing Of which
We will be ashamed. \ close observation of
the lawless and outrageous conduct Of the
present administration, and the great and
increasing disgust in the public mind, long
ago convinced me that an easy opportunity
would be presented this year for the Demos
cratic party. by presenting one of its ablest
and puresl men for the Presidency, to regain
the control o. government, and reNpstabish
civil liberty and equality in the burdens as
we'll as the blessings Of the Rpublic
give honest Republicans the same credit
which they now give US in believing that
they would sufficiently rise above party II
d
cut regard to the company in which they
perfor med so noble an act. l still believe
tn y would have done so, and that any on }
If the four OF FIVE Democratic statesmen who
might he named, eminent for ability and
purity of character, could have been elected
to the Presidency over the present very uu~
popular incumbent. Entertaining this opil-
ion with the force Of an absolute conviction,
l made an earnest effort TO have it prevail in
the minds Of others in view Of the approach
ing National Democratic Convention. | ex-
ercised my right as member Of the Dem>
ocratic party in pointing out what thought
its action ought to be. This is a right for
which l am beholding to no one. | have no
apologies to make for having exercised it as
] did | would do 80 again uadar similar
circumstances. l do not Claim to be a shreE
aud managing politician, if shreW dness aLd
management consist in suppressing my honest
convictions on public questions and waiting
until fno whether they are popular or not.
| hold that all men have a uuty to perform
in assisting to create perfect public opinion
by expressing their own on all proper occa-
sions. In opposing Mr.. Greeley, | acted on
this principle, and no one will expect me
now or hereafter to retract word | have
spoken or written on that subject The in
fuence f my words, if they had any, was
directed to the Baltimore Convention, and
not beyond the action Of that body. They
must stand as my sincere utterances on be-
half Of an object over which that body had
legitimate authority and ultimate control
but | will doubtless be reminded that nv
views were not adopted at Baltimore, and
that my opinions were disregarded. 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 as careful aud as
conscientious an examination in order to as
certain the true path of duty as it has been
in my power to make. If | could at this
point abandon public station consistently
with my obligation TO my party. my friends
and the duties l owe as ciGzen to my coun~
try, the path before me would be easy and
smooth. Your action alone, however, here
to-day, under all the circumstance of the
past aud present, impels me to accept your
Domin atiou and make Que more campaign
with you, ard for that purpose we must
look the present and future cooly and reso-
lutely in the face in the light Of the recent
result at Baltimore. Whenever and wher-
ever in all the ages and nations Of the world
men have associated themselves together for
common objects, whether in affairs of church
or state. the power Of final decision over
matters in controversy among themselves
has been specifically lodged somewhere
Withou: this authority no bond would be
strong enough to produce united action ON
behalf of any purpose however great and
beDe6cent, So widely do men honestly differ
in regard to the means and the details by
which the most desirable ends are to be at
tanned. Of course nosect or party, religious
or political, has the right OF the power to
crush out the independent convictions of its
members !; and it is not only the privilege
but the duty of the members of an organiZa~
ton to abandon it. whenever they perceive
that they can more surely secure the great
objects they have in view by doing So
LII We turn. however. for brief survey
of the broad field of national politics many
strange and significant aspects are present
ed to our view. We constantly near Oh the
Ia wonted position of the Democratic party