Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-03-29
Mr. Voorhees, Sneech,


The Washington correspondent of the Bati-
the splendid speech delivered in Congress last
week by Mr.. Voorhees,: OF Indiana
Very unexpectedly, yesterday, Mr.. Voor-
lecs got the floor in the House, and made one
of the most thorough Speeches. arra gnng the
Republican party and the present Administra
ton, that has yet been made in Congress-
Mr. Voorhees,, in Opening, reerred to the
condition OF many Of the States in the Union,
which he says. excltes the uunliugei pity and
INDIGNATION Of The civilized world They are
the theme of surrowfu and OF bitter comment
wherever the channels Of human Intelligence
penetrate. They engage the attention Of all
departments OF the Government. Executive
proclanlatious spread evil lidugs about them,
aud !url every principle Of their liberties,
every Imminent Of their safety to the ground
Congress elact> laws against them which Ut
| tery destroy every ye>tlge OF trecdom and
| forge aud rivct Ou tier helpless limbs The
tct,ers of tlespotsm. 1t also sends forth it
powerful missionaries OF mischief III the iorm
of c mluitties, backed by The money and the
bower of the Government. whose abOrs are
to blacken the character al,l HE f'lue of their
people under the guse ri the Official invest ga
ions and ott ial reports The head Of the
Department or Justice, the late Attorney
| General. who led ms people INTO the war, aud
then returned to plague and lay waste the
hearth stpne, OF his followers, SllperinteDded in
person The inluis!tion and the torture Inflicted
upon the descendants Of those whV bought III
| the battles Of the Revolution
! The army Of the United States iii time OF
| profound peace, has launched like bolt nt lie
>tructiou into thrir midst. 1t Is engaged IN
Selling. without sworn charge or warrant ni
law, tue youth. the midile-aged and the gray
haired g,alid->res in the sanctuary OF Amcrl'
can homes. and driving them like hcrded beasts
into crowded prisons Aud The President HIM
self, in mis- recent message, prepared as he
says III haste, as if he had affairs OF greater
Importance 10 engage hi> attention, yet found
time to give his sanction to all tins. and To add
his malignant mite to the general accusation.
And 50 Mr. voorhees, proceeded to arraign
the Republicans, charging that since peace
CAME seven years ago, that party has poured
upon the uuresstiny and helpless South the
foods of disorder, corruption, bankruptcy,
crime. oppression and run; that by Its coudllc;
and policies every blessing OF free government
has been scourgcd from the face OF country
containing over twelve millions vi people, aud
larger in extent than many OF the foremost
powers OF Eulopc; by this party the CDnstltu
!
into dead letter, or wldenej aud extended by
frauduleu, u!neutlmeutS, according as the uu-
scrupulouS purposes OF Il powerful party would
be best rrulnucd from turret to foundation
| the Republican party have torn down t: e gay
ernmcntS of eleven Suites have rent all their
local laws, and machinery into fragments. and
tramplcd upon their ruins. Mr. Voorhees, de-
scribcd the oStracI>m and political pun>hmcntS
visited upnn the old clt!ZvliS OF the South.
Every man who. during the conflict between
the sections was clothed with the slightest re-
s,on>hty. has been marked by the biz hit Of
inegiliIity and, like the leaper of old. II was
made crime for the people to again reach forth
to him the hand OF friendship. Even the >a-
cred instincts OF human nature became dls4uat-
catcnS for office The ties of kindred were
made criminal and he who give cup OF cold
water and crust OF bread to his thirsty and
| furnished son. under arms for cause which lie
believed to be right land for which he was willing
to die, was branded with dis honor and driven
out from thr councils OF his caun;rymcn The
loving mother who sheltered her weary and
wounded boy, laid him in his own familiar bed
at home once more. kissed hi, lips, wiped away
the gathering dewS of death and with Il broken
heart closed his dear eyes forever. was CON
dcmpcd for these acts of angelic mnstcrng,
and incurred the penalties of contlscatlon: lie
who dismountcd and gave his horse to a broth
er in the moment of danger and close pursul
the sister who wrought and sent clothing to
him on the toil>ome march, the maiden who
prayed for her lover as he lay dying in the
Wilderness or at Stone river, all fell under a
common curse Even the white haired grand
mother of four,score years, whose youthful
husband perhaps, was at the CovpenS, kutaw
Springs and Yorktown, or, may be fought un-
der Jackson at New OoIeans, in the
war Of 1872, was deprived of her pen
sion, that small morSe Of bounty from
an ungenerous Government, if her heart
yearned or her aged hand was extend
ed in sympathy to her children and her
childreu's children on the plains Of the
South \ more sweeping aud universal ex-
cusion from all the benefits, rights. trusts,
honors, enioyments, liberties and control OF
Government was never enacted against
whole people, without respect to age or sex.
in the annals Of the human race. The disgrace
ful disabilities imposed upon the Jews for
nearly eighteen hundred years by the blind
and bignted nations Of the earth were never
more complete or appalling.
The peroration of Mr. VOORHEES, was excel
lent, and to be thoroughly appreciated must be
read in tnll.