Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-04-05
FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1879.
Oppression Of the Southern
States.
speech OF ME. Voorhees,, of Indiana
The Acts OF the Republican Party.

speech OF AGr. voorhees,, of Indiana
The Acts OF the Republican Party
In the House of Representatives, Satur-
day, Mr.. VOORHEES,, of Indiana, obtained
the floor, and made a speech, arraignlng
the Republican party and the present al
ministration for their oppressive measures
towards the South. A Washington cor
resnondent Of the Baltimore Gazette furn-
ishes the following synopsis Of the speech:
Mr.. voorhees,, in opening, referred to the
condition Of many OF the States III the
Union, which, he says, excites the unlnlh1
aled pity and indignation OF the cIVlhzeG
world. They are the theme OF sorroNll
and of bitter comment wherever the cn"n-
nels of human Intelligence penetrate. Ihey
engage the attention of all the departments
of The Government. Executive prOclama-
tions spreads evil tidings about them, and
hurl every principle of their liberties, every
muni1nent of their safety to the ground.
Congress enacts laws against them when
utterly destroy every yestige OF freedorn'
and letters Of despotism. 1t also SENDS
forth it's powerful missionaries OF mlschiel
in the form of committees, backed by the
money and the power Of the Government,
and the fame of their people under the
guise of official investigations and official
reports. The head of the Department OF
Justice, the late Attorney-General, he who
led his people into the war, and then re-
turned to plague and lay waste the hearth
stones of his followers, superintendent in
person the inquisition and 5he torture in
inflicted upon the descendants of those
who fought in the battles OF the ReVo-
luton.
The army of the United States in q time
of profound peace, has launched like bolt
of destruction Into their midst. 1t is en-
gagged in sizing, without sworn charge or
warrant cf law, the youth, the middle
aged and the gray haired grand-sires in the
sanctuary Of American homes, and driving
them like herded beasts into crowded pri-
sons. AM the President himself in his
recent me sage prepared, as lie says, III
haste, as if he had affairs Of greater impOT-
lance to engage his attention, yet found
time to give his sanction to all this, and to
add his malignant mite to the general &C
cusatiOn.
And so Nh. Voorhees, proceeded to ar
raign the Republicans, charging that since
peace came, seven years ago, that party las
poured upon the unresisting and helpless
South the floods of disorder, corruption,
bankrup tcy, crime, oppression and ruin
that by its conduct and policies every
blessing of free government has been
scOurged from the face of a country con-
tanning over twelve millions of people, and
larger in extent than many of the foremost
powers of Europe; by this party tho Con-
StitutiOn has been trampled under foot,
dwarfed into dead-letter, or Widenod and
extended by fraudulent amendments, ac-
cordng as the INSCRIPTIONS purposes Of n
II rtU ~ q
from trIrret to foundation the Republican
party have torn down the governments OF
eleven States; have rent all their local laws
and machinery into fragments, and
trampled upon their ruins. Mr.. NOOr-
hees described the OstraCiSm and pO-
itical punishments visited upon the
old citizens of the South. Every
man who, during the conflict between the
sections, was clothed with the slightest re-
sponsibility, has been marked by the blight
of ineIllgibility, and, like the leper of Old, it
was made a crime for the people to again
reach forth to him the hand of friendship.
Even the sacred instincts of human nature
became disqualifications for office. The
ties of kindred were made criminal, and be
who gave a cup Of cold water and a
crust Of bread to his thirsty and famished
son, under arms for a cause which he be-
Heved to be right, and for which he was
willing to die, was branded with dlShOnOl
and driven out from the councils of his
countrymen. The loving mother who
sheltered her weary and wounded hoy,
laid him in is own familiar bed at homo
once more, kissed his feverish lips, wiped
away the gathering dews Of death, and
with broken heart closed his dear eyes
forever, was condemned for these acts
of angelic mmistering, and incurred
the penalties of ConfiScatiOn He
who dismounted and gave his horse
TO a brother i'll the moment of danger
and close pursuit: the sister who wrought
and sent clothing to him on the toilSome
march; the maiden who prayed for hel
lover as lie lay dying in the Wilderness OF
at Stone river, all fell under common
curse. Even the white haired grandmOth
er Of four-score years, whose youthful hUs-
band perhaps, was at the COwpens, EutaW
Springs and Yorktown, or may be, fought
under jackson at New Orleans, in the wal
of 1872 was deprived Of her pension, that
small nlCrsel of bounty from an ungener-
Gus Government, if her heart yearned OF
her aged hand was extended in sympathy
to her children and children'S children Oh
the plains of the South. a more sweeping
and universal exclusion from all the bene
fits, rights, trusts, honOrs, enjoyments, Ii
berries and control Of a Government wa!
pever enacted against whole people, with
out respect to age or sex, in the annals o
the human race. The disgraceful disabil
tiles imposed upon the Jews for nearly
eighteen hundred years by the blind anc
bigoted nations of the earth were neveI
more complete or appalling.