The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-05-11
PLUMBER IN THE SOUTH.
sCATEEaEG sPEECH.

Z EIpHI ItCclt O"6Iloi SietCh w iIOi
/ ID. w. VOORHEES,, Of Indiana, the young
and eloquent champion of Democratic
principles, delivered on the floor Of the
House cf Representatives at Washington,
we extract the following concluding par
agraphs, and are cnIv sorry that the great
length of the very able eff IT renders it
impossible for us to publish it in full AS
it Is, however, The extract will be found
worthy Of careful perusal and serious con-
sideraiion, and as such we commend il to
cur readers. Mr.. Voorhees, said:
Where is the man on the opposite side of
this Chamber vho has lifted up his voice in
behalf of a thorough and impartial inquiry in
order to fad the real causes of disorder In the
South The greatest organ of your party
pruClalms Governor Scott himself fprger of
more than SIX million bonds. He is said to
be Investing large sums a, M apuleop, Ohio.
whore his home in reality is, and where lie
expects to retire when he is fully g"rged
with purder lie went to South Carolina
for plidge and rapine aud will soon return
with his spoils. Your policy emanating
from heIe made him Governor. The vr ue
and the talent of the State were prescribed
10y your laws Abiding to the condition of
South Carolina a few weeks since, one of her
citizens (Senatur Sawyer in the other
branch oi Cungress used the following strong
language:
'''It is due to the crcu instance that this
large number OF men in the southern States
were shut out from the possibility OF holding
State and Federal offices that have mad 50
many abuses in the local governments o. these
States. Ii is due TO that circumstance that IN
the State which ! have tie hOnor III part TO
represent on this floor we have to-day State
government which is a disgrace TO civiiZ stion.
IL is due To those disabilities. al d TO those dis
abilities only, that We had not an ample field
iTom which 10 select honest, apub men Tor
our loc II public Offices, men who would have
made talthlu officers, and who would have
ueen i'll complete harmony with the national
Administration ana the O. eat Republican party
ON questions OF pubic pUhcy. Inst al OF ,hat,
what do we see / lay a spectacle alike
uisgraceul to the Republican party, uuccr
whose banner and ia HhOse name 9rcs- abuses
have been pe,petrIled, aud to the men Who
nave thus stained its honor and yet Senators
desire Us to continue system which has been
fruitful o. such results
This was spoken ly a leader Of the r.
publican patty. and call upon those ho
may regard my statements UveIdrawu 10
carefully c,.nsider and weigh his testimony
lie deliberately pronOuuces the Repub!lcan
State government Ct South CIrCLua III
grace to civilization. There she stands, the
result Of your own haudI~ ORR, bankrupt III
money, ready to plunge IutO the dlsuid CUR
ut reputation, ruined Ia credit her l., nds
EawktG in the markets for safe IN vain at
ten cents Cu the dollar, her prosperity blight
ed at h0me aud abroad ; without peace,
happiness, OF hope; aud all her IUelteS
stolen as well as her material saistauets.
There Sc stands, with her skeleton frame
a. a Il Il
the world of the loathsome cons, queucts Of
q government fashioned 10 hate anL llnsta>
clsm. and founded upon the iguorant and
the vicious classes Of mankind. Her sins
may have been many and deep. and of the
color Of scarlet, yet they viii become as
y hlte as WOO, III comparison with those that
have been committed against her Ia the
hour Of her helplessness aud distress
"But l can go 10 farther in ;hs dis cuasion
of these terrible details. Time aud space
would i4ii me. l submit the following
condensed table OF figures, aud defy their
successful contradiction Oh this floor or any
where else.
''Alaban:a.-D Debts ard liabilities at the close
Of the Var, 80 g39 G54 81; debts anu liabi,i.ies
January /, 1872, SIS .3ol 9b7 81
',Arkansas -Dsnts and liabilities the close
January I67s si5s 556 81 55 S b. o and i@b"i.iss
"FlOridd.-bcOts and iiaDilies at the close
Of the war, 1921 600 debts and Liabilities an
nary d, 1912, $40, ,7O3 44' "a.
Georgia -DeGts and liabilities at the close
OF the war, nominal debrs and liabilities June :,
1911, $jJl37 $40. tSee statement OF Mr..
Augier, treasurer OF Georgia
Neutrality-suspicious. aud liabilities at the
close OF the wal, SiU,J99 ,G74 n debts and
liabilities J uue / lc1I, Including the excess
IN NOrh CaIolina.-De0Is and iiAbiii les at
the close of the war, 50 6y9 500; debts and
Liabilities January /, le72, S34 oo7 4G1 So
South CHIoina.- Debts and liabiuies at
the close OF the war, S5,OUu 200; debts and
liabilities January 1872. $50 lbs 9l4 A..
mississippi Debts and liabilities at the
close OF the war, nominal; debts aud liabilities
J4nIary F., 1872, about So ,UJU 600.
''Ienne>see.-Debts u and liabilities at the
close OF the war, $50, ,Ic5, COG &C; debts aud
Iiabliitle5 January /, 1912, S45. 6oo ,263 4G.
Il exas.-Debts and liabilities at the close
or the war, nominal; debts and liabilities Jan
uary /, 1872, S2O. .3GI ,UU0.
Virginia Debts and liabilities at the CLOSE
of The ar. S3l $3.50, l44 50; debts and labIli-
ties January !. 1872. $40, ,4o0 SIP 81.
The present assessed value Of the taxable
property Ut the State en- whom this vast
mountain Of debt has been so frauduleuuly
aud so trlghtiuly aCcumu ated is consider
ably less than ole half what 1t was IN 1860.
IL WAS not merely the liberation of their
slaves that wrought this great change
Their system OF laoUr was broken up, great
batt.ss were fought i'll all their borders, their
railroads were destroyed, their towns and
cities and cotton 6arued, and every descripS
ton Of property handed over to the destruc-
ticn OF fierce and implacable war. They
emerged from the desoIatng COZ hct fit OBJ
ects Tor the wlSdom and care Of a benevolent
craftsmanship, rather than as the proper
prey ot hungry jtckaIs, Who mangle aud
feed upon the wounded after the battle.-
Their fate, however in many respects, sur
passes in iufamy and In misery the worst
that ever befell conquered people.
Sir. what single benefit, what solitary
blessing has been bestowed on that devas
tated region in return for the hundreds of
millions Of taxation which have been wrung