The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-07-23


d. w. Voorhees, Comes into Linc-.In-
fcrnnI Treatment" OF the south.
A special despatch to the New York
Tribune. dated Terre Haute, Ind. ;. July
18. says:
Dir. Voorhees, made an elaborate
speech at Spencer. to-day, accepting the
Democratic nomination for Congress-.
He began as follows,
GENTLEMEN OF THE CoNveNT1oN: You
have done ME a great honor to-day
the greatest I have ever received; and
greater, I think, when all the circum.
stances are considered, than usually falls
to the lot Of public men in this country.
You have one and all refused to listen to
what has been said to my disadvantage,
and you have demanded that I should
remain in your service. You know me
better than all the world beside. We
have labored together in the past. and
you have bestowed upon me already ten
years of official life. Therefore, if after
so much experience of each other you
find me in any degree worthy of suoh
confidence as you have here manifested,
I may indeed feel have not lived alto.
L
also, that I have not eought this nomi-
to some one else. II is prize, it is
true, coming from the source it does,
which is equal to the highest ambition;
but circumstances of purely personal
and domestic nature led 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 bestow what ability and energy
I possess to my private interests. It
cans, therefore, be said that all the re-
luctance which have manifested in re-
gard to tho present contest is of recent
date.
! am not here, however, to shun the
events OF the last two months, or the
new and peculiar responsibilities which
they impose. This is an occasion
for perfect frankness between you
and me. I will talk to you. therefore,
as if was seated at your hearth-stones,
and ii the outside world is listening, 1
trust it will hear of nothing of which we
will be ashamed. A close observation
of the lawless and outrageous conduct of
the present Administration, and the
great and increasing disgust in the pub
lie mind, long ago convinced me that an
easy opportunity would be presented
this year for the Democratic party, by
presenting one of its ablest and purest
men for the Presidency, to regain the
control of Government and re-establish
civil liberty and equality in the burdens
as we'll as the blessings of the republic.
I give honest Republicans the same cre-
dit which they now give us in believing
that they would sufficiently rise above
party to vote against corrupt Admins
tration, without regard to the company
in which they performed 80 noble an
act. still believe they would have
done 30. and any one of four or FIVE
Democratic statesmen who might be
named, eminent for ability and purity of
character, could have been elected to the
Presidency over the present very unpo-
pular incumbent.
Entertaining this opinion with the
force of an absolute conviction, I made
an earnest effort to have it prevail in the
minds of others in view of an approach.
ing National Democratic Convention. I
exercised my right as member Of the
Democratic party in pointing out what 1
thought its action ought to be. This ie
right for which I am beholden to no
one. have no apologies to make for
having exercised it as did. Iwould do
80 again under similar circumstances. 1
don't claim to bea shrcwd and managing
politician, if shrewdness and manage.
ment consist in suppressing my honest
convictions on public questions, and
waiting until find whether they are
popular or not. I hold that all men
have duty to perform in assisting to
create q perfect public opinion by ex-
planning their own on all proper occa-
sions. In opposing the nomination OF
Mr.. Greeley acted on this principle,
and no one will expect me now or here
after to retract word have spoken or
written on the subject. The influence
of my words. if they had any. was di-
rected to the Baltimore Convention, and
not beyond the action of that body.
They must stand as my sincere utter
ances in behalf OF an object over which
that body had legitimate authority and
ultimate control. But will doubtless
be reminded that my views were not
adopted at Baltimore, and that my OPT
Mons were disregarded. All this is true,
and I don't pretend to disguise my deep
regret. would gladly have it other
wise, and I have given the subject as