The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-07-19
DAN VOORHEES,.
He is Nominated for Congress
and makes a Speech.
He Goes Back ON His Speech in the
House.
supports Greeley and Denounces
Grant.

TERRE HAuTE, IND, July 1s.-In &C.
ceping the Democratic nomination for
Congress at the Convention in Spencer
today, Mr.. voorhees, made long and
elaborately prepared speech, the most in.
teresting portions Of which arc given yer.
batim 10 the following extracts:
Gentlemen Of t1e C0nUention-You have
done me a great honor to-day, the greatest
l have ever received, and greater, think
when all tho circumstances arc Consid.
cred, than usually falls TO the lot Of public
men in this country. You have, one and
all refused to listen 10 what has been said
to my disadvantage, and you have deman.
ed that | should remain in your service,
You know me better than all the
world besides. We have lRbored to.
gether in the past, and you have
bestowed upon me already ten years
Of official life. II, therefore, after so
much experience of each other, you find
mo in any degree worthy OF such conf.
dence as you have here manifested, may
indeed feel that l have not lived alto.
gether in vain. ! call you to witness,
also, that have not sought this nOmina.
tion, but urged that it might be given to
some one else. 1t is a prize, it is true,
coming from the source 1t does, which is
equal to the highest ambition. But cir.
Cumstances Of purely personal and do,
mestic nature, led me to declare two
years ago publicly in every part oil the
district, that | was then making my last
race for Congress. Again, one year ago,
repeated my wish to quit public lie and
bestow what ability and energy | possess
to my private interests. 1t cannot, there.
lore, be said that all the reluctance which
l hava manifested in regard to the pres.
ent contest, is Of recent date. am not
here, however, to shun the events of the
last two months and the new and peculiar
responsibilities which they impose. This
is an occasion Tor perfect irankness be-
tween you and me. l will talk to you,
therefore, as If l was seated at your
hearthstones, and if the outside world is
listening, trust 1t 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 increas-
ing disgust in the public mind, long ago
convinced me that an easy opportunity
would be presented thisyear for the Demo.
cratic party, by presenting one OF its
ablest and pur0st men for the Presidency
to regain the control Of the government
and re.establish civil liberty and equality
in the burdens as well Us the blessings Ol
the republic. l gave honest Republicans
the same credit which they now give us,
in believing that they would sufficiently
rise above party to vote against corrupt
administration, without regard to the
company in which they performed so
noble an act. l still believe they would
have done so, and that any one Of the 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 un-
popular incumbent. Entertaining this
opinion with the force Of an absolute con-
viction, made an earnest effort to have
it prevail in the minds OF others
In view Of an approaching Ma.
tional Democratic Convention, l ex-
ercised my right as o member
of this Democratic party in pointing out
what l thought its action ought to be-
This is q right for which l am behOlden
10 no one. l have no apologies to make
ior having exercised it as did. ! would
do so again under similar circumstances.
l do not claim to be shrewd and man.
aging politician, if shrewdness and man.
agement consists in suppressing my hon.
est convictions on public questions, and
waiting until find whether they are pop.
ular or not l hold that all men have a
duty 10 perform in assisting to create q
perfect public opinion by expressing their
own on all proper occasions. In opposing
the nomination Of BIr. Greeley, l acted
on this principle, and no one will expect
me now or hereafter to retract word l
have spoken or written on that subject.
The influence OF my words, If they had
any, was directed 10 the Baltimore Con-
vention and not beyond the action of that
body. They must stand as my sincere
utterances In behalf OF an object over
which that body had legitimate au.
thority and ultimate control. But
l will doubtless be reminded that
my views were not adopted at Bal.
timore, and that my opinions were
disrcgarded All this is true, and l
do not pretend to disguise my deep regret,
l would gladly have it otherwise, and l
have given the subject as careful and as
conscientious an examination, in order to
ascertain the true path Of duty, as 1t has
been in my power to make. If could
at this point abandon the public station
consistently, with my obligations to my
party and my friends, and the duties
owe as q citizen to my country, the path
before me would be easy and smooth.
Your action here to-day, under oil the
circumstances OF the past and the present,
impels me to accept your nomination and
make one more campaign with you, and
for that purpose we must look the
present and the future cody and
resolutely in the lace, in the light OF
the recent Convention at Baltimore,
Whenever and wherever, in all the ages
and nations Of the world, men have u.s.
sociated themselves together for common
objects, whether in the affairs Of church
or State, the power Of final decision
over matters in controversy amongst
themselves, has been specifically lodged
somewhere. Without this authority nc
band would be strong enough to produce
united action in behalf Of any purpose
however great and benefcient, so widely
and honestly men differ in regard to the
meansand the details bYwhich the most de
sirable ends arc to be attained. Otcourse
Nts.al t.s,a