The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-12-12


arm. He spoke with clear, ringing
voice. which was distinctly audible in
every portion of the chamber, except
when be dropped his tones, as he did
very frequently at the close of sentences.
His manner was nervous aud rapid, and
his remarks very digressive; many of
his sentences being left incompieted.
He was listened to with the closest interest
and attention by members, officers and
audience. He commenced by saying he
would examine the question before the
House first, in its moral, and then in it's
political aspect. He spoke Of tho COM
ments OF the public press on the subject
He would sny nothing in derogation of
the power Or usefulness of the press.
The position Of journalists in this couu-
try was ono Of the highest. The fourth
estate did, in this age, control public
sentiment; but he would, in ull earnest
ness. say to the press aud its conduct.
ors, that nothing was more important
than that, in treating of subjects with
the masses of the people, they siouid
look we'll to the truth, aud correctness,
and principle Of what they addressed to
the people. The press had denounced
as thieves and robbers the members of
tho last Congress, anI he had one pa
per which represented the raid on the
Treasury very much like tho charge of
the six hundred at BAlakinva. He had
thought the wit of that representation
more appropriate than the wisdom Tue
gentleman from New York, (rremalr,)
bad spoken3yesterday Of demagoguism.
lie (Stephens) maintained that there
could be no craftsmanship without it.
There never had been statesman who
,va ,ff Il
nally meant leader OF the people
Peric!es was demagogne. There wero
two kinds OF demagogues-the sham and
the genuine. The genuine d.mngogue
was the man who led the people,
guided tho people. The sham dru,u
gogne pandcrcd to the errors and prcjn-
diccs Of the people. The real statesman
was the phJ sician Of humanity. The
sham dcmagognc simply courtcd favors
in order to get Office and the spoils OF
Office. He considered Lord Chatham as
the true. the genuine demaSogne, und
rcln'ed an anecdote to the effect, tn At
when Chatham was proposing to the
English Cabinet new measure of tnxl.
tlon, including the taxing Of Windows,
he missed one member Of the Cabinet,
and askel for him by name. The an
swer was, that it ml,le no difference
whether that member wa- present or
not because he was IL fool. That is the
very reason, said Chatham, that 1 want
him here; because the way he
thinks about this thing is the
way tuat tho foaj )rity Of tho poo.
pie Of England may thiuk abuut
1t, and want to know the sentiment of
the public. lie wanted to know it, not
to pander to it, but that he might 20
before the people and ruiso thciu to Il
sentiment OF tho necessity and propriety
of the measure. Recurring to the con-
sIdcration Of the increased salary bill.
Mr. Stephens said that he was very glad
to say that that was a measure for which
neither political party was responsible.
His opinion was that the Democracy
and tbs proportion Of its votes in Con.
gress was quite rs responsible us the
Republican party. The gentleman from
Now York (fremaiu) had admitted YES.
terday that. under the Constitution,
every Congress had right to fix its own
compensation. Ii had done SO from the
beginning OF the Government. I, had
frequently Increased that compensation,
ana the increase WAS always aud necrs-
sarily retroactivc. Worthy men had
done this in tho last century aud in the
early part OF the present century. The
brightest ornaments in American his
tory had subjected themselves to be de-
nounced as SALARY grIbbers aud thieves.
The first great thing to be learned in
this life, that which had been taught in
the schools Of ancient Greece, was to
discriminate between that which the
multitude thought was right and that
which was right in itself. Ii there WAS
anything wrong. anything immora!,
anything dishonest, anything which
would reflect disgrace on " mans rnc-
mory for taking that legal nppropri.-
ton, ho wanted to know where it wa,.
Ii it was wrong for members To take
what the law allowed, where were men
to find out the rule Of right and wrong?
Ills remarks on this sub iect did not APP
ply to himself, but he WAS IL citizen of
the country, and he felt doep interest
IN the dignity and character of Con.
gress. lis claimed that when Congress
passed the retroactive law of last ses-
sion, 1T had constitutional right TO do
SO. lle was not saying whether it was
expcdient or not, but no blush should
rest on the check Of any man. whether
he voted for the bill or not, who took
the money. If he had been here, he
should have taken If wbotbor lo Ij