The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-03
TREoANTE BELLUM SOUTH In THE
UNITED STATES SENATE.
Pcroratian 0f Hon. y. q. q. Iamar's
speech In the United states senate
on the silver Question.

can never forget therylosing hours OF
that power, for I was hereand saw 1t pass
from, the hands of Southern Democratic
statesmen into those who now WELD the
destinies of this country. | remember here
on this floor the then distinguished Senator
from New York (Mr. Sewgd), who has
since become more eonspicuous-.n the event
ful times that have occurred declare that
power had departed from the South: that
The sceptre was now taken from her hand.
and that hencefolth the great North, by rea
son Of it's superiority IN numerical power and
roll of sovereign States, would grasp this
power us her own preroghtive and become re-
sponsible for the administration OF the whole
government am aware that | listened to
him with impatience and perhaps with preju-
dice and thought his spirit was too much that
the great undertaking which was about
to devolve upon him and hls asso.
eiates. 1t struck me that he did not
have tho sadness and solemnity which
| touch the heart of every great man when
confronted with the great events and great
| Responsibilities involving tho interests OF un-
| told millions. | shall never forget the an
| swer that was made to him by Southern
Senator who sat near where my friend from
Indiana (Mr, McDonald) now sits. He was
surrounded by circle Of Southern Demo
cratic statesmen which, in ability and purity,
will never be surpassed in the history of this
country whatever may be It's glory-whch
glory, / trust, will be always great among
| the nhJDnS Oh LuS SaIlu. lutIe WAS bb'heS
M. Mason. whose square aud massive sim
plicity, Of character and purity stand monu-
mental In our annals There was his ac-
complished colleague, Robert NJ. T. Hunter,
whose clear and broad craftsmanship found
| fit expression III a scholarly eloquenee that
drew into the same admiring circle his friends
and opponents in the same aImiring friend
ship. And then there was Mr.. Slidell,
shrewd and wise and prudent, and by his
side sat j. P BENJAMIN, whose who's; astutenes 81,
won him fame and fortune upon that high
Olympic field of mental conflict. the great
courts of Westminster. There was Robert
| Toombs, who never spoke without striking
the IDEAS of all who listened to him. There
was Albert G.. Brown, from my own State
| who never had q sympathy outside OF tho
wants and feelings OF his own people; who
yet was never overawed by their prejudces
or swerved from his course by their passion
There was another, Mr.. President shall moi
be permitted to mention his name In this free
American Senate, which has been so free u
discuss and condemn his errors Zone who
has been the vicarous sufferer for his
people: who has been in the prison
cell, the solitude.of whose punishment should
lift him above the jibe and jeer OF popular
passion, whose words will ever remain as thu
sad and the grand memoranda not OF triumph
not of defiance, but OF earnest purpose, the sin
cere motiveof the great struggles which those
who inaugurated believed 1t was a struggle
for representative liberty and constitutional
government. Among these, and SURROUNDED
by them, this Senator spoke to his asso
ciates in terms which I have never reac
from that day to this, but which arr
stereotyped upon my memory, and which
il the Senate will permit me, I will here
repeat: Sir said he, addressing his
Northern associates, what the Senator says
Is true. The power has passed from oul
hands into your hands; but do not forget
it cannot be forgotten; it is written upor
the brightest page Of history-that we, thu
Shareholders OF the South, took your countr!
in her infancy, and after ruling he
for sixty of the seventy years Of her existence
we returned her to you without spot upoI
her honor, matchless in her splendor; ncom
J ton of the world Time will show what 20,
Z, will do with her; but no time can dim oul
glory or diminish your responsibility Sir
it is not my purpose to say what has beer
done with it; the arrangement Of the Senator
from Indiana Mr.. Voorhees, is still before thu
country. There is testimony, however, by