Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-07-12

June so, 1880, and for other purposes
Mr.. Voorhees, said:
Mr.. President: In the order OF
Divine providence nothing is made in
vain, and in the physical world every
object has its sphere. This IS eminent
ly true in the world Of men. and having
known the Senator from Maine a long
time, 1 had assigned him u higher, a
better, and i more useful sphere i'll
public affairs than he seems determined
to occupy. For many years l have
looked upon him as fitted by nature to
fill that place among men which the
eagle occupies among the birds OF the
air. l have fondly hoped TO see him
soar toward the sun in the clear, upper
atmosphere of an exalted craftsmanship ;
but if as a matter of choice he adopts
the part OF the scavepger bird. hunts for
offal, the cast-otf and putretying matter
of past years, may deplore but l can
not prevent such a course. If he pre-
fers to abandon the pursuits OF the ZION,
and follow the habits OF the hyena, to
dig into the graves OF the past Tor
loathsome and offensive things, deeply
regret it but it is matter for him alone
| to decide.
Mr.. Blaine. Offensive to whom.
MIR. Voorhees, Offensive to the pub
lie interests, if not to common decency
The Senator from Maine has seen fit to
] resurrect an old, stale, and exploded
charge against an Indiana regiment on
the field OF Buena Vista.
MIR. Blaine. No, sir One moment.
disclaim the charge. 1t was scandal
against the Indiana regiment, and !
showed that the southern friends of the
senator of Indiana were perpetuating
that and teaching it to their children.
! Mr.. Voorhees,. have no such south
ern friends. and l find no such misera-
BILE literature. l do not burrow in the
sewers where such cast-off ISLANDERS are
to he found. never saw such book
as the senator holds in his hand; never
heard of it until the senator, a lew mo-
ments ago, sought to rescue it from its
anonymous and oblivlous condition, and
confer upon it certain responsibility
by his public mention. A senator oi
the United States can give caumny
however gross, an air OF probability
without direct Endorsement, if he is
simply willing 10 pollute his fingers by
bringing it into this presence. While
the senator from Maine may say that ht
does not make this charge against the
troops of Indiana or indorse it. know
him too well to be deceived as to his
purpose in parading it here.
Sir, it happened in the Mexican war
that great war which resulted in sc
much glory and wealth to this country
that one of Indiana's five regiments
was placed in an exposed position OF
the field OF Buena Vista; it was placed
there before it was fully known, even by
that great and sagacious military leader
Zachary Taylor, where the brunt 0
battle would fall He was awaiting, no
delivering battle. The senator iron
Maine, although like myself wholly des
titute of military experience, although
like myself he fought the battles of hi
country by substitute, (and l think
mine was better than his from his ac
count the other day,) must know how
unexpectedly sometimes the full lore,
of an enemy making attack falls on al
exposed part OF the line of battle. l
happened so in this instance, and Tor thu
truth of history appeal to the blood,
record of that day. Within twenty min
utes after battle was joined the Seccnt
|
death aud wounds than any other regi
ment that ever stood upon field TO
no greater length OF time. They were II
a position that five regiments could no
have held, their firing was rapid an,
determined, their ammunition almost ex
hausted; they broke. That is true
Some of them rallied afterward; a few
did not. OF those who rallied there wa
Captain Nathan Kimball, alterwar
Maior-G eneral Kimball. With a larg
portion of the regiment he formed q
one OF the Mississippi regiments, pei
. haps the Fifth, do not remember tn
e numbers, and fought all through tn
conflict.
The senator from Maine obtrudes tha
historical question here. Let me as
> HIM why it is he presumes to CRITICS
the conduct OF Indiana troops, when ther
was not a soldier there from Maine? Ir
diana behaved well, extremely, bravel
well and her blood bathed every baLtl
field in the subsequent war OF the II
ballion. She sent three times as man
troops to the field in that war as Maine
. The district that l represented in III
s other branch of congress sent MOI
troops than the entire state Of Minnest
TIA, from which we heard such 4 crit
cism through her senator en- Indiana Ia:
evening. Why does not the senator frol
Maine learn a lesson OF common prl
dence? Why does he not look benin
himI Why does he not stop to inquir
whether anybody represented Maine O
that bloody and glorious field OF Buen
4 Vista before he assails those who wei
5 there? Why, sir. not only Maine b,
New England was not there! All Ne
) England was absent with the eXccptio
of regiment OF regulars raised by th
general act of congress, OF which th;
gallant and immortal spirit, now gone I
his great reward, Thomas Ii. Seymou
was, as remember, major-Thomas I
Seymour, whose counterpart for cou
. age. high spirit and fidelity to the col
e stitution is here on this floor in the pc
}. son OF the senator from Connection
+ Mr.. Eaton. This is all, with the e.
o ception OF u hired levy made in Ne
!: York on money raised in Massachuset
T. by Caleb Gushing, who was then den
o ocrat. Is it not a shame that Massachu
a tt 4 NJ