The times., 1898-01-23
Daniel w. voorhees,.


son of the West, like Abraham Lincoln,
he shared that completely American
spirit, and the view il gave him of all
things, earthly or otherwise. His child
hood and youth were passed under
conditions which the present genera
ton cannot realize. In his early days
Indiana, now the seat of civilization
and culture, was almost frontier.
Even at the time of his first great for
ensic triumph it was "out West
The book before us is entitled, Forty
Years of Oratory. Daniel Wolsey
Voorhees, Lectures, Addresses and
Speeches. Compiled by his Three Sons
and Daughter; 2 vols, illustrated. >"
1t is in no sense a biography, and only
offers us Mr.. Voorhees, public ad-
dresses; but these would be without
their full influence upon the reader
who was unfamiliar with their author
without some idea of his strong and at
tractive personality.
AS TO such man as the late Senator
VOORHEES, it would be unnecessary to be-
gin a sketch of his career with the day
of his birth and the date of his chris
tening. For the country, Daniel w.
VOORHEES, came into public being when
i'm 1859 he defended John E. Cook, the
lieutenant of John Brown, in the Har-
pef's Ferry insurrection. The circum-
stances We're peculiar. Mr.. Voorhees,
closest personal and political friend
was Governor Willard, of Indiana. Both
We're stanch Democrats and opponents
of the ideas which the John Brown
raiders represented But it happened
that Governor Willard was the brother
in-law OF the second man in the revolt.
When we reflect how much courage
and nerve it must have taken In 1893
to go down into Virginia and defend
such man as Cook, under such cir
cumstances as he and his insane COM
panions had created, ii is easy TO con-
clude that the subject of our story at
least was a brave man. His defense of
Cook really was the greatest and the
finest speech of his life 1t was an ef-
fort sprung from the fountains OF
youth and friendship, and Indifferent to
the opinions and criticisms of men. 1t
was a bold thing for any man to do
Most people would have refused to do it
in fear of their lives. AT the time Nfr-
ginia was so wrought up over the John
Brown attempt to excite an insurrec-
thing to death to say q word in favor
OF anybody connected with the affair
But Mr.. VOORHEES, did not hesitate.
He appeared as counsel for Cook, and
made such plea for him as might have
saved him from the gallows under al
most any other circumstances Unfor-
tunately. Cook was unqueStionably a
party to the murders that had occurred
In the emeute, and all that eloquence or
appeal to sympathy could do for him
could not save him from the halter.
But the speech in which Mr.. Voorhees,
closed his argument in the defense of
John E. Cook made him famous in his
own country. and will keep him famous
everywhere while the annals of Anglo
Saxon Jurisprudence shall be eXtant-
In the sequence of the speeches and
lectures published. the defense of John
Il Cook occupies a secondary place in
the second volume. This is to be re-
GREETED. II was that defense which
made the fame of Daniel W. Voorhees,
as an orator When the drop fell on
Cook his defender stepped into national
reputation. 1t is doubtful if he real
lied it at the time. Nobody could have
ben less attracted to the ideas of the
fanatics who raised the Harper's Ferry
insurrection than Mr.. Voorhees,. The
unfortunate man whom he pleaded for
was dear to his friend and governor.
That was enough for him. As an in
teresting bit of personal history in this
connection it may be remarked that
he went to New York and attended
poor Cooks funeral, riding in the same
carriage with Governor Willard and
Chester A. Arthur. the latter after
ward to meet him in Washington under
vastly different circumstances.
The volumes which we have to re-
view. begin with Senator Voorhees,
lecture upon the Holy Sepulchre." 1t
is a fitting introduction to the work.
1t must always be pleasant thought
to those whom Mr.. Voorhees, has left
behind that his religious sense was
prominent among other phases of his
character. Other men may have been
more UNCONVENTIONAL in their Chris
tianity. His was that broad concep-
tion of religion which he showed in the
lecture under consideration. In it he
said: With His blood and in the
agony of His death He provided the
way of salvation for the human soul"
Before going farther, it may be said
that the quotation just given viii IL
lustrate TO those who knew Senator
Voorhees,. the underlying foundation
of his religious belief. He cared little
for dogma, but it is not too much to
say for him. that in his life he eXem-
plified as far as was possible to him
the idea Of universal love.
The lecture on Thomas Jefferson,
which follows, is almost a history in
epitome of Jefferson and his times. 1t
is worthy of separate publication. The
author sketches him, with the strong
stroke of his trenchant pen. as the
young patriot, the writer of the Dec
laration. and the minister to France.
Whether in one character or another,
he depicts Jefferson as it has not been
given to many TO present him, in such
language or with such appreciation of
his worth and greatness. The Sage of
Monticello becomes a grander thing, in
the eyes Of the American citizen when
he has been viewed through the glass
that our departed statesman presents
to us.
We have not much space for quota
tons. but there is one thing i'm Mr..
Voorhees, Public Men of My Time"
that should live in history. Reviewing
his acquaintance with Abraham Lin
coin, he says:
Whether in his cabin home in Kentucky or
In Indiana; steering flathoat down the
mississippi River. or making rails in the
groves of Illinois; captain in the Black
Hawk war, or carrying the postoffice OF
Salem In his hat; handling surveyors
ctain, or traffcking in the cheap contents
of a dry goods shop; In whatsoever posi-
tion he was called TO fill, including the
highest on earth, he met every duty so read
lily, 50 easily. 50 naturally. and with so much
of reserved power within himself, that the
world. at an early stage I'm his wundrous
life. ceased to be surprised at anything that
happened 10 his fame and fortunes, or at
any achievement that came from his teem-
ing and versatile brain.
People who are old enough to re-
member the days of the civil war, and
the allegations which then were made
against the patriotism of Mr.. Voor-
hees Will take this tribute to his old