Year: 1879

senator from New York Mr.. Conklingl
when pause for moment to pronounce
a eulogy upon the present administration.
know the appreciation which his robust in.
tellect has of the patriotic and comprehen-
i've capacities of the administration now in
power, know, therefore he will be grate-
tul to me for calling attention to the fact
that although he has arraigned us for the
disproportion of confederate brigadiers of
this body to the Union brigadiers or major
generals, yet this favorite administration of
his has confded one of its very important
cabinet portfolios to another confederate
brigader, General Key, of Tennessee. |
have no word of disparagement for General
Key or General Akerman. / am not here
! to abuse or denounce these men for chang
ing their politics they had right to do so.
do say, however, that senators on the 9th
er side, after voting to confirm these men
for positions of the very highest public inn
portance, have not the shadow of right 20
assail us for welcoming the southern sena-
tors who are on this floor.


General Key drew his sword under the
flag of the south and fought through the
war; lie then came to the senate, and while
here made speech. | refer to it now prin-
cipally to show how much the senator from
New York has forgiven, to exhibit that gra-
cious phase of his character which some do
not know of as well as | do, to illustrate
that his forbearance and charity are AZ
broad as the mantle that covers all sin.
General Key spoke just before he was ap-
pointed to the place he now holds. Com
menting upon that very memorable field of
testimony wherein Eliza Pinkston covered
| herself and the republican party with in
fanny, and while arraigning John Sherman
| for being the patron of that paragon false
hood, the present postmaster general on this
floor, on the 18th day of December, 1876,
used this language


"And on this testimony, the falsehood of
which is so apparent on its face, state is to
be disfranchised, and a President, whom the
people never elected is to be placed in
office"


told you, Mr.. President, | would prove
how generous the charity of the senator from
New York has been. Within but a few
days of his appointment and confirmation,
the present postmaster general not only an
nounced that the present President of the
United States was not elected President by
the people at all, but further that there was
plot to foist him into that Office by dis
franchising state through the instrumen-
tality of wholesale falsehood. He has never
recanted this truthful statement that know
Of suppose he has agreed to vote the re.
publican ticket, and doubtless he does so. |
presume it was on that condition that re-
publican senate confirmed this confederate
brigadier with an additional handicap in
the shape of the speech l have read from.
Mr.. Conkling How does the senator
stretch my charity over that?


Mr.. Voorhees,. Because I have heard
that ringing voice which God has Civ
en- the senator from New York in denuncia-
ton of that appointment. therefore sup
posed he had condoned the ofienses enumer-
ated by me. think the word "condone"
filter word in this connection, all things
considered, than forgive" The senator
has been unsparing in his assaults because
of our affiliation with the men of the south,
while the administration of his party ap-
points not merely confederate brigadier,
but one who in this presence said that his
claim to that great Office rested on wholesale
falsehood and threatened the disfranchise.
ment ofa state.


Passing on, however. invite senators to
take walk with me through the south,
starting from the Potomac. will promise
still further to illustrate the shameless, bare
faced, false pretensions of the republican
party on this subject. As soon as we cross
the Potomac we at once find federal judge
not seek to disparage his ability or his
character, but he was an original secession
ist and the editor of secession paper when
the war broke out. | allude of course to
Judge Hughes. He is now where he con-
strues the laws of the United States through
out wide expanse of country and over
large and intelligent population. He was ap-
pointed by republican administration, con-
tirmed by republican senate, confirmed by the
voices of those who have since hurled their
anathemas in our ears because we welcomed
you, and you southern senators, to this floor
They have welcomed confederate officers to
the bench and to the cabinet they have
welcomed them to foreign missions they
have welcomed them to official positions of
| every description, on the one sole condition
that they would vote the republican ticket.
Party politics controls this whole matter.
When they vote the republican ticket they
are your brigadiers when they vote the
democratic ticket they are our brigsdiers.
My purpose must not be misunders TODD.
am not producing any of these names here
to assault them | am simply using thom to
illustrate policy so crooked and so out
rageous that it deserves exposure and it
shall have it,


Here, pext is another Virginian, John S.
Mosby. Who was John S. Mosby? | know
him well. | speak no unkind word of him,
yet can remember when it was question
whether his surrender would be received
whether he would be accepted as a prisoner
of war or whether he should be outlawed
from the general amnesty which the govern.
ment was then extending. There was time
when the name of Mosby shook the fears Of
men in this capitol. There was a time when
it was supposed he fought under black
flag and that it could sometimes be seer


from the dome in the soft sunlight of an


afternoon. 1t was thought that his warfare


partook of the nature of the guerilla, ane


such belief largely prevails to this hour


But all is forgiven now not only forgiven


but verify this most offensive conftderat,


warrior has his rich reward He embraced