Year: 1872

His Speech at Terre Haute.


On Saturday night, Hon. d. W. Voor-
hees, of Indiana, addressed an assem-
blage of about 5000 people, in the
Court House Square, at Terre Haute,
Indiana He said he thanked Provi-
dence that he was permitted to speak
for himself. He had for nearly ten


years received the endorsement of his
constituency; had been sustained by
them at all times, because he distinctly
held to certain principles of govern
ment, which he thought to be right, and
opposed others which he thought to be


wrong. He was there to answer wheth-
er he had been false to the trust
placed in his hands He had neither
epithets nor abuse to hlrl at his adver-


saries. He had the advantage of them


in the truth Of his position, and conse-
quently his temper was better than


theirs he SAID, they who were con-
! scious of being in the wrong always get


angry first, and destitute of argument
they at once resort to denunciations
and slander. AS to the imputations


that have been cast on his motives in
regard to his recent speech in Congress
against the nomination of Nh. Greeley
by the Democratic party, they will re-
ceive no reply from him they have re-
ceived none here, and if the whole
tenor of his life will not silence such
aspersiOns, no words could.


The Cincinnati Convention was
movement inaugurated by dissatisfied
Republicans, and it was natural that
the Democrats should have watched it
with interest as likely to divide and
overthrow the party in power Many
had hoped as he did, that the Conven-
| ton would nominate as it's candidate
! one whose devotion to liberty, knowl-
edge Of the powers Of government,


attachment to revenue reform, opposi-
ton to absolute equality of the whites
and blacks and magnanimous action
towards the south would enable the
National Democratic Convention to
nominate him.


That might have been done if the
Convention had been differently com
posed; if instead of vain conceit there
had been more sound sense; if, instead of


regarding the Democratic party as a


mob ready to fall in with and follow


any little squad that marched by, they


had looked on them as they are, the


bravest, purest and most conscientious
population on the face of the earth. The


bare presence of d Democrat in the city


at that time was regarded by the mana


gers OF the Convention as an insult,
and he was warned away with boots and


cries, as a spotted leper would have


been fold from an assembly of purified


Jews. t.. ...r ut


Every suggestion made by the Demo


Gratis was recoiled from with disgust, as
if it contained the contagion of small
pox He asked if three million of men
had sunk so low as to tamely submit to
this insult and scorn like the blows
| spaniel receives. For his own part, he
would not.


But if the tone and temper of that
convention were hostile to the Demo
cratic party, how should he character
ize the nomination itself? He was in


his seat at his desk in the House when


it was announced that Horace Greeley


had been nominated for the Presi-
.dency 1t no more occurred to him to
| that he (Greeley) or the men who
! had nominated him would have the


brazen audacity to expect Democrats to


support them than he did that the dis


ciples of the Christian religion would
turn away from their faith in an hour


and worship Mahomet as the prophet


of God. He congratulated himself and
his friends about him that the unex-
pected folly of the convention had


opened to thems a sure and easy road


to victory and to the restoration of


good. .......


He knew Grant would be nominated
In Philadelphia, and then the Repub-


lican party would be torn in twain A


house divided against itself could not
stand, and he saw the house of his po-
itical adversary divided. He believed


they could beat Grant with pure
statesman, If he was opposed by can
didate who had not advocated and en-
dOrsed all his politics as Greeley had.


He was not bowed down when he heard


from Cincinnati his face was rather
lifted up and frightened with hope: he


recalled the fact that Mr.. Lincoln was
| elected because two Democrats were


running, and he was convinced that
| they had q better chance for success


than they have known since Pierce,


twenty years ago. For thirty years


Horace Greeley had made every form


of brutal and infamous assaults


on the Democratic party. His


malevolence had been increasing,


unspairing and universal. He had


rumaged everywhere for objects of his


vindictiveness and abuse. He had not


hesitated to call their foremost men,


like Horatio Seymour, liars, villains


and traitors He had also signalled


the people in private life, and de


nounced them as ignorant, sordid and
vicious for selecting Democratic off


Gals If he (Yoorhees) should labor
to make such man Democratic can
didate for President he would feel that
! he had indeed betrayed them. He