Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-09-16
WHO COMMENCED THE WAR.
Gov. Morton, Of Indiana, Takes Look at
the Facts Of History.

In the joint debate between Governor
Morton, of Indiana, and Mr.. Mcdonald,
his Democratic" competitor, at La
porte, recently, the Governor gave his
opponent some bold and telling rejcin-
ders. AS specimen we copy the fol-
lowing extract:
My competitor says that Mr.. Lincoln might
have avoided this war if he had felt so disposed
| He further says it has been brought on by the
agitation of the slavery question. l can only
say that, ii the agitation of the slavery question
has been the cause of the war, then my friend is
very guilty. He commenced agitating in the
first place on the anti-savery side, and went
! further than did. He then commenced in 1854
on the other side. and became an ultra pro-
should like to know which side he likes BEST
| Laughter. His Judgment now, owing to his
great experience, Is entitled to great conSidera-
| ton.
Now one word in regard to that assertion that
lincoln commenced this war In October, 1859
more than one year before Mr.. Lincoln election
Mr.. Floyd the Secretary of War under Bu-
| chanan's Administration, issued an order send
| ing n50N muskets to the Southern arsenals,
and during the progress of that Administration
orders were frequently issued sending guns to
southern forts and arsenals. and placing them
where they could be seized. In October General
Scott informed Mr. Buchanan that preparations
Were being made to seize the forts and dock
| Buchanau's Administration before Mr.. Lincoln
came into office, eight states seeded. During
| the tlnle OF MI. Bucnafan SAumlnlStTutlOn, tne
| Mon tgomery Constitution was formed and jeff.
Davis was inaugurated as President of the South
ern Contederacy. Mr. Davis himself had said
before Mr.. Lincoln came into office, 1.-The time
for compromise Is past, and if they resist seces-
| sion we will make them feel southern steel and
smell southern gunpowder.' On the day of Mr..
| Lncoln'S Inauguration there We're more than
| thirty thousand under arms in the South, while
! we had less than five thousand. On the 9Th day
OF March the rebel Congress passed u bill to in
crease the rebel army to one hundred Thousand
men. Four days before Mr.. Lincoln s Inaugural
tom house in the South had been seized; and
every fort except Sumter was seized All this
was done during Buchanan's Administration
Remember that eight States had seeded under
the Democratic Administration, when you
charge secession as having been caused by Re-
publican fanatcism. The rebel constitution
was adopted while we of the North had n DEM
ocratic Administration. And yet. for the pur-
pose of dividing the people of the North, we are
told that Mr.. Lincoln made this war; when it is
a matter of public history that the preparation
for the rebellion had been going ON not only
through Buchanan's Administration, but for 80
years before il. When the ordinance of seceS-
sion was passed in South Carolina, Mr.. Ingalls,
the work of years. Mr.. Keitt said: Il have
been engaged in this war all my life Barnwell
Rhett said, I'VE have been engaged in this war
for more than thirty years. II is no consequence
of Lincoln's election the failure to execute
the Fugitive Slave Law; but we have been en-
gagged in this more than thirty years.
That was true, and the same declarations were
made in Georgia. Alabama. and other southern
States. Yet are still told that Lincoln made
this war, and that he might have avoided it if
he had been SO disposed.
If there ever was time when we were called
upon 10 deal truly and honestly with the people,
it is now. We have no right-as we are men,
and as we love our country, our homes and our
families-we have no right to deal unfaithfully
and untruly to the people. Ny friend should
not let his party preiudices lead him so far from
the path of duty and the tru tn of history. You
have heard him denounce my administration,
and you have heard him denounce Mr.. Lincoln s
administration. want to know if any man in
the assembly has heard him say one word di-
rectly or indirectly against tho administration
of Mr.. Davis? Has he said one word against
these men who are endeavoring to kill your
brothers and sons on Southern battle fields p !
Has he said one word against those men who |
she'd the blood of the gallant Colonel Hathaway, |
of your county? Not a single SYLLABLE |
Has my friend no Indignation except for the |
brave men who rally around the old flag, and |
are true to the cause of the Union? Has he no |
sympathy except for those who are opposing the |
Government? Is there nothing to be said |
against these men who shedding the best |
blood of the land ? speak for them. Ideuounce |
in their name. that rebellion wicked and in |
famous, against the best Government in the |
world-rebeS against liberty, against God, and |
against humanity. And I call upon all truly |
loyal and patriotic men to unite with me in de- |
nOuncing that cause.