Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-08-11
SPEECH OF COY. or. MORTON.

-. -. jy22.2wd
SPEECH OF COY. o. P. MORTON.
At the Union ConEres.tonaI
I,'1s .aIa at ereeneastIe, Eadians
Felton, Citizens.
A few days since YOU were favo~a
with an address BY my honorable comm
Htor, Mr' Mcdonald, nearly the iwbol
OF which was devoted to the criticism q
my administration Mr.. Mcdonald va,
placed IN nomination for the Office q
uoVernor by the late Democratic Star,
convention, the proceedings OF which
may be described as highly cowardIy
aud deceptive. Upon the subject of ~
war, the great and overshadowing even,
~ American history, it was dishonova.
bly, and shamofully silent In the Ian
gnage OF the Cincinnati ENQUIRE. ~,
sought lhe poor advantage Of IN equiyo.
cal position, and desired to place itself
IN an attitude where il might have the
ability to cheat men of conflicting poli,.
zeal opinions Mr Mcdonald. in a ver,
bflet exordml :, made a somewhat ipdef
mite dlsquisii on upon National affairs
to which call your attention. lie be,
gan by congratulating himself and his
party irienda that they were - 49,.
the origin OF the var was % be tound IN
the unwise and unnecessary agitation
Of the slavery question, which had been
forced upon the country by bis political
opponen,s the sboltionists if II be
true that the war was brought about by
the aaitation of the slavery question, it
is impossible for Mr.. Mcdonald 10 be
held Fuiltlcss, or 20 relieve himself from
responsibility lie has been a cesseless
aeiiator Of :be slavery question for many
wears, first upon the one side and
then upon the other; hrst as an
ardent aud ultra anti-slavery man, and
then as an ardent and extreme pro-slavery
man seeking to lay all the sins Of the ma
ton upon the shoulders OF his former anti
slavery friends.
In fS49 when he was candidate for
Congress in the sth Congressional Dis.
trict, he addressed TO committee OF
gentlemen the following letter:
ATTlcA, July ,, ls49.
"GENrLEMES:
"Having seen your circular to the can
didate Of the District in the public press,
and not wishing to conceal any oppiniou
! held by me in regard to the political quss.
ton aeitating the public mind, hasten
to reply to your interrogatories.
L. / do admit and believe that Con
gress has a right TO legislate on the sub
feet of slavery fer all the Territories o.
The United States, the District of Colum
bia inclusive.
80. am in favor of the adoption Of
the Wilmot Proviso in all the Territorial
organizations.
"3 am in favor OF the prohibition
of the slave trade in the District OF Co
lumbia ! am in favor of the abolition
Of slavery in the District OF Columbis
! tie citizens expressing a wish therefor
Ii this cannot be done, | should then b
in favor Of removing the seat of Govern
ment to free soil
- | am opposed to the admission
any more slave States, from any terrific
ry not properly included in the Texa
comprnmise. do not believe that Cor
gress ought to disturb the compact entei
ed into with Texas on that subject.
"5 | am in favor of the exemption {
the homestead from execution.
80 am in favor Of the State C0nveI
ton 70 amend the Constitution.
Yours, respectfully,
J. f. MCDoNALD,"
K In this letter he solemnly declare
f. thai he is in favor Of excluding SLAYER
from all territories by an act Of Congress
and he is opposed to the admission
10 anv more slave Statesl that slavel
il. should be abolished in the District
Columbia. and ifthat could not be doI
ut then the Capitol should be removed
ag free soil. Upon this platform be ma'
T. his way. into Congress But in, 1854 he
'se gan to agitate on the other side. I
rs then approved the introduction of {
Is Nebraska bill, repeating the Nilsson
compromise. Afterwards he endorsed
=. Leeonpton Constitution by which
he was attempted 10 fasten slavery up
- Kansas, against the will of nine-teni
@, of her people: erwards he endors
Ia the Dred Scott decision, which decisr
bid the existence of slavery in all the I
/ tional domain BY virtue of the Consti
L ton of the United States; and since
bic beginning of the war has earnestly
90 posed every measure of the Governm'
ol- looking to the weakning OF the rsbelli'
IN bv Withdrawing from it the power del
nth ed from slavery and slave labor. "
this undeniable record staring hlC
the face. II il not competent for him
gso say that he l,as'not been an agitator.
On. THE RrssILloN AND ITS SUPPRESSION
ar But there was one questionable
-o- permost question in sll your thoug
as- % both by day and night upon which
,,Ts utteraly failed to express himself,
Ia, question of suppression of the REBEL
,ha and the restoration of the Union.
p.e. this forgetfullness on the part of my
and orable friend, or was it as the CiRcinl
; on Enquirer phrase it, ''the desire to b
\ 90 the poor advantage OF an equivocal
"a sitiou In charity l must suppose