The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-04
6.nr. Morton. of Indiana.


One Of the ablest sud most accomplished
statesmen Of the present day, is the Hon.
Oliver P. Morton, Of Indiana He is one Of
the men whom the emergencies Of the war
have made preeminent, aud whose reputa-
ton is co-exteusive with the Union. There
is no post in the government which he is not
competent 70 ill with credit. In practical
wisdom and sagacity we doubt whether be
has an equal in the country certainly he
has no superior. Indiana is greatly indebt
ed TO him for the repntaiion she made dur
ing the war; and the nation owes him debt
Of gratitude, which, we trust, will some day
be paid by his elevation to the Presidency.
On the 2sth ult, this distinguished patriot
and statesman made speech at Richmond,
Indisna. We are sorry the pressure upon
onr columns will not permit rs 70 spread it
before our readers. Il is the bsst-timed and
most appropriate effort Of the dsy, and stirs
the heart like the notes Of bugle summon
ing 10 pleasing and cheerful duty.
Unlike sons Who have gone before bin,
he regards the condition Of the country as
promising and favorable. Re does not see,
in the South, signs Of continued hostility TO
the Union, but declares that the submission
fthe psople has been complete, that they
entsrtaiu no idea Of further resistsncs, or
ofrevivinQ the dead institution Of slavery.
He eoei not expect extravsgant manifesto
lions Of sudden love on their part, but re-
poses hopeful trust ia the future.
The Governor defends the policy Of reor-
SANITATION which President Johnson is sue
cessiully carrying cut. Il is, he afirms, but
continuation Of the policy Of Mr.. Lincoln,
aid in proof Of this afir1stion, contrasts
them. II there ia any difference it is in the
additional slringsncy which President
johnson has impaired TO his policy. The
policy Of llr. Lincola, he said, wss approved
bv every nember Of his cabinet, and was
maintained BY him in the lsst public speech
he ever made,-hls speech just sitter the
surrender Of Lee. Johnson took up b poll
cy where he leh it, and took his cabinet
slouR with il. The Governors argument
On this point was irreiutable.
Upon the subject Of suffrage be was plsin
snd pointed. He said that was a question
lsf, With the States BY the Federal Constitu-
ton, and that Congress could not interfere
with il. He raid il would not do to attempt
60 GET around the constitution by assuming
that the rebel States are in the condition Of
conquered States. This doctrine would rem
der il impossible to try JEFF. Davis Tor trea-
con or to treat the rebels as other than the cit
- F--.i,~,, v--r-.- p..sl ~.
this doctrine involves the assumption Of the
rebel debt.
OH the negro question be said hs rejected
ali schemes Of colonization. The negro
was born in this country-he had no other.
1.-The desires 70 smigrsts let him do 50 but
ID mn be- the act Of his own wOlition. He
believed the time would come when every
man without regard 10 color, would be a
voter but the time he'd not yet come. The
right 10 vote ca ries With il the night 10 hold
Office. You could not give the negro the
one without the other. In regard TO admit
tiBgthe negroes Of the South to vote, be
sad:
While sdmit the equal rights Of all men,
and that IN time all men viii have the right
I
Ivet believe that in the case Of the four
millious OF slaves Just emerging from bond
age, there should be q term Of probation ex-
scted : them fefore couceding 90 them the
exercise OF politic-l power. Let Us co slider
far mnment. Whether these iour mill ons
we're white or black, co or w,uld make no
df renee Consider the condition OF these
people in the Southern ststes. You can not
Judge II the condition Of the freedmen-the
negroes up the pihutations-by those IN
the scheeis al Hiiion Head, Norfolk, and |
other places where enthusiastic teachers are /
iu.truetine them 10 read and write. / have
nc doubt navy Of them make apid progress, |
and have the capacity to learn anyth ng /
But is only one IN thousand Of those /
who live upon plant1tions that can be ex- /
pscted 10 equal tho who live IN the towns 4
sho have been servants Of intelligent gen /
tlemen. You must cons der Whist is the |
condition OF the whole mss. Not one in 3
thsuaund can read perhaps not one 10 i've
thousand is worth i've dollars in property.
They are lust coming out Of bondage. All
they have is their bodies. Their little shan
ties are upon the plantations Of their former
ma ters most Of them depending Tor sub
sistence upon employment received from
thcm, ~ obtained in some way less honora-
bly,. Many OF them, until within few
months, were never ct the plantations on
which they were born most Of them GER
tGiuly not out Of the county, unless driven
by the slave driver. Cen you conceive OF a
body ~ men, white or black, thus situated,
% udd 81 Isl qualifed 20 stsp into the exsr-
ci Of political power, not only 20 govern
thtIn elves bot % govern their neigh b0rs
A mere sta emeus OF the TACT furnishes the
ausVer % the question. To say thst such
nisu-Hnd il Is no fault Of theirs; u 10 sim
ply heir misfortune, and the crime OF this
na.ion--ts say thst sach men, iast emery
ing iron this slavery, are justified for the
sKsrc 81 OF n power W0old be 10 mske the
strongest pro-slavery argument out Of cur
complaints against the SO 9TH. What has
been cur practice Tor many years. We
have described slavery ~ desrading body
and saal us bringing human beings down 1,
The level Of bea'ts, as q crime as depriying
thrm % intellect and mora .. But u We
now turn roand aud ssy this Institution has
been rhool that has qualified them FOR the
right of suffrage, We viii ttuitify ourselves
aud glFe the lie 90 those declarations upon
Shich We have obtained political power.
IT, reviewed The position II Mr.. sumner,
OF Massachusetts,, and showed the imprac-
ticahility Of negro suffrage This portion Of
HE speech he concluded o. follows;
And now the question comes up, how can
these difficulties ne avoided, and yet eonier
upon the negro his rights have no doubt
the time viii come, and that il is not Car
distant, when The rebel etates will confer
upon The uegro The right OF fufrage. I
would give these men per Cd OF probation
and PREPARATION / would give them
time 20 acquire little properly time 10
get little education time 10 learn some
thing shout the simplest ferns Of business
and b prepare themselves for the exercise
of political poser Al the end of Ten q
twenty YEAR,, Jet them come Into the enjoy
ment Of poliiicsl rights. By that time those
-ta a. viii have been somewhat allied up
by emigration ir0m the North, aud the ne
groes wall be IN the minority, for thew have no
emigraiien 20 swell their increase, and Their
prop rtion Go the whole would grow tmaller
and smaller Their influence then would
De destitute oi any danger. conflict
with them poii'ict'v would be no more
likely 20 happen ihan il does nov in
Massachusetts,, where negroes have exer-
eised poliicsl rights ioF the last twenty five
years. believe this is the way this thing
wili work tie 4 out.
We esunot add more. Il would be fortu-
nate Il The entire speech could be read BY
every man, woman and child in the eoun
try. The result would be emiuen,ly bene.
ncial.
We rePublished recently, from the Gin