Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1865-08-26
Speech OF
GEORGE w. MORGAN,
ON ACCEPTING TIE
DEmOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR
GOVERNOR,

Mr.. President, and Gentlemen ofthe Con.
pentiOn Your Committee has informed me
that the delegates from the people here as.
sembled have contded to my custody, during
the present important contest the standard
OF constitutional liberty, and ! appear before
you, responsive to your call, to express my
cordial indorsement to the resolutions adopt
ed by the Convention. II was my fortune,
Mr.. President, to be associated for short
time in the field with the distinguished gen
tleman who Is the nominee Of the Repub,
Convention. entertain for him sentiments
Of personal kindness and respect, but our
views on certain questions Of vital Importance
widely differ and that difference has made
Us, without any action on our part, opposing
candidates for the suffrage Of our fellow
citizens. Is the Union restored2 Oar coun.
try at peace. No one believes that there is
danger or civil commotion or of foreign war
Our gallant army Of white soldiers is being
rapidly disbanded and they are welcomed TO
their homes amid the grateful plaudts of
patriotic people;but the fact that large armies
OF negro troops are retained under--Arms,
should excite to vigilance, and await the anx.
iety Of every citizen.
The war is over; the supremacy of our flag
s acknowledged over the entire Federal
domain. There is cause for rejoicing over
the brilliant deeds OF our soldiers. But there
is also reason for great apprehension as to
the future. The roar of cannon, the clang OF
arms, and the shouts of victory are no longer
heard; the coDscription has ceased the hurried
tread OF our young men on the pathway to
wlr no longer startles our women and children
from their sumbers; but the Union, the grand
and only justifAble object of the war, the
only object for which our soldiers fought, the
Union, is not restored, and dangerous and
powerful effort is being made by professed
friends to exclude certain of the States from
a representation in the Federal Legislature,
and thereby prevent the restoration Of the
Union, The Union does not mean any given
extent of territory held under arbitrary rule,
but is government OF united States, and until
those States are represented 10 the Federal
Legislature, as provided by the Constitu-
tion, there can be no Union. War has per-
formed it's part,
The soldier has uobly discharged his daty
and let us take good care that his blood has
not been shed in vain The insurrectouary
armies have surrendered TO the Federal
authorities, and resumed their allegiance 10
the Government Of the United States; bat the
restoration of the Union to their position
and rights under the Constitution is not yet
achieved. Upon this vital question our fellow
citizens Of the Republican party are divided
among themselves, aud majority OF that
party in Congress will oppose President
Johnson's plan for resdmittingto the National
. Legislature the Senators and Representatives
from the Southern States. The President
declares that he is in favor Of leaving the
question of reconstructing their State gov
ernments to the citizens Of the Southern
States in the exercise of their constitutional
rights
u Our Government ia not consolidated
empire like that of Russia, Austria or France,
nor monarchy like that OF Great Britain, but
we have a Union composed Of States with co
ordinate powers and cosqual rights. The
States formed the Union, and in doing so
relnquished certain rights, which are distinct.
" specified; and in the language Of the
Constitution, all powers not delegated to
the United States, nor prohibited to the
States, are reserved to the States or the peo
Pile.
The Federal Government derives its power
from the Constitution and possesses no lawful
authority which is not granted by that instru
ment. Congress may admit new States, but
has no authority to expel State from the
Union. Nineteen States represented in Con
greSs have not the right to exclude represen
tAtives from seventeen, and II not from
sSVsntOsn, ,theycan not exclude Representatives