Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-06-28
sPEECH OF,
GENERAL GEORGE W. MORGAN,
DeliveFed to the DemocratIc Meeting
Held In COlumbuss az the West
n Front of the Capitol, Tues
day Night, June go, 1865. rs

portance than the present, should not at
an hour so late as this, on an evening so
inelement as is this, detain you. But, citi-
zens, this is no o dinary occasion. We are
living in times of peril to our institutions,
and do not apologize to you for appear
ing before you, though it is toward the
midnight hour. And propose to address
you as my countrymen, IS American citi-
zens, upon the grave and momentous ques-
tions which are to decide for veal or for
woe the destiny of our much loved land.
SIX YEARS AGO.
Pardon me, my friends, for one brief mo-
ment for recurring to an era Of but the
| other day. Six brief years ago the United
States-aye, the United States-extendln2
| from ocean to ocean, were in the enjoyment
of unrivaled prosperity. Our commerce,
| in point of tonnage, was the largest In the
world; our manufactures competed with
| those of France, England and Germany,
and the great grain growing region OF
the West fed countless millions in
other climes. Our country was free from
| debt; the rights of every citizen were se-
| cure under the protection of the law our
| flag was respected throughout the world,
and peace and happiness with their holy
influences dwelt in every household and
smiled upon our land.
OUR ACTUAL CONDITION.
When the Republican party came into
| power, we had only nominal debt, and
| yet to-day, measured by the amount of in
terest, ours is the largestdebt known among
the nations. Instead of being free from
debt, at the close of Mr.. Lincoln's admins
tration, the nations Indebtedness amounted
to the appalling sum of three thousand mil
lion dollars. And the present usurpation
at Washington, which arrogates TO itself
the title of the Congress of the United
States, will have increased that debt more
than five hundred million dollars. And
why has the debt been increased? Have no
revenues been collected from the people?
Has taxation been reduced? Taxation
reduced Why, citizens, at this moment
we are more heavily taxed than rethe peo-
pie in the despotisms of Austria, or France,
or Russia, and yet we live in a Republic.
Yes, in single year, more than five hum
dred million dollars In taxes have been
wrung from the enterprise, the industry,
and the sweat of the people by direct and
indirect taxation. And yet not one dollar
OF that enormous amount has been applied
upon the payment Of the public debt; but
on the contrary, the debt has been aug
mented more than half billion of dollars.
The Excise Inspector and Assessor come
prowling around like thieves in the night, to
pry into your affairs, and you cannot sign
receipt, execute deed or note without
attaching stamp as badge Of your
threaten serfdom.
The IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF OUR TROUBLES.
And what has produced this dread calam-
ity? Who is responsible for this fearful
change? In 1860 there were four candi-,
dates for the Presidency-Bell,D Doug as,
Breckinridge and Lincoln. Had Bell,
Douglas or Breckinridge been elected
there would have been no war. Why?
Because they stood upon national plat
forms-because they were all pledged to
stand by the Constitution. But there was
a fourth party, with Mr.. Lincoln as its can
didate. A sectional party, organized in
defiance of the warning OF Washington
organized in avowed hostility to the South.
Aud what was the object of that sectional
party? In the language of that eminently
bad man, Thaddeus Stevens, its object was
to break up the foundations of our Govern
ment in order that another and different
Government might be- built upon its ruins.
And, citizens, while it was the purpose of
the leaders of the Republican party to de-
stroy the Union, so that our free institu-
tions might be destroyed, there was class
ofmen in the South who desired the disrup-
tiOn of the Union, in order that the South
eracy of their own.
Well, a gigantic iDsurrection was the re-
suit, and all its dread calamities-with its
half million graves filled with the best and
brayest of the children of the North and
West-the three hundred thousand orphans
of our soldiers, and the two hundred thou
sand MANNED men and boys, who are left as
sad monuments of the war, are all charge
able against the leaders of the sectional
Republican party, and against the secession
leaders of the South. But the latter have
been terribly punished by the scOurge of
war. Their lands have been laid waste,
their homes have been reduced to ashes, and
the graves of their children exist as sad
mementoes of fallen cause. -.
But while the secessionists Of the South
have been thus terribly punished, the equal
ly guilty agitators or the North, grown rich
from plumber, aid audacious from impuni-
ty, are still enthroned in power, and they
have the insolence to declare that the mi
nority shall govern the majority, and that
our free system must give way to consol-
idated despotism.
Far be it from me, citizens, to wish to
arouse your passions, or excite your preju-
dices. But on the contrary. ! appeal to
you as my countrymen, as Americans, to
act as becomes good citizens, and to rescue
ems them. l do not stand here tonight to
plead the cause OF the insurrectionists of
the South. Their conduct was uDjustif-
able; they were overthrOwn upon their
own field of battle; but common manhood
compels me to declare that their capitula-
tion to our arms-the admirable manner In
which they accept the situation, and ask
again to be taken back into the brother
hood of the Union, is as noble as their
bearing was heroic during the war--and
our own heroic soldiers are the first to
yield to them this need of justice.
Now, citizens, that secession in the South
has been overthrown, Is it not both wise
and Just, that the disunion usurpers Of the
North, who, among other usurpaJions, have
arrogated to themselves the control of the
Union party, should be driven from power;
and that the people themselves, in their
sovereign capacity, should again take
charge Of the Administration OF the Gov
ernmenG? %
POLITICAL PARTIES.
In all free countries political parties will,
and should exist; but he is a mistaken, If
not bad man, who seeks to create great
er love for party than for our country. AS
vet, it Il only this word party-this parti-
san tyranny which makes machines of men,
and forces them to mental bondage, more
ignoble and more corrupting than was ever
negro slavery-it is only, say, the malign
influence of this word party which has
prevented the usurpers who drtce--not lead
the Republicans-from being driven from
power. My friend, you say that you are