The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1866-07-11
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GEN. GEO. W. MORGAN,
Delivered to tIe Democratic
Meeting Held In Columbus, at
The West Front of the Cap
ttOl, Tuesday Night,
June &c, 1866.

June 26, 1866.
FELLOW CITIzENs:-In In times of less i'm
pOrtance than the present, SHOULD not at
an hour so late as this, on an evening so in
clement as is this detain you. But, citizens,
this is no ordinary occasion. We are living
in times of peril to our institutions, and
do not apologize to you for appearing be-
| fore you, though it is toward the midnight
hour. And l propose to address you as my
countrymen, as American citizens, upon the
grave and momentous questions 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 9th
er day, Six brief years ago the United
States-aye, the United States-extendng
from ocean to ocean, were in the enjoyment
of unrivaled prosperity. Our commerce,
in point of tongue, was the largest in the
world; our manufacturers competed with
those of France, England and Germany, and
the great gain growing region of the West
fed countless millions in other climes.-
Our country was free from debt; the rights
Of every citizen were secure under the pro-
lection Of the law; our flag was respected
throughout the world, and peace and hap
piness 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 a nominal debt, and
yet to-day, measured by the amount of in
terest, ours is the largest debt 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
million dollars. And the present usurpa-
tion at Washington, which arogates to it.
self 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 AK alton been reduced2 Taxation re-
duced! Why, citizens at this moment we
are more heavily taxed than are the people
in the despolsms of Austria, or France, or
Russia, and yet we live in Republic. Yes,
in single year, more than five hundred
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 theFubic debt; but on the
contrary, the .debthas been Augmented more
than half billion of dollars ~.
The Excise Inspector and Assessor come
prowling around ike thieves in the night
to pry into your affairs, and you cannot
sign receipt, execute deed or note with
out attaching a stamp as badge of your
threatened serfdom. r.
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 candidates
for the Presidency-Bel, Douglas, Breck-
inrldge and Lincoln Had Bell, Douglas or
Breckenridge been elected there would have
been no war. Why? Because they stood
upon national platforms because they were
all pledged to stand by the Constitution
But there was O fourth party, with Mr..
Lincoln as its candidate, A sectional party,
organized in defiance of the warning Of
Washington-o in avowed hostility
to the South. And what was the object Of
that sectional party2 In the language of
that eminently bad man, Thaddeus Stevens,
its object was to break up the foundations of
our Government in order that another and
different Government might be built upon
purpose of the leaders of the Republican
party1o destroy the Union, SO that our
free institutions might be destroyed, there
was a class Of men in the South who desired
the disruption Of the Union, 10 order that
the Southern States might be formed into
a confederacy Of their of their own.
Well, gigantic insurrection was the re
suit, and all its dread calar' ities--with its
half million graves filled with the best and
bravest of the children of the North and
West-the three hundred thousand orphans
of our soldiers, and the two hundred thou
sand mained mtn and boys, who are lett as
sad monuments of the war, are all chargea
BILE against the leaders of the sectional Re-
publican party, and against the secession
leaders of she 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 secessonists of the South
have been thus terribly punished, the equal
y gRilty agitators of the North, grown rich
from plunder, and audacious from impunity,
are still enthronod in power. and they have
the insolenee to declare that the minority
shall govern the majority, and that our free
system must give way to a consolidated des-
potism.
Far be it from me, citizens, to wish to
arouse your passions, or excite your pre- IT,
dces. But, on the contrary, | appeal to
you as my countrymen, as Americans, to act
as becomes good citizens, and to rescue our
institutions from the ruin which threatens
them. do not stand here to night to
plead the cause of the insurrectionists of
the South. Their conduct was upjustifable;
they were oyerthrown upon their own field
of battle; but common manhood compels
me to declare that their capitulaton to our
arms--the admirable manner in which they
accept the situation, and ask again to be
taken back into the brotherhood of the
Union, Is as noble as their bearing was he
roic during the war-and our own heroic
soldiers are the first to yield to them this
need OF justice. ..g
Now, citizens, that secession In the South
has been ovcrthrown, is it not both wise
and just, that the disunion usurpers of the
North, who, among other usurpations, 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 Government?
s1 g.g Il POLITICAL PARTIES.
In all free countries political parties will,
and should exist; but he is mistaken, if
not bad man, who seeks to create great
er love for party than for our country. As
yet, it is 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 pre-
vented the psprpers who driue-not lead
the Republicans-from being driven from
power. Ny friend, you sar that you are i,
favor Of the restoration of the Union-hoy,
cen, canyon act with aen whose avoved
9atL WI " zaaa1 !