The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-07-19
SPEECH OF GOV. MORTON.


His Views on Reconstruction
In the great speech Of Governor o.
P. Morton, of Indiana, delivered to
the late Union Convention of that
State, he presented his views on the
question Of Reconstruction, the Con-
.stitutional Amendment, and kindred
topics, as follows: .e!sHsg MIN.
ltis impossible to adopt plan of
reconstruction which will fully. meet
the views of all loyal men, and an ap.
Proclamation is the utmost that can be
hoped for. i"a.
IL would, in my opinion, have been
just and polilc to have admitted 10
their seats Senators and Representa-
tives elect from the State OF Tennessee.
at an early period in this session
Such action by Congress would have
saved much evaporation offeeling, and
given general satisfaction to the coun-
try, and | should be glad yet to see it
taken before the fnal adoption of any
legislation in connection with which
the Constitutional Amendments may
be submitted to the States. They are
loyal, have been properly elected,
have II loyal constituency behind them,
and can honestly take the oaths pre-
scribed by law. < b.
Congress has passed a joint resoIu
tion, by majority of two thirds in
each House, containing four sections
amending the Constitution of the mi.
ted States, which, when it shall be
ratified by three-fourlhs of the States,
will become a part of the fundamen
tai law of the land.
The first section of the amendment
declares that
"All persons born or naturalizcd in
the United States, and subject to the
jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the
United States and OF the State where
in they reside. No State shall make
or enforce any law which shall abridge
the privileges or immunities Of citi-
zens of the United States; nor shall
any State deprive any person of life,
liberty or property, without due pro.
cess of law, nor deny any person
within its jurisdiction the equal pro-
lection Of the laws"
Oppose this section who cnn. can
not comprehend how any right.mind.
ed man, who is not believer in
monarchy or slavery, can take issue
with any portion oft, 1t establishes the
fundamental principles upon which the
Union is based, and is an expires.
sion of pure and unalloyed Democra-
cy.s r.a
The second section equalizes repre-
sentation in Congress and in the Elec.
toral College, by taking from the
white people of the States lately in
rebellion the right TO represent in Con
gress more than four millions of ne.
groes living in their midst, whom they
deprive of all political rights whatev.
er. AS the matter now stands, the
white people of the Southern States
have sixty per cent. more of political
power in the House of Representa-.
tiyes, and in elccting the President and
Vice President, than any equal num-
Der Of white people in the Northern
States. This is gross and un-
righteous inequality, and an absolute
injustice TO the Northern people
Even if the Southern people were all
loyal, they could not have the slight
est claims to any such advantage But
when we consider that nearly all Of
them are Democratic rebels, and but q
few months ago waged bloody war
against the Government, the idea OF
their retaining such an enormous and
unhoiy advantage is too monstrous to
be calmly considered. 'fa 20
If all were equally loyal, North and
South, the proposed amendment would
be a measure Of simple but impera.
tive justice; but when we consider the
character of the Southern people and
of their Northera allies, and the ter
rible calamities they have brought up.
on the country, the claims of justice
are intensified, and longer submission
to the inequality on our part becomes
1 a humiliation. The Democratic lead.
ers of Indiana have declared them.
selves against the amendment, and
their members of Congress opposed il
by their votes. The personal degra.
dation which they suffer, which each
one Of them suffers in being practic
ally treated as sixty per cent. less Of
a man than his fellow Democrat oi
Georgia they caro- nothing about
/ They will swallow with avidity this
or any other 'indignily that may be
thrust upon them, provided 1t comes
from men who have been slave. hold
ers and rebels In arms, and who give
Reasonable assurance tha: they will
vote the Copperhead ticket. A great
er political degradation towards The
people of ono section Of the country
than that which now exists in the inc
quality Of representation, can not b
Imagined, and the cheerful submis'
.s''. ..+ ..,..#. ..r ft'f - ID ...