The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-08-15

ter Jowr.
Governor Morton and Rebel State
Debts. -
The Herald Of yesterday comes to the
help of the Richmond True Republican
in the vain attempt to justify the state
nent made by Messrs. Hendricks, JUL.
an, and Niblack about Governor Morton,
at the late session of Congress. We ad-
wise these papers, if they have any re-
gard for truth, or for their Congression-
al friends, to abandon their abortiye at
tempts to falsify the position of Gov
ernor Morton relative to the rebel debt.
The plain fact is, that gross misrep-
resentation was made in regard to the
Governor OF which the parties have
been convicted, and no amount of bal
derdash or .quibbling can relieve them
from their position.
The President, in a message to Con-
gress, has expressed the opinion that by
subverting his State governments in the
South, Congress would make the nation
liable for the debts contracted by those
States, and for their old debts existing
before the war. Thereupon Mr.. Hend-
ricks said that Governor Morton had ad
vocated the same doctrine in q speech
made in the summer of 1865.
A moments consideration would have
shown him that his statements could not
be correct, for at that time the govern
ments of the rebel States were only in
the process Of formation, and they were
presided over by Provisional Governors,
appointed by the president. But We
print what he said
In the fall of 1865 the Governor OF
the State of Indiana, who was was in my
present colleague in this body, made
very able speech in vindication of the
policy of President johnson at that
time, and in that speech he called the at
tention of the country to the fact that,
under the law. the conqueror does not
acquire the conquered country free from
the debts owned by the prior govern
ment, and that if we hold this country
by conquest and suppress existing gov
ernments, we must look to the question
OF Indebtedness which may fall upon us
Nearly two years ago, one of the very
ablest men Of the Republican and nos
Radical party of the United States. in a
very carfully considered speech ex-
pressed the views that are enunciated in
this message"
He represented the Governor as say
ing that if we suppressed existing State
q nxyo 80 ,,cf1 ~, fho
ton Of the Indebtedness that may fall
upon us. The Governor said no such
: thing, nor any thing like it. We pub
lished few days ago just what lie did
say, and it will bear no such con-
struction; indeed, the extract from the
Richmond speech, copied into the Her.
aid, contradicts fatty what Mr. Hend-
ricks said.
that if the rebel States was treated as
conquered provinces, as simply SO much
territory, and their population as alien
enemies, the creditors of those States
would ask the Government to pay their
debts. He did not say that the Govern
ment would be liable, intimated no opin-
ion of that kind, made no argument for
it, and expressly said he would not,
at that time, argue the question; yet Mr.
Hendricks says he talked about the eff
feet of overturning existing State gov
ernments, that were not then formed,
and Tin earthly considered speech ex-
vraornd tha fhaf a - o,,rv, To-.
this message" The proposition alluded
to by Governor Morton, but in regard
to which he made no opinion, had no
connections with that advanced in the
Presidents message. The Presidents
proposition is predicated upon the idea
that the existing State Governments are
legal. and that by overthrowing them
Congress would make the nation liable,
and then takes for granted the very
thing denied by the Union party. Had
the Governor even said what was attrib-
uted to him, the Introduction Of it into
the Senate and House during his absense
would have shown much anxiety on the
part of those gentlemen but when it
was utterly unfounded their position be-
comes decidedly awkward.
When we first spoke of this matter,
we attributed their remarks to faulty
recollection of the language used on
this subject in the Richmond speech, but
il seems that their organs ere not con-
tent with this charitable view. and insist
that the charge was deliberately made.
and at time, too, when the Governor
was necessarily absent, and consequent
~ unable to correct the misrepresenta-
ton in the place where it was uttered
II ind. journal, dug. 14M.
AN UNFAILING REaEDY FOR DIARRHEA.-