Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-09-11
THE CAMPAIGN IN OHIO.
speech OF Gov. Morton, Delivered at
Columbus, August 2T, 1861.

Ohio, and it is not only proper, but important d
} claims. '1S'
AS public political organization. il is the rfgb
OF the people to examine their history 70 look int,
sne career and principles of their candidates and
understand the spirit and purpose of the politician
ana leaders who control them if elected
IL Is proposition which cannot be denied bv am
intelligent observer Of events for the last ten years
that the so-caled Democratic party was thoroughly
and completely identified with the origin and pro
gress OF the rebellion that as political or9aniza
tions 1t was part of The rebellion acting as conn.
selior, synpathizer furnsher Of supplies, and doine
everything IN aid of its prosecution that could b
dops in the loyal States.
When speak thus / do not mean TO say that all
its members, all who vote with it, are equally gull
ty nor do / refer to that patriotic host who when
the rebellion broke out, left the Democratic party
and went over 20 the side Of the country The
masses Of the people of all parties intend to do right
and would if thCJ were let alone; bat mean its
politicians its leaders, those who form its opinions
and give shape to its action
While they have been the open and avowed enc
mics 70 the people Of the North, they have in the
guise of friends been the most deadly foes of the
South and have, BY their treachero1s and perni-
cious coupsels led them, by criminal and treasona-
Bile paths, 10 dishOnor and destruction
DEMOCRATIC PARTY REsPeNsIBLE FOR THE WAR.
Togo no further back than the campaign of 1850.
we md them assuring the people of The South, by
speechess newspapers and resolutions of conven-
nons, that Mr.. Lincoln was q sectional candidate
and that his election as President would be in vio
ation OF the Constitution of the United States that
the Republican party of the North, if they succeed
to power, would, without provocation or excuse.
oyerturn the institutions of the South and that the
South would be justified by every principle of honor
and selfpreseryston, in resisting even by force of
arms, their accession to power.
| These wicked and monstrous falsehoods were re-
asserted in every possible form enforced by all the
vehemence Of passion and the graces of rhetoric and
the question may well be asked how the people Of
the South could refuse altogether TO believe the per-
sistent declarations of large body Of professed
friends in the North, who claimed 10 speak from
superior knowledge Of what was going on in their
! midst.
Immediately after the election of Mr. Lincoln,
the slaveholding rebels of the South protesting to
be animated by profound belief in the truth Of the
declarations and prophecies of the Democratic lead
ers of the North, went forward in the work of the
rebellion, and proceeded declare the secession of
State after State In this they were enthusiast
cally cheered and earnestly encouraged by the De-
mocratie leaders of the North.
They we're assured that the right of accession ex-
lsted under the Constitution, and that they in
the exercise OF legitimate powers when they assum-
ed TO MARSHAL their several States out of the Union
and President Buchanan, in his annual message, in
December 1860, solemny declared that the Gov
ernment of the United States had no power to CO.
cree State to remain in the Union. This treason
able and bloody utterance was indorsed by every
Democratic Senator and Representative in Con-
gress, save two; by every Democratic orator and
newspaper throughout the North by every Demo
cratic member of State Legislature with few ex-
ceptions; by every Democratic convention held
throughout the North during the winter of 1860
and 1861, of which 1 have any knowledge.
The people of the South were urged forward in
the work of secession and rebellion by the assertions
of thousands of political leaders that the Govern
ment should be held still and powerless until it
contaminated; and that the presence of powerful
body of friends in the North would prevent the
passage of an army, or of single regiment to the
South to engage in the wicked and unconstitutional
business of coercing single State TO remain in the
Union. In January, 1861, at the very time the
Confederate government being formed, the
Democratic State Convention Of Ohio passed reso-
luton pledging 100000 Democrats, that not
until the North had done justice to the Soath would
the Government be allowed to coerce The South
This gave notice to the rebels that if the Govern
ment attempted to suppress the rebellion, two hun
dred thousand men in Ohio would be found fight
ing their SIDE The people of the South, like the
ancient Egyptians, were permitted to believe all
these atroeious lies for the purpose of their damna
ton. Confident in these assurances, and with feel
ings Of entire security eleven States boldly attempt
ed to throw of their obligations TO the Constitution
of the United States-to separate themselves from
the chief cornerstone Of which human slavery.
With the appreciation Of President Buchanan and
the Northern Democracy, they rapidly seized, with
out opposition, forts dock-yards arsenals, mints |
custom-houses, ships of war, and public property of
every description, until there remained but one lit
tie spot in Charleston harbOr, over which the aag
Of the Union continued to wave.
BUcHAEANs CABINET CoNCLAvE OF 0oNsPIRA- |
TORS.
Mr. Buchanan's Cabinet had been conclave of |
conspirators his Secretary of War had distributed
the arms and munitions through the South. His |
Secretary Of the Navy had scattered little feet
to the four corners Of the world His Secretary of
the Treasury had so managed the Treasury TO /
leave il without a dollar; and thus all had been /
done that could be to make the rebellion easy And
when, on the 4th of March, 1861, the Government |
passed from the Democratic TO the Republican par
ty seven States had already seeded, and the rest
were getting ready; the Confederate Constitution |
and government had been formed at Montgomery, |
and Confederate army of more than thirty thous-
and men had been organized and all not only with
out opposition from the Government or the Demo |
cracy but with their positive appreciation and it is
not too much to say that if the power Of Mr.. Bu-
chanan and the Democratic party had lasted sixty !
days longer the work of secession would have been |
so fully completed that the Union would have been
lost forever.
But the echo of the first gun against Fort Sumter |
awakened tho slumbering patriotism of the people
The nation sprang to its feet as if suddenly aroused
from deep sleep. The ranks Of the people were
closed up, party lines were oblterated and the De-
turbulent sea- submerged for season, but to reap
pear at a future time They cautiously remained |
out of sight til the fall of 1851 when tie disasters
Of Bulls Run and Balls Bluff, and the slow pro- |
gress Of the war, gave them courage to put their |
heads above the surface and survey the situation
They Immediately began the work of reorganizlng |
the Democratic party upon the basis Of opposition
10 the war and rightfulness of the rebellion. The |
subsequent terrible defeat and sacrifices suffered by
Mcclellan on the Peninsula, inspired them with |
fare lad IN
disoouragng the nats6n rs 70 carry the Ia elections
in 1eea rbe. ssnssr thnre irossonaba cries which |
were kept up with fever increasing violence until
the 1nal surrender of Lee before Richmond.
They declared that We could never conquer the /
South; that every act Of Congress for the suppress
sion of the rebellion was unconstitutional and void |
That our National bonds were worthless; that Trea-
sury notes were 8 fracz that the act. of Congress
making them legal lender was nullItyi that the /
Northern people were tired Of the war, and would /
speedily abandon it, that She people of the North /
would resist draft laws, taxation, and every at
tempt TO interfere with slavery thst the nation was
on the verge of bankruptcy and that if the war was
protracted revolution IN the North was Inevitable
The rebels believed these enormous lies, and pro-
tracted the war for more than two years after they
had become convinced that they could not succeed /
nv force of srms For more than two years they /
continued the struggle. expecting every day that /
something wonld turn up in the North BY which h |
their triumph would be secured.
When hopeilong deferred made their hearts sick, /
and despair was coming upon them, the Democratic /
leaders Of the North renewed their exhortatons re-
doubled their ASSURANCES Of assistsnce and pro- /
claimed chat the hou OF deliversnce was at hand.
And on the ssth day of July 1854, IN she midst Of
the last great campsil,n, when Grant was struggling
through bloody feldG 70 Richmond, and sherman /
sighting his way step BY step 70 Atlanta more than
ten thousand Democratic politicians assembled in 4
the city Of Chicago, and with a fierce enthusiasm i
that threatened 10 overcome all opposition, declared
Al nd
iuaperiouslv demanded thst it should be st once i
nhandnrad WIN any man whnse front Is not OF |