The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-08-04
: p II E Q III
HON. o. ?. MORTON.
Delivered at indianapolis, Indiana,
July 20, 1865.

Being compelled to go to press be-
fore our reporter had concluded VIII
ting in full the speech of Senator
Morton on Wednesday night, we were
able to give only a portion OF 1t In
yesterdays edition. This morning
we present it complete, and carefully
revised. l-IndidRdpOJis Journal.
Mr.. Porter and FsHow Citizens:
I am wholly unable tonight to at
tempt a response to the very kind and
eloquent remarks that have been made
to me By Mr.. Porter, your distinguish
ed citizen. / can only thank him
from my heart for the kindness of
what he has said. | can only thank
you for this reception. | cannot find
words to express my feelings, and
must NOT dare to make the attempt.
While MI. Porter was reciting some
OF the events of my administration as
Governor OF Indiana during the war.
and bringing up r~ecollections that for
the time had been buried, | thought
of the struggle that had taken place.
in the city of Indianapolis, and upon
several occasions In this Court House
yard, when there were dark and
gloomy hours, when it seemed almost
impossible to see a single star in the
sky; vet / thank Goo that | had
faith in the final result. and that
faith sustained me and cheered me,
and enabled me to do my duty as 1T
was done. When | look back now
over the scenes of the war, 1t
seems to me more like q horrid
dream than anything else. 1t seems
to me that l could not pos
sibly endure that again, nor that the
people could again make such vast,
such terrible sacrifices as they made
for their country. 1t has cost the
nation dearly in blood and in treas
ure. OIL who could describe the sor-
row aud suffering and agony that
has been brought home to faith
ers, and mothers, and wives, and
families. The world can never under
stand how much private individual
suffering there has been for our cOun-
try. We can 20 and count a part of
the graves. We can 90 to the Treas
ury Department and tell pretty nearly
how much it has cost IN money, but
the tears that have been shed, the
suffering that has taken place in thou
sands Of households we can never IN
derstand and can never comprehend.
But / must pass from this theme. L
dare not attempt to respond to the
various subjects that have been so
eloquently touched upon by Mr.. Por-
ter In his address.
And now, fellow-citizens, allow me
to call your attention to the position
of things to-day, and to the duties
that now press upon each and all of
us. Without attempting to bring up
10 your comprehension the vast sac
~riices that have been made by the
nation Individually and collectively,
it is enough for us to understand that
all that we have suffered; all that we
have lost; all that VIC have endured
will be In vain if we shall at the
Forthcoming election place the power
of this nation in the hands of the
enemies against whom we have con-
tended from the beginning of the re.
beIlion. lit is still the same contest,
hut somewhat changed In its form.
The armies are not now marching to
and fro uoon the field of battle, but
the contest has been changed to the
polls, and the question now is whether
the power can be wrested from the
loyal and patriotic people OF this ma
ton aud can be placed in the hands
of these men who, with their leaders
and abettOrs, brought this war upon
the country, with all its woes, sor-
rows, and untold losses.
We are approaching a State election
aud a Presidential election. AS the
States shall vote in October upon the
subject Of State affairs, they will vote
in November, in all probability, upon
the Presidency. Now, my, friends,
let us understand tonight the exact,
questions which are presented. We
have two tickets in the field. Gen.
Grant is presented as the Union can
didate for the Presidency, and the
Hon. Schuyler Colfax is presented as
IA candidate for the Vice Presidency,
while on the other hand, Horatio
Seymour is the Democratic candidate
for the Presidency, and Gen. Frank
Gen. Grant, although he has been
successful In the war, is new the advO-
cate Of peace, while Horatio Seymour,
who clamored for peace during the
war, now represents the party that is
again clamoring for war. The Demo
cratic party in convention assembled
In New York, / believe, began its
session on the 18th day of July, and
the day was never so ~desecrated be-
fore. LLaughter.l That convention
has laid down what it calls a platform
OF principles, and l beg leave to call
your attention to the declaration of
tina convention on the subject of the
reconstruction of the rebel States. [
will read from their platform:
And that any attempt by Congress. ON
any prext Whatever, to deprive any state
else, is a fragrant ~usurpation of power.
which can ind no warrant in the Consti-
will suOVert our form of government. and
can only end in q single centralizeu and
consolidated government, in which the
separate existence OF the states will be en-
tlrely absorbed. and an unqualified desDot-
ism be established in place of q Feferaf
Union of co-eQual States; and that we re-
gard the reconstruction acts $50 called) or
Songress, as such, as usurpatfons and un-
SSnsulutlonal, evolutionary and void:
the nag OF u country to victory, against
most gallant and determined foe. must
gn9ran = sseeioly remembered, all the
fSHthssnIees slven in their favor must be
laitniulIy carried into execution
You Will perceive that all this act
ION OF Congress In the reconstruction
of the rebel States, in the effort to 70
store the Union and to heal a.
wounds Of the nation is here n-o
nounced as usurpation, revolntioO
airy, unconstitutional and void. IT,
Democratic party has thus, by its Mat
form at New York, declared 10 tba
people Of the rebel States that the
various acts of Congress which have
been passed for the purpose of recon
struction are VOID, being unconstitu-