Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-01-16
The 8epabliran.
THE ISSUES OF 1865.
Speech by Hon. O. p. Morton before
the Soldiers and Sailors National
Union League

the Soldiers and Sailors Nationa
Union League
[From ths National IntslIisencer, Dec. ~
Union League Hall, on Ninth street, wa
crowded last evening with an audience at
| tracted TO listen 10 the speech of Senate
Morton. of Indiana, on the political issue
of the Presidential campaign in 1868, de
livered at the request of the Soldiers an,
sailors Union. A number OF ladies wer
present and occupied front seats. TIL
usual business of the association was sus
pended, and at Z l-2 o'clock Mr.. Mortol
entered the hall, and was escorted to tn
platform sy Msjor Morse, President of tn,
Association, who introduced him to III
audience.
GENTLEMEN OF -HE UNION AND FELLOW
CITIZENS: In accepting the invitation I,
address you this evening on the great po
litical issues involved in the Presidentia
campaign during the coming year, | hat
intended to carefully prepare my address
but i'll health and the pressure of officia
duties have prevented NV doing SO, and
shall be obliged TO give my views in an off
hand manner, and the remarks will be con
fined as to7what | regard the issues TO bt
decided by the American people at the mex
Presidential election.
As consider the subject there are two
IDEAS uppermost in the minds OF the Amer.
ican people at the present time, both strug
Cling for supremacy. The first is, the jus
tice and right ON the part Of the government
and people in putting down the late rebel
lion by iOrce of arms the second Is. the
justice and right o. the rebellion and the
e. ,so1. a l,..r A q.
q iestiOus with which we will have TO deal
in the contest will be but the emsnaiions
from these two leading ideas. In other
words, the Struggle of Ie6S will be on the
question of the right of the rebellion. and
the right of the United States in putting il
down, as-in 1864.
The man, therefore. who votes for the
candidates of the Conservative or Demo
cratic party, as il may lie called. whatever
may be bis intention TO the contrary, will
certainly record lis vote in favor of the
right of the rebellion: and the man who
sustains the Republican party will unmis-
tskably record his vote on the side of the
government, and lis right in crushing out.
by force of arms, armed rebellion.
may here refer To the present condition
of ii C country. and 10 causes which have
operated 10 increase financial embarrass
ment, and distract the commercial pros
periiy of the nation condition of affairs
To he attributed sOlely To the fact that the
question of reconstruction is not vet settled.
And first would say. it is the persistent
effort on the part of the South and their
Democratic allies in the North. that keep
up these distractions and hinder. the gov
ernment from establishing internal peace
Whoever is dcsirOus of peace and prosper
ity should be in favor Il speedy reconstruc-
ton; while, on The c'her hand, the efforts
of the opponents of the proposed plan are
directly operating 20 keep nine States in
their unfortunate condition., and are So
many 'aboT toperpetuale these dep orable
Another source of trouble l.
apparent in the fact that since the lst OF
August, 1860, the government has paid
S3G5, 100000 of the national debt ID is
true. you see in reserrin To the report of
the Secretary Of the Treasury in relation 20
this matter. the statement that only
s265. .O000, coo is the amount of the reGuc-
;ion of the national debt; but it has trans
pired that over 500. .000. 900 of our portion
of the uniqiidaicd debt proper has been
paid and though this amount is not so re-
f'i'euf AZ SAN1st uNttlttClScN bt touStt-
cred as a part of tie public debt, for ii has
been exiorted from The people, and, 1 may
say, wasted in paying expenses that ought
net to have been incurred.
Need we wonder that our people are
restless under such an administration of
affairs. wbeR such an amount of money has
been directly taken from the North to pay
R debt which the South should have long
since been in position 10 be made TO pay
part of; dett which they forced upon the
country by rebeliOus acts, and which they
should be compelled to help liquidate as
an evidence of their loyalty now.
1t may sound very well to the cars Of
foreign governments 10 hear that we have
been able TO raise so large an amount by
taxation but while they may admire our
To discharge the liabilities of the
nation, they may reasonably despise our
seeming sagacity. And | take occasion
here to say, as have frequently declared
my views on this subject, that we would
be far more properous and happy five had
simply paid the interest on that debt
Why should we be in hurry to pay the
enormous amount which burdens the REQ
pie with such heavy taxation? Have we
not already given half million Of lives IN
putting down the rebellion, in restoring
peace TO the nation? Have we not large
amount of State, county, city and town
nebls to pay, growing out Of tile war?
Have we not already done enough in our
day and generation, without being crushed
down by the weight of special taxation?
The policy which has been commenced
Of endeavoring 10 pay off tfe national debt
rapidly, in the present condition Of affairs,
cannot but consider as most ruinous and
disastrous in its conquences
Then, again, we have added TO our trou-
Dles the policy inaugurat.d by the Secre-
AIRY of the Treasury. in the contraction Of
he currency. which has served to restrain
enteYEiSe. undermine the trade
of the people. and keep the money market
n an unsettled condition; and confidence
will never be restored until the bill which
s now before Congress, intended to pro-
libit the Secretary ex ecising this power, is
passed.
II Is true we want r.irenchment-reform
but we want real and substantial re-
renchment, for the expenses of the govern
nent are indeed enormous. We do not
want that kind of fretrenchment that gives
% clerks only siarvin., salaries, nor that
)ther kind which would prevent Senator
rom getting paper enough on which to
write his letters, but we do want retrench-
nent in the larger items of our public ex-
)enses; and the time has come when that
Kind of fretrenchment can be commenced
without injury to the affairs of the govern
nent.
We have now an army Of fifty thousand
nen and we have navy that is much
arger than is necessary for the country at
he present time and think the time is at
land when both can be diminished, and
hereby lessen our expenses millions of dol
srs. Very many of our larger vessels now
n commission can be recalled and laid up
IT the navy yards, and trust before long
he army can be reduced to at least one
lalfits present numbers. 5erre
The purchase of Alaska from the Rus
ian government can be justified on con-
Of high political importance for
he future. 1t is necessary that we should
ave such a position for the benefit of the
commerce Of the western portion of the