The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-01-30
THE EREATCONTEST BETWEEN RIGHT
AND WRONG.
ELOQUENT Speech Of Senator Morton
Before the Soldiers and
Sailors Union.


We make room for portion of the
great speech delivered by Senator Morton
of Indiana, before the Soldiers and Sail
ors' Union, few evenings ago, in Wash
ington:
GENTLEMEN OF THE SOLDIERS AND
SAILORS UNION: There are two ideas
paramount in the American mind antag-
onistic and irreconcilable, each struggling
for the supremacy. Ore is the justice
and propriety of the war to put down the
rebellion and preserve the integrity of the
Union. The other is the rightfulness of
the rebellion, and the wickedness and
injustice of the government of the United
States In putting it down by force of
arms. The contest between these two
ideas will, as in 1864 constitute the issue
of 1868, and all other questions will be
offshoots from them and will arrange
themselves upon the one side or the other
Whoever shall vote the so-called "Con-
sentative" or Democratic ticket in 1868
whether he so intend it or not, will there
by endorse the rebellion; and whoever
shall vote the Republican ticket will utter
his voice In favor of Union, liberty and
justice. Whoever believes in justice of
the war and the preservation of the re-
public will be In favor of reconstruction
and upon such terms as will give protec-
ton to all loyal men and guarantees
against future rebellion; and whoever
believes In the rightfulness of the REBEL
ion will be in favor of the immediate
restoration of rebels, without condition
Or limitation, to civil and political rights,
just as if there had been no war and
nothing had happened. The Democratic
or Conservative party will be compos-
ed of the Northern Democracy who SYM
pathized with secession and rebellion and
of the Southern rebels, with the addition
of few recruits from the Republican
party. But before entering more fully
into this issue Of 1868. [ will glance
briefly at the present condition of affairs
| There is much financial embarrassment
In the country, depression of labor, and
stagnation of trade. Much of this can
be traced directly to the unsettled and
| DISTURBED condition of the South.
The persistent and determined efforts
of Southern rebels and Northern Demo
Gratis to defeat reconstruction, aud keep
that question open for the chances of flu
ture events, has greatly impaired conf
. dence In the financial and commercial
world, and keeps the business men OF the
country doubtful and uncertain what to
do. 1t Is therefore of the first i'm Importance
to the general prosperity that reconstruc-
ton be speedily settled upon principles of
equality and impartial justice. that will
insure domestic tranquility and perma-
nent peace.
Senator Morton proceeded then to
discuss the financial questions, showing
| the necessity of reducing taxation, of
curtailing expenditures, of more faith
| ful and honest collection of the public re-
vevenue, and above all things the main
| tanning inviolable and untarnished the
credit and faith of the United States
Government. He then resumed the dis
cussion of the political issues. -ED. TRI
BUNE.
RESTORATION Of THE REBELS TO POWER.
But to return to the irrepressible con-
fict of ideas to which | alluded in the
beginning. The palpable and direct
issue will be presented in the attempt to
restore the rebels Internationally to the
full enjoyment Of political rights to place
in their hands exclusively the govern
ments of the rebel States; to give them
the control absolutely of the loyal men,
black and white. living in those States
and the unqualified admission of their
Senators and Representatives into Con
gress. The Democratic party are not
willing that political power in the rebel
States shall be divided between the loyal
and disloyal, but they demand that ii
shall be placed exclusively in the hands
of the disloyal, to whose tender mercies
the true and faithful people shall be con
signed without redress or appeal. To
deceive the people they are uttering false
cries, and fill the land withclamor because
OF the alleged oppression practiced upon
the people of the South. Who are those
oppressed people Of the South They
are those who, less than three years ago.
were III arms against the nation; who
have cost US more than half million
loyal lives, and five thousand million
OF dollars; twenty-five hundred of which
still remain to US as legacy, and who
have filled the land with mourning and
untold suffering and sorrow. And now
we are charged with being oppressors
and tyrants because they have not been
admitted to full political rights because
they have not been welcomed in Congress
and because they are not allowed to
butcher and drive into exile the Union
men in their midst. 1t is contended that
these rebels, in the act of being conquer
ed, We're RENTED to all civil and political
| privileges ; that the moment their arms
were wreSted from the hands upon the
battlefield they had right to run back
to seats lii Congress, and take part In the
adjustment of all questions growing out
OF their rebellion, and to take charge of
their several State governments the same
as II there had been no war. All these
; pretentioas proceed upon the principle
that the rebellion was right; for, if it be
admitted that the rebellion was wrong.
they are destitute of all sense whatever
1t Is only by ignoring the fact of the re.
: belllon, or by treating it as rightful, thai
E any man without shamefacedness cal
stand up and say these things IF if b,
} acknowledged that the rebellion was {
crime, then the demand that the crimina
, shall, without delay, punishment, tim,
or security, be restored to political pow
er, and put on level with loyal men, i
to put vice and virtue upon an equality
) and make nonsense of notions commonl,
received that their is an essential differ
ence between the good and bad action
of mankind. So you see that these ques
tons of reconstruction all turn upon til,
original question as to the rightfulness o
the rebellion. In the Congressional pla.
OF reconstruction Congress has gone t,
extreme of mercy and Cancellation, b.
} proposing to divide the power in tn,
rebel States between the loyal and dis
loyal, so that each shall have protection
against the other But a small number
ofmen, not exceeding forty thousand
, have been DISTINGUISHED; and they no
because they were in the rebel army, bu
because they had once sworn to support
the constitution of the United States
: and afterwards committed puriury by
going into the rebellion. The President