The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-25
TO mIsead the peopleY

nancal statements when such win thus seek
10 mislead the peoples
Ex-(sovernor Morehead, of Kentucky.
Ex-Governor o. s. Morehead-fOrmerly a Clay
whig-addressed at considerable length seymour
and Blair Club In Frankfort Ky on the 18th instant
Referring to himself he remarked
After o long absence find myself at nv old home
where lived for so many years in the nterchanos
Of all the kindly courteses OF life and where have
found the best and truest friends on earth The
people Of Kentucky have bestowed on me every
honor l sought at their hands. and confess il IL
peculiarly gratifying to me to find that the feelings
which prompted their generou confidence SEEM
ore n nave 6ee The oh ayse 70 Of nave be-
had, for reasons unnecessary TO- be given, re-
solved not to make any public address in the
people, but have found 1t impossible to refuse the
earnest solicitation OF friends who know how to APP
preciate my past conduct, and TO do justice TO the
motives by which have been governed My friend.
the chairman, has spoken Of that dark period when
was dragged from my native state ana thrown lnIo
account Of the famous little bell OF Mr. Secre-
tary Seward by which was deprived OF my liberty;
but stand before y0u this evening Tor no such puT
pose. This shall be done III due hme when the epl.
sode Of my Imprisonment shall constitute part 9s OF
the history OF the times and tbs dsSlSSM ~ ttoefV
held up to the execration Of mankind.
After reviewing length the course OF the radicals
In their reconstruction policy particularly in forcing
obnoxious constitutions upon the people OF tho
Southern States, Governor Morehead continUed:-
AT the conclusion OF the war there was q
| people who had been engaged In so bitter contest
| who readily yielded to the situation. They
promptly laid down their arms everywhere, took the
required amnesty oath, and determined with honor
aud fidelity TO adhere 10 the Union. They were re-
qured 10 abolish slavery and hout hesitation its
abolition was guaranteed by constitutional sanction
every state They gave up three thousand millions
OF d0ars-the estimated value OF the slaves-with-
out groan or murmur They believed that the
| manly grace to the result. They were required to
ratify the thirteenth amendment to the constitution
OF the United States abolshlng slavery and 1t
promptly done. They renounced secession and
claimed to be integral parts OF the United States
states IN the Union, with equal rights and subject
| They were met by refusal on the part OF radicals
| to allow them representation, with an onerous tax
OF three cents per pound On cotton, nearly their only
| agricultural product, equal to more than ten dollars
an acre tax upon each acre planted In cotton II is
are otherwise heavily taxed without representation,
in violation Of the fundamental principle OF Ameri-
once worth from seventy five to hundred dollars
| per acre, has sunk IN value to 1--WE or six dol
lars per acre and if negro supremacy is estae stab
| an acre During the past two years the people
everywhere, in the portion Of the South with which
l am acquainted, have sunk money in attempting to
| raise cotton with the eXorbitant tax then imposed
upon It, and at this time poorer or more destitute
| race OF people cannot be found within the broad
| limits OF this nation. Talk OF coLfiscation Their
property has already been virtually confiscated.
know OF one county, and doubt not there are many
Others where more than half the land OF the county
has been sold for taxes. The radicals may say that
they were rebels and traitors and deserve their fate
but III this county there was majority OF original
| Union men who voted against secession.
And now with these outrages staring US In the face
they pretend that the admission OF these States, with
| such constitutions as have described, is an
accomplished fact, and that no matter to
| what extent the federal constitution may
| have been violated, it Is Revolutionary to
| attempt to restore the people to their rights. II
these States were out of the UniOu according
to the Union theory the establishment, by Congress-
OF military governments over them and the extern
sion of the elective franchise to the blacks, was
n M nnhl uQu pota N nfcf
with the federal constitution and II the people OF the
! United States SHALL by nm unequivoca majority 80
decide the reconstruction laws OF Congress ought to
be declared nullity, as violations OF the cOnsttu-
hon ana absolutely void. There Is no revolution In
this. There Is q peaceful remedy for every viola
ton OF the constitution General Blars letter. when
| candidly construed, means this and nothing more,
and nothing but the zeal inspired by partisan feeling
can make more out OF 1t. The people OF the South
the very last within the broad limits OF this Union
to desire renewal Of the conflict OF arms. II ever
such deplorable event should again occur 1t Will
be in the North and not in the South. Whatever in
dvidua instances may exist to the contrary, know
that the great mass Of the population ardently de-
aire perfect restoration OF concord and fraternal
| harmony. This only be brought about by treat
ciniarily ruined but they know their rights and
justly jealous OF them. Is strange that they writhe
under the despO;isn placed over themY They have
done all that brave ana honorable men could do to
proptiate the North. They consider 1t degradation
anu base vassalage TO be forced In violation Of the
constitution, to submit TO negro supremacy. No
man who IL q statesman or true patriot would per-
petuate feelings growing out Of past relations by
such injustice and oppression. 1t Is the part OF wise
craftsmanship TO strengthen the ties by which we
bound together, in the language OF Mr.. Webster,
'by The silken cords Of mutual fraternal patriotic
| Affection The mission of the democracy IL to re-
store the Union and noJ to reconstruct II; to restore
it"with all the dignity, equality and rights Of the
| several states unmpaired."