Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1868-01-09
ISSUES OF 1868.
Speech OF Senator o. P. Morton,
of Indiana, at Washington,
Tuesday Evening. December
81, 1867.

loic- Citt2eAS:--In accepting the in
vitation to address you this evening
on the great political issues involy
ed in the Presidential campaign thc
coming year, had intended to care
fully prepare my address, but ii
health and the pressure Of otllcla
duties have prevented my doing so
and | shall be obliged to deliver
my views in m off. hand manner
and the remarks will be confined rs
to what I regard the issues to be
decided by the American people al
the next Presidential election.
As / consider the subject, there
are two great ideas uppermost in
the minds Of the American people
at the present time, both struggling
for supremacy. The frs; Is, the
Justice and right on the part Of the
Government and people in putting
down the late rebellion by force OF
arms; the secopd is, the justice and
right Of the rebellion and the cause
for which the rebels fought. All
the questions with which we will
have to deal in the contest will be
but emanations from these two lead
inc ideas In other words, the
struggle in 1868 will be on the
question Of the right Of the rebel
lion, and the right Of the United
Sfa'ej in putting it down, as in 1864
The man, therefore, who votes
for the candidates Of the Conserya-
tive or the Democratic party, as it
may be called, whatever may be his
intention to the e.contrary, will GER
tainly record his vote in favor Of
the right Of the rebellion; and the
man who sustains the candidates
Of the Republican party will unms-
record his vote on the side
Of the Government, and Its right ia
out, by force Of arms, arm
ed rebellion,
/ may here refer to the present
condition Of the country, and to
causes which have operated to in,
crease financial embarrassment, and
distract the commercial prosperity
Of the nation--a condition of affairs
to be attributed solely to the fact
that the question Of reconstruction
is not yet settled, And first wo'd
say, it is the persistent effort on the
part Of the South and their Demo.
cratic allies in the North, that keep
up these distractions AMI hinder the
Government from establishing in
ternal peace. Whoever Is desirous
of peace and prosperity should be
in favor Of speedy reconstruction :,
white, on the other hand, the efforts
Of the opponents Of the proposed
plan are dNr5eaSNAl@rating to keep
nine States in their unfortunate
cor dition, and so many labors to
these deplorabIo Difficult
ties.
Another source Of trouble is ap-
parent in the fact that since the lstI
)f August, 1865, the Government
lad paid 8lGj, 900, 900 ofthc nation
a debt. ltis true, you see in refer
ring to the report Of the Secretary
If the Treasury in relation to this
natter, the statement that only |
1865, 900, 600 is the amount Of the
eduction Of the public debt; but it
las transpired that over 100000, |
100 ofour portion Of the unliquida-
ed debt proper has been paid and
hough this amount is not so re- |
,orted, it should nevertheless bel
considered as Il part of the public
lebt, for it has been eXtorted from
he people, and, may say, wasted
n paying expenses that ought not
0 have been incurred,
Need we wonder that our people |
re restless under such an admins |
ration Of affairs, when such an
OF money has been directly |
aiken from the North to pay a debt
which the South should have long
ince been in position to be made
o pay q part Of it; u debt which
hey forced upon the country by
ebellious acts, and which they
hould be compelled to liquidate as
N evidence of their loyalty now,
1t may sound very well to the
ars Of foreign governments to hear
hat we have been able to raise SO
nrge an amount by taxation; but
While they may admire our ambition
0 discharge the liabilities Of the
Iation, they may reasonably despise
,ur seeming sagacity, And | take
occasion here to sny, as ] have tre-
.uently declared my views on this
inject, that wo would be far more
rosperous and happy if we had
imply paid the interest on that
ebt, Why should we be in Il hur-
Y to pay the enormous amount
'hich burdens the people with such
eavy taxation2 Have we not al
eady given half q million Of lives
4 putting down the rebcllion--in
astoring peace to tho nation p
lave we not a large amount Of
tate, county, city and town debts
} pay, growing out Of that war?
lave we not already done enough
, out day and generation, without
cling crushed down by the weight
f special taXationp
The policy which has been com.
lenced, Of endeayoring to pay off /
le national debt rapidly, in the
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