Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-10-13

Senator Norson, of NHlnnes0ta-He
Publicly Renounces the Radical
hRarty. BsaIW bus safpo Io1kG
At the Democratic meeting at Win
ona, Minnesota, on the 26th nltimo,
the Hon. ID. s.. Norton, United States
Senator from Minnesota, who has here
tofore ranked among the Conservative
Republicans, appeared on the stand and
publicly .renounced his party. The fol-
lowing is his speech: az
saLADIEs AND GENTLEMBN:-1 did not
expect to address anything more than
usual Democratic convention when the
committee invited me to speak. I did
not expect to see the meeting / see here
tonight. But it is only another. evil
dence ofthe great desire for peace which
is growing in othe Eastern and Middle
States. About two years agoI addressed
the citizens Of fWinona. spoke then of
reconstruction L said there were but
two ways to secure the benefits for which
the war had been waged.a One was
to treat, the Southerners as citizens
of the United: States, legislate for them
as we would for ourselves. The other
was to regard them as snbjugated, and,
therefore, wholly at the mercy of the
victors. When I consider the mon
strous course of the Republican party
for three years past, am overwhelmed
with astonishment, and renounce it.
IApplauss.I IF there are any who wish
toknoHawhy I do not support Grant and
Colfax, and io support Seymour and
Blair, those in briet are the reasons. I
remember the reports and the comments
of the Republicans in this town on the
speech then made as to the course adopt
ed by President Joheson, and have
found they. have not yet taken excep-
tion to his course, except that upon me-
gro suffrage. The Thirty ninth Con-
gress passed laws for registration, &c,
for the election in the Southern States,
and when they found that the Attorney
Generalwould censtrue the law SO that
there was probability of there being
majority ofwhite voters registered, Con-
gress was thencalledtogether tnpasslaws
for heregistration of a majority of the
blacks. Congress did not hesitate to
pass laws to take questions ont Of the
Supreme Court, where itwas iplaced,i
when it was feared the decision would
be adverse. The power Of Congress
over the Executive was complete. Con-
gress had control Of all the ofices-even
the reyenue tax collectors. - Congress
had shorn the President of power as
Commander-in-C Chief; he had no power
to "obstruct reconstruction" / know
how easy it is to say that the citizens of
the South are rebels and traitors-t that
Democrats at the North are copperheads.
But does it prove anything2 IT seems
to me. whenZths Thirty or Forti-
eth Congress is proposing measures new
and unheard of, they ought to show It to
be for the best interests of the country.
Lake Tennesse,reconstructed under their
plan. Itis the worst governed State of
all the States that participated in the re-,
bellion.t Governor Brownlow is arming
the militia of Tennessee. What is the
militiaf Chiefly carpet-baggers and
negroes. Arming them for whatf Against
their neighbors for the purpose of forcing
upon the people of Tennessee the recon-
struction policy Of Congress. In view
of the failure of reconstruction in Ten
nessee, if ever party proved failure,
it is the Republican party Of to-day.
The Fortieth Congress will count the
votes this fall. IF those Southern States
vote for Grant and Colfax they will count
the votes; ifnot. they won't. / had op-
portunities and facilities for knowing,
and know no man desired the restora-
tion of the Union more than
President johnson. OF men who are
true and steadfast to the Constitu-
tion, no man stands above Andrew
johnson. When an impartial historian
comes to set down the deeds of men, it
will be written down of him-Andrew
Johnson-"Fa Faithful he among the faith
less found."E The speaker read a dis.
patch purporting to be from Savannah.
to the Philadelphia Press, the ob;ect a.
which, he said, was to create nre;nd;ca
with hope that people acting pncn tb.t
prejudice will vote to keep the Repub.
lican party in power. Virginia, Mis-
sissippi and Texas would vote Demo.
cratic, if allowed to vote. and Congress