Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-01-17

tue N0rtnl Anu now We are charged
with being oppressors and tyrants, because
they have not been admitted to full polit-
cal rights. And do you call this oppres-
sion? Can you ignore the fact that they
we're the projectors of a rebellion, guilty
Of treason, and plotters against the life Of
the nationY Aud are these the men who
are 10 be welcomed back as citizens of the
United States? Did they have the right
to run from the battlefield to the ballot
box, and declare who shall be their repre-
sentatives in Congress-to abandon their
arms and resume the rights of loyal citi.
zens-to WELD again the control of our
National Government?
Yet these are the people whose agony is
in the throats Of the Democratic party,
and take it upon myself to say there is
neither sense nor justice in it, When they
talk about oppression they forget they are
favoring those who brought on the trouble
and bathcd the land Ia blood.
The law prevails in all well regulated
communities that crime shall be punished,
aud a sense Of justice demands that out
RACES upon The laws and the rights of the
people shall be severely punished. We
talk about the present State governments
that have been ignored in Congressional
acts. Can you tell me by whom they were
formed. If not by the proclamation of the
President of the United States; and il you
will recur to the elections in Virginia,
North and South Carolina, you will find
that less than one third of the white voters
took part in forming the constitution of
the present States. The delegates formed
them. aud they have never been submitted
for ratification to the people. Nor have
they hail the moral right that the consti-
tutiops have which have been more re-
Gently formed Those formed in 1865
contained certain conditions such as pro-
hIbiting slavery, prohibiting the payment
OF the debt contracted during the late
war; provisions that were required by the
proclamation of President johnson. But
yet they have never been ratified, aud were
the Senators aud Representatives Of these
States admitted into our Congressional
halls. they would be cast aside aud ignor-
cd. as they had never been rati6ed-and
that know would be the course pur-
sued.
The struggle, therefore, on the part OF
the Democratic party, North aud South,
Us have spoken, will be, in 1868, for the
restoration Of these States into rebel hands,
aud the administration of tho affairs Of
these States on that basis
IL sou are prepared TO say that blacks
aud loyal white men are to be turned
over TO the tender mercies Of rebels, then
vote the Democratic ticket. But IL YOU
are in favor Of impartial suffrage, aud Civ.
ing rights TO black aud white, thea vote
the Republican ticket.
There are numerous other questions
wrapt up ia these leading ideas have
announced. The FIRST Que shall mention
Is the payment for slaves emancipated
during the war Aud though this has
not bcen declared as yet to be a question
Of the issue, | am AZ firmly convinced
tha, ~ is to be. Us thoulh | read IL IN the
written platform Of the Democratic
party.
The States of Maryland aud Keatucky
have aready provided Tor this, ia anticI-
patton OF the success of the Democratic
party ut the next election. Here Mr..
Morton read from the Constitution of the
State Of Maryland aud from report OF
the proceedings OF the Kentucky State
Legislature, to substantiate the statement
made
Georgia has also provided for this; and
although other Southern States may be
silent ou this subject, they will be ready
~ meet the question when IL is time.
The Democratic party Of the South will
be unlt on the question; aud now let me
show that the Democratic party of the
North are ready to meet them. | base my
assertion on the fact that the members OF
this party voted without single excep.
ton against the amendments when they
were before Congress, aud Democratic
newspapers have denounced those amend.
ments with one voice; so il is safe 10 say
that IN the issues the Northern wing will
concede to the South everything claimed
by them; aud II they do not. their action
will be very different from what it has
been in years past; for never knew of a
demand made by the South that was not
readily conceded by the Northern portion
of that party Should the Democratic
party come into power, the payment for
the slaves emancipated may be considered
u settled fact,
You remember when the question was
up IN Congress TO abolish slavery in 1862,
aud again IN 1864, the Democratic men,
bers ia both Houses were then united in
favor OF paying for every slave emanci-
pated, aud II was denounced as morally
wrong to take slave even from a rebel
aud not fairly compensate the owner for
the loss; aud | say again this question is
inevitably Involved IN the general issues of
1868.
Another question involved, that will
follow just certain, aud that is the
assumption and payment of the rebel war
debt. ask you AS reasoning aud think
ing men, when the representatives Of the
South are admitted to Congress, and are
called upon to vote upon appropriation
bills, do you think they would vote to tax
themselves for our debt aud not provide for
their own?
The Northern States staked their fnan.
ciaI power in the Government bonds, and
the South risked all she had in the prose-
cution Of the war, aud lost all; aud you
cratic party into power, that provision will
be made for the payment OF that debt;
but am glad to say that not until then
will it be thought Of.
The Democratic party were opposed TO
our debt being contracted in its incipiency
a,I 80, ,oa,, ra,,a,o ha, th.t