The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-01-18
sgEECzs os' SENATOR MORTON,
OF INDIANA,


hel;rtyed Uoc:mJer 3lst, before the .Snllieys'
ant Sailors Chio"cf Nashington
There ere two ideas paramount in the
American mind antagouistic and irreconcil.
able, each struggling for the supremacy
0 &c is the Justice and propriety Of The war
to pot down the rebellion aud preserve the
integrity Of tie Uninn. The other is the
rightiuness OF the rebellion and the wick.
chuess and injustice Of the Government Of
The United States 10 putting it down by force
OF arms. The contest between these two
ideas will, as ia 1854, constitute the issue
in 1868, and all other questions will be of
shoots from them and viii arrange them.
selves upon ,he one side or the other. " do.
ever shalt vote the so.called CONSERVATIVE"
o. Democratic ticket in 1868, whether be So
intend 1t or not will thereby endorse the
rebellion; and whoever shall vote The Re,
publican ticket will utter his voice in favor
Of union, liberty, and justice.
Bat to return TO the irrcpressLle coulct
of IDEAS to which alluded in the beginning,
lt5 Ji tiiy.e htIi ltEcSt A1Ft1c ~ uS tlIGafHl
ed in The attempt to reatore the rebels nm.
condltionalIy to the tpll enjoyment Of politi
cal rights TO place III their hand exclusirc.
ly the governments Of the rebel S;ates; to
give them the control absolutely oflhe loyu,
men. LACK and white, living in those States;
and the unqualified admission Of their Sen.
ator5 and REPRESENTATIVES into Congress
The Democratic party are not willing that
political power in the rebe! States shall be
divided between the loyal and the dsoyhl,
bat the demand that 1t shall be placed cX
cusiyely in The hands Of tho dislcyal, 10
whose tender mercics the true aud faithful
pcorlc shall ne consigned without redress
or appeal. 10 deceive the people they are
uttering false cries, and Gil the land With
clamor because Of the alleged oppression
pracljccd upon the people OF The South. -
Who are those oppressed people in the
South? They are those who less than three
years ago, were in arms agains, the ualiun
who have cost u3 more than half million
loyal lives, and FIVE thousand millions o;
dollars twenty-five hundred Of which still
reuuin 10 us as legacy, and who have fiji.
ed the land with mourning and untold suf.
iering and sorrow. Aud now We are charg,
ed with being oppreisors and tyraats be,
cause they have not been admitted to fall
political rights; because they have not been
welcomed into Congress, and because they
are not allowed 10 butcher and drive inlo
exile the Union men in their midst. 1t is
cun.ended that these rebls 10 the oct OF be.
iag conquered were RENTED to all civil and
n0Iitca privileges; that the moment their
arms were wiesied from their hands upon
the battle field they had rigI!, TO run back
70 seats in 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 Us !,
there had been no war. All these rreten.
sions proceed upon tue principle that the
rebellion was right for, if it be admitted
that the rebellion was wrong, they are des'
tiu,e OF all sense whatever. 1t is only BY
ignoring the fact Of the rebellion, or by
treating it as rishtful, that any man without
shameiacedness can stand up aud .uy these
things. II it he acknowledged that the re
beliion was a crixe, then the demand inat
the crimiual shall without delay, puuishm mt,
condition, or security, be restored to dit.
cal power, and put GU a level with loyal men,
is to put vice and virtue upon an equality,
aad nonsense of notions commonly received
that there i. an essential difference between
,Le oood nnd had actions of mankind So
you see that these questions of recors'ruc.
ton all turn upon the original question as
TO the rishtfu!ness Of the rebellion. In the
Congressional pan Of reconstruction Con
gross has gone to the extreme OF mercy and
conciiotion, by proposing to divide the pow
or in the rebel States between the loyal and
the disloyaI, so that each shall have protec
ton ggainst the other. Bat n small number
Of men, not exceeding forty iiys thousand,
have been disiranchsed; and they not be
cause they were in tho rebel army, bat he.
cause they had once sworn to support the
Constitution of the United States, and after.
ward committed perjury by going into tho
yehelNon The Presidents decree Of dis.
reimbursement IN bis plan Of recon slruc,ion
was Ear more sweeping, for it included four.
teen classes OF persons, numbering not iass
than two hundred and City thousand men.
who were excluded from tho polls in the
election of delegates. The present State
governments, which it is said Congress in.
lends 10 overthrow, and which were formed