Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-10-02
rx,r.cs nom senator Morton's Speech
AZ CenferviIle, Ind.

svstem Of reconstruction, and carrying II
c,s IN 6nal success; In favor Of protecting
Inc Union men Of the South, white and
bIack in favor Of equal rights, Of equal
and exact Justice 10 all men in favor Of
maintaining the public faith Of the nation
bv the payment of the national debt ac
cordinR 10 the law, as well as the spirit OF
the contract, in the language of the Chi.
cago platform. BY the election OF MIR
Seymour we determine just the opposite
Of MI these things that the new State
Qovernments recently organized In the
south shall be overruled we determine
in favor Of new revolution in favor of
undoing all that has been done. We de-
termine In favor Of making war and revo-
luton the chronic condition of affairs in
this country. We determine that we shall
have not united people, but q people
forever warning among themselves, which
will certainly result in their final destruc-
ton.
This Is the exact issue that is submitted,
and submit TO the Democrats as well as
Republicans that they have an equal in
terest in the country just as much inter
est In peace as we have Just as much in
terest in having a united and strong re-
public as we have; aud say to them that
this is the true question that is TO be de-
clded. Now, what Is the platform upon
which Mr.. Seymour and General Blair
stand as candidates. 1t declares that
those Reconstruction laws are revolution.
aSy, unconstitutional and void. Have you
considered what is the full effect and pur-
port Of that languageY II those acts are
revolutionary, unconstitutional and void,
nobody is bound to obey them. II is the
right Of every man to resist them. He
would be free of punishment finally, and
that is what they inculcate as the result of
law that is unconstitutional and void and
therefore those new State Governments
that have been created in the South are of
no validity, and the people are not bound
to yield them obedience, not bound TO
stand by them, and the colored men,
whose rights are protected by them, there.
by receive no protection and security.
That Is the declaration of the New York
platform, and IL involves war itself II
gives the people OF the South TO under
stand that these reconstructed States are
unconstitutional, and that these govern
ments shall not be maintained but over
turned, and that the control of the rebel
States shall be restored to the rebels them
selves. In other words, 1t is the loss of
all that we have done The men that
Wayne county has lost In this rebellion
we have expended to put down the rebel
lion have been expended in vain. If this
thing comes about all is lost II were ten
thousand times better that we had let
these States go in the beginning, and said,
ss the Democratic leaders have said here
tofore: "Let them go In peace let the
Union be destroyed, and new confeder-
acy be erected, the chief corner of which
Is slavery" We have gone through
the war, suffered its losses, its fearful
waste of treasure; millions of households
have been made sad, millions of hearts
have been made to bleed, but we are now
in position to lose it all If we shall fail
In this election. But there Is a still more
significant declaration in the New York
platform, although that conveys all have
said and means more than can tell you
The declaration of Mr.. Blair, the candi
date of the Democratic party for Vice
President, on the Sunday before the Con
vention met, wrote a letter to Governor
Broadhead, which was published and
placed In the hands Of every delegate To
that Convention In that letter he declares
that those reconstruction acts are null and
void, those new State government illegal
and unauthorized, and went on to tell how
we should get rid of them. lie said
"You cannot change the character of the
Senate of the United States under -four
years" Thatwas true, They might eleeO
new House Of Representatives, but coult
not change the Senate, and therefore they
could not repeal those laws. How was ht
going to get clear of themp "By nulli6
cation" said he. The President mus
trample those laws into the dust, and by
the power of the army of the United Statei
must overturn what he called the green
backed government Of the Southern States
He said; 81 want to go before the Con
vention upon this policy, and upon n
other. This is the only issue All ques
tions of finance, of tariff; all questions @
currency are to be kept out of sight, 70
there is but one great question, and that i
the question of overturning this policy
established by Congress" destroying thes,
new State governments that have beer
called into existence, and placing the pow
er back into the hands of the rebels-th'
men whom 1t had cost so much blood anC
treasure TO conquer. General Blair wen
before the Convention ON that letter, bu
he was nominated on the first ballot, an,
unanimously. He was placed in nomina
ton by General Wade Hampton, of Sout
Carolina, and the overwhelming rebC
sentiment of that Convention caused hi
nomination to be made unanimously an
enthusiastically. This letter of Geners
Blair Is the true platform of the Demo
cratic party, upon which 1t stands to-day
II is the same in substance with their resC
lutions, but Is more clear, more detinit
and more tangible to the public undel
standing Consider for one moment whl
are the elements that compose the Demo
cratic party. A great party, like maj
has a constitution, an organism frol
which II cannot get away, which must col
troll its action just as a mans constitution
his temperament, controls his action. W
cannot get away from our nature, neitht
can we get away from It's constituent ell
ment or from that constitution which
has.
Now upon the subject of the paymel
OF the national debt. If you believe Il
Democratic party, If IL Is put into powe
can pay that, you are mistaken. 1t woul
be & moral impossibility. Place that part
in power and reputation is an inevitab
result do not care what their pla
forms may say, or what declarations pol
tcians may make, that is the result thu
most certainly follows. WhyG In the FIR
place the great body of that party are me
who were untriendly to that debt whS
It occurred. They did not own 1t, the
did not lend their money 10 the Cover
ment and they are constantly opposed
paying taxes in order to pay the intere
on the national debt. Therefore the Del
ocratie party in the North would be o
opposed to the payment of the nation
debt.
But now we come to what is in fact Il
controlling element in the Democrat
party, which is to be found in the Sout
ern States as in the days Of yore. Ii 9
Democratic party were placed in pow'
do you suppose the rebels, placed in pow
by them, would ever vote TO tax thel
selves in common with all the people
pay the interest Of our debtY Is the
any man stupid enough TO believe tn
would do itY They put their money in
Confederate stocks, into ConfederS
bonds, and they lost il all, Their feelin
are as bitter towards us to-day as ey
they were, and If you place them in pow
a. -. ~.