Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-10-05
THE CHRONICLE.
HON. o. P. MORTON'S
TERRE HAUTE SPEECH,
Delivered July is, 1870. at TerrC
Haute Indiana.

formed q condition Of such universal
prosperity as prevails this day. Every
condition Of society is prOsperous.-
There never was q time when labor
was better rewarded than it is now,
or when the wages Of labOrwOuld pur-
chase more of the necessaries and the
luxuries Of life than now. There new
er was a time when labor was so hon
nrable as it is now, and so universally
recognized as the foundation OF all
national growth and prosperity.
And as il is with labor, so II Is with
every other department Of the BODY
polite. The mechanic, the merchant
the manufacturer, the professional
man and the capitalist-all, TO speak
in general terms, are now hourlshlng
are now growing apaee as they have
never done before. l use strong Ian
guage, but I am justified in doing it.
Look at the prosperity Of your own
beautiful city. I am told IL Is grow
ing more rapidly and acquiring wealth
more rapidly than ever before. And
as il is with Terre Haute so 1t is with
Indianapolis and almost every town
in the State Of Indiana; and as II IS
in Indiana 50 it is in Ohio and
throughout our whole country.
Now, Of course, there are some per
sons who are in embarrassed ctreum-
stances, and always will be. Ihere
never was time, d,,there never Will
come a time, when there is not some
particular industry or some particular
line Of business that perhaps is suffer-
ing, as compared with others. But L
am speaking now of the mass Of the
community and the general conoltlon
of business; and l desire 70 call your
attention to the great blessings oy
which you are surrounded. Whetner
you look at the development OF our
country in the West, the growth OF
our cities, the improvement OF our
farms, the building Of railroads and
turnpike roads, and every species OF
public improvement; whether you
look at the general consolidation Of
the business Of the cOuntry-that II Is
now placed upon solid fOundations-
that it is now escaping from that ele-
ment of imitation and speculation
which always disorders and in time
will destroy business bear in mind
that the business of the country is
settling down upon solid and endur-
ing foundations, and that, though our
apparent prosperity may not be as
great as when prices were high and
when there was q general spirit OF
speculation-yet Our prosperity now
is steady; it is onward it is regular.
And I appeal to gentlemen Of all par
ties 10 say il the thing we most de-
sire and which we most need at the
present time is not stability-stablllty
in business, stability in the finances
stability in all those things that men
must study and understand and cal
culate upon when engaged in indi-
yidual enterprise, and understand well
what they shall do the next year or
the next month.
CROAKERs AND GRUMBLERS.
But, Notwithstanding our unwonted
prosperity and growth, there are
croakers, there are grumblers; and
there always will be. You have some
times seen men who, when they were
in perfect health, would strive 70
make everybody about them misera-
| BILE by pretending that they were
about to die. And so you will lind
politicians, in the midst of this great
prosperity and this great af1uenee,
who tell US the country is on the very
brink of ruin-on the very eve OF
Northumberland that if they are not
placed in power, or their party every
thing will 90 to destruction. NOW
you know these things are not so, and
! there is no intelligent lady or gentle
man here to-night-and l care not
what party they belong to-Whoi II
they will take a deliberate survey OF
the condition of this community, OF
this State, and of this nation, will not
come to the conclusion that, as a peo-
ple, we are more prosperous In this
wear 1870, than in any former period
of our national life.
I spoke Of stability; take, for ex.
ample, the currency. We have had
| trouble with our currency, growing
out of our war and out of strange
/ and unnatural condition Of things,
but now it is coming back to solid
/ foundations. Only a short time ago
| it was worth but sixty-eight cents on
a dollar, now it is worth nlnety-tWoi
and we have every reason to believe
/ that. if there shall be no political dis
| turbauce, within six months the pa.
per dollar in your pocket will be equal
| To a dollar in gold. This is the great
thing that we require-to have sta
bility and solid foundations Tor Dusl'
ness.
There are politicians who tell us the
worst thing that could be done would
be to return to specie payments, ano
the best thing that could happen
would be huctuating currency tha
is worth ninety cents on the dollal
to-day, and sixty tomorrow. Tha
is false philosophy. In every coun'
try the people were always benentteC
when the money in circulation IL
their pockets was brought up from
discount and made equal to the golC
dollar, which is the standard Of value
throughout the world. That is wha
we desire, and it is what we are going
to do; and we are going tOdo it mucf
faster than any of us expected-mucf
faster than I expected (; and we ar
going TO do it in defiance Of theory
and speculation upon the part o
statesmen Cf all parties. 1t is coming
upon us without a jar. 1t is coming
upon us without depression withou
unsettling the condition OF business
and we areimproving and progressing
faster than any of us had a right 4
expect.
RECOVERY FYON THE REBELLION RAVA
aEs.
We have escaped from q war; som
five wears ago the terrible civil wa
that desOlated the land ended, ant
now the marks Of war are almost gon
from the land. Not from our memo
} ries: those Of you who lost sons an
brothers and fathers and husbands cal
never forget that, and you can neve
forget the men that made that wal
Won can never forget the politician
who forced it upon this country.
But am speaking now Of the ma
terial ravages of war. They are fas
disappearing, and with the destruC
ton of human slavery, and with tn
/ establishment of human rights upol
I an equal basis Of justice and liberty I
all, we are now advancing in wealtl
and material prosperity as we neve
did before.
- 1 said these war memories will nc
pass away. We may forgive, but "
2 cannot forget, and in a great many IN
stances we have no right to fOrgiy
1 politically. 1t is not sound polio
that we should do so, for that man this
has deceived and betrayed his cOuntr
= in the hour of its peril, when it wa
threatened with destruetiOn--thG
: man cannot be safely trusted in tim
e of peace. Am I right about that ?
"