Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-02-24
Senator MortOn's Speech.

WAsHINsToS, Feb. Is.
GOVERNOR MORTON to-day called up
the resolution of the Indiana Legislature,
nullifyi ing the ratification of the Fifteenth
Amendment to the Constitution OF the
United States, and proceeded to make
speech, showing the position of the Dem
Ocratc party relative to the new amend
mcnts TO the constitution. He argued
that the objection Of the Democrats to the
Fifteenth Amendment, to-wit, that 1t was
adopted before certain of the Southern
States were represented in Congress,
would apply with equal force to the Four
teenth Amendment. The trouble with the
Democratic party, he said, was that they
failed to see the wrongfulness of the re-
bellion. Hence they refused to admit that
the rebel States had not the same rights,
politically, as the loyal States. He held
that the action of the Legislature of Indi-
ana, in nullifying the amendment does not
amount to anything in point of law. 1t
only shows the purpose of the Democracy.
He argued that it is impossible for any
State to nullify an amendment TO the con-
stitution after it has been ratified by three
fourths of the States. The Democratic ma
jority in the Legislature of Indiana, and
| their action relative to this amendment,
| does not, in the opinion of Governor
! Morton, represent the views of the
people of that State. The issue
rendered by the Democratic party is, that
| ii proposes tosaccept nothing that has
been done in the way of reconstruction.
| it was not only declared through all its
conventions, State and National, that the
reconstruction acts of 1887 were uneonsti-
tutional and void, but it now asserts that
4 the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend
ments are nullities and will by it be disre-
garded when it comes into power. Men
| of all parties, who seek repose for the
country, are notified that the programme
of the Democratic party Is revolution and
retrogression. Mr.. Morton charged that
the adoption OF the amendments to the
constitution were strongly opposed by the
Democratic party in and out Of Congress-
that the Democratic party everywhere
denied to Congress the nghtto require the
late rebel States to ratify the amendments
as condition to their restoration that no
j Democratic convention, legislature, OF
leading statesman, SO far as he knew, has
accepted or admitted the validity of the
amendments. Governor Morton then ad-
duced, as evidence, the cases of Kentucky
California and Maryland, where Demo
cratic legislatures had sought TO nullity
the amendments to the constitution. He
closed as follows: "When we look al
the reign of violence in the South, the
bitter and bloody persecution of men fol
opinions sake, and at the omnious clouc
of notification which makes the politica
horizon black, Who will dare TO say tina
the mission of the Republican party hai
been performeds"
THE Decatur (Ill) Magnet Of recen
date says Some four or five week
since, a little son, years old, OF MI
Black, a salesman in j. Ullrich q Co.
grocery, got grain Of popcorn in hi
, windpipe, and il was found impossible +
, remove it by ordinary means. A docto
was called in, and, after performing
slight operation, pronounced the obstacl
! removed. The little fellow continued
complain, however, and, on Monday las
: while engaged in nursing the baby, he pr
4 the infant quickly down, and, placing HI
hand suddenly on his side, ran TO hi
mother and exclaimed, Mother, kiss me-
: I'm going to die and was a corpse thrs
minutes afterward."