The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-02-17
Democratic Supremacy.

In his speech in the Senate on |
Amnesty Governor Morton thus de 1
picted the consequences of Demo-
cratic supremacy:
I am hoping that the Democrat
ic party will not come into power
during this generation. l believe |
it would be the greatest national
calamity that could happen be-
lieve that the best interest Of this
nation and o: civilization upon this
continent are involved in the con-,
tinued supremacy Of the Republi-
can party, at least fora . number Of
years But, sir. great eaianisies
have happened; great plaques have
come upon the-world; earthquakes
have rent and swallowed up cities;
Chicago has been burned, and it 10
among the possibilities that the |
Democratic party may come into
poWsr. 'es.ss7'
But on that point the Democrat
ic party does not acknowledge the
validity -ot the fourteenth amend-
ment. There was an attempt made
in the north last summer, what was
called the new departure Mr..
Vallandigham. now dead and gone,
attempted to. bring his party in the
North up to the acknowledgement
of the validity Of the fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments and of
the validity Of reconstruction. He
passed away and with him passed
away the new departure, and the
movement that he inaugurated fell
dead aud was buried with him in
the same grave Sir. if the Demo
cratic party came into power, the
fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments wonld be ignored; they
would be treated as dead letters,ss
having no vitality; and that is ane
of our great national dangers.
Il did not intend to advert to
that matter in this speech. but the
Senator has broughs me TO it aud ]
will do so. The bulk Of the Dem
ocratic party is in the South; the
great body of it is in the South. If
it shall come into power, it will be
by carrying all of the southern
States with q few of the northern
States. The body of the party will
be in tue South, and the southern
wing of the party will control II in
| its action as it did before the war;
and as the South are almost unan-
amously hostile to the amendments
and to reconstruction, they would
control the party, and those amend
ments would be treated as q dead
letter.
Now, Mr.. President. let me ad-
vert to q few of the consequences
that would result to the natior
from the success of the Democratic
party. As I said before. the body
Of lthe party is in the South; thu
feebleness and minority 10 in th'
North, and the South would con-
troll it. Let US suppose that there
is q majority of Democratic Repre-
sentatives in the other House, on,
the question comes up Of making
an appropriation to- pension tn
widows aud orphans Of loyal sol
diers in the North, would tn
souther Democracy in the Hous
vote money to pension the soldier
in the North, their widows an
orphans, while their own widow
aud orphans, their cripples, ar
left unproveded for? Mark you
now they are in power; they hav
the power to vote money or to re
fuse to vote money; and l submi
the question to a reasoning, an
intelligent country, whether whe
they are pleced in power they wi
voluntarily vote money to pensio
the soldiers who fought them an
|. who conquered them, while the
! own cripples, their widows an
: orphans are left unprovided for
I tell you they never will; te
J. you, sir, tina. if that party come
3 iLto po~er one of the first mea'
. ures will be to either put the reb
soldiers upon an equality with Il
soldiers Of the Republic. or 10 vo
no pensions at all. Can any inte
4 ligent person doubt that propcs
i tion2
: Again. If the Democratic par
}. have . majority in the other Hous
: controlled as they will be by Il
: South, I ask you if they will vo
a money to pay the interest on yo
!; debt. unless sore provision is MAJ
It for theirs? Will they voluntari
d tax themselves to pay the intere
= on that debt which was created f
!. their snbjugation, while they q
: : left in poverty They invest,
= their money in confederate bon,
. and stocks, they lost everythin
o they lost their slaves; and Il
r question I am now propounding
: when they shall come into powe
n aud have the power to vote mon,
y or not to vote it, will they volul
N tariiy tax themselves to pay q
: interest on our debt, while theirs
= unprovided for, and they have 10
= : their slaves3 l tell You, sir, tn,
n will never do it, and those inte
ested in our national debt and tho
= interested in our national hon
d must understand that the Dem,
. cratic party, made up as it will
. of two thirds in the South and O
= third in the North, and that o.
y third submissive 10 the other {,
thirds, will never vote to pay {
interest on your debt except
the condition Of paying for th,
q alavoo or IF conaOl;d aN;n~ %ho :.