Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-05-02
Senator MOrtOn's Speech at New
York.

York. am here tonight by invitation OF
the Committee, for the purpose Of address
ing you on the subject of the next Presl- |
dency, and condition of the Republican
party at this time in the United States.
am not invited nv the committee of Office
holders. | am advised that the gentlemen
who got up this meeting are neither office
holders nor sllice-seekers, and that very few
of them are in a condition to take office, or
could afford to take one. You have Heard
very much lately in regard to the evil inilu-
ence of office holders-that they are all gov
erning the country; that they are generally
dishonest and demagogical, but the most of
the complaints that have heard upon the
subject came from a man who has been in
Office twenty years, and is now fearful that
he will not die in the harness. The Conven-
ton to be held in Philadelphia has been de-
scribed as an office holders Convention; but
l venture the assertion that there will be
more Office seekers in the Convention in Gin
cinnati than ofliceholders in Convention at
Philadelphia. There are some men going to
Cincinnati who are good men, and / part
with them with reluctance, and would have
been glad if it had been in my power to rec
oncile them to the party and to the Admin
istration; but take that Convention all in all,
and it will be more curious collection than
Barnam ever had, and will include in it his
celebrated ''What is it?' 1t will not be
so much a convention as a conspiracy. The
men who will compose that Convention will
differ almost entirely in regardto principles,
ana Will pe u uHlJ only III lHeT GGscul-
ments. In this attempted disruption there
is no principle involved. 1t proposes no
new policy financial, commercial. or other
wise. 1t is entirely personal in its character,
and is not founded upon any pretence that
the Administration had come short In any
material thing. Now, if what the country
wants is good government good and faith
full Administration, the country has it. lAp-
plause.l 1t is an old saying, "Let well
enough alone" and to "praise bridge that
carries you safely over" and l undertake to
say here to night, in the face of the intelli-
gence of this assembly, and this whole
country, that take this Administration all in
all there has not been better one in fifty
years [applausel in all material respects. l
do not say it is free from criticism. l do not
say that General Grant and his Secretaries
have not made some errors. To err is the
| lot of all. We are all fallible. That man
who claims that he is perfect will, by COM
mon consent, be set down as fool; but do
mean to say that in the great material re-
! spects of the government of this country it
| is as well administered as it has been in
| century, or, perhaps, as it ever was. What
| is your condition now, mechanics, mer-
chants, bankers, manufacturers, business
men of New York? This is the great COM
mercial-center where the mOney-power con-
! trolls, and the pulsation that takes place
here is felt to the eXtremities of the
nation. l call upon you tonight as
witnesses, without regard to your past
II
timony that this Government is as well ad-
ministered, that your condition financially
was never better, that business never stood
on better foundation than it does to-day in
the city of New York {; that there was never
a time when there was so much general con-
fidence prevailing in regard to the future,
| financially and commercially, as there is to-
day. The apprehensions of panic and con-
vulsions that prevailed in times past, when
men predicted a financial convulsion every
ton, hox- 10
have now better financial system than ever
before, and you never saw time when you
felt so much confidence in the currency as you
feel now. There never was a time when you
could =. calculate with as much certainty as
you can now, a year, two years, or five years
in advance, so that you might place your
commercial adventures or enterprises upon
that calculation and when this is the case,
and you all know it is, and every honest
Democrat here tonight would be bound to
admit, on his oath, if he were sworn, l ask
why do you want change? You cannot
expect to improve upon it. You might get
a worse Administration. Therefore, repeat
the old aphorsm, and 1 might, in doing it,
appeal simply to your self-interest, your sci.
fishness alone, leaving all patriotism out of
view" Let well enough alone" and con-
tinue that Administration that has accom-
plished such great things for the nation.
[Applause. What has been accomplished
under this Administration Taxes have
been reduced nearly SS7, 900, 600, and we have
passed a bill through the Senate re-
ducing them S55,00O,0O0 The bill has
failed in the House, but we shall hardly adj
journ without repeating at least $50, $1,000
of taxes now existing, and yet, during this
Administration, S317, 100000 of the public
debt has been paid, and the interest account,
which, on the 4th of March, 1869, was $780,
000 900, is now less than S106, 900, 900, a re-
duction of $40, 100000 in three years, and
that is a solid result worth at least from 90
000, 900 to $4,000, 900 Democratic speeches and
resolutions. [Applause. And there are
other results. You have been referred to
the success of the Indian policy, peculiarly
that of the President of the United States.
He simply adopted peace, good will, kind
ness, and integrity in dealing with the In
dians. He has taken William Penn for his
example, and now this country is more near
ly at peace with the Indian tribes than at
any other period since the formation of the
government in 17S9 and this policy will be
persevered in as long as he shall continue in
office; and L have faith yet in the redemption
of portion of the aboriginal race of our
country. / have great faith in the power of
peace and kindness, in the power of Chris
tianity / believe that greater results may
be accomplished by the religious agents that
have been sent out by General Grant, repre-
senting the different religious denomina-
tions, going with open hands and honest
hearts, in the way of pacification than has
been accomplished by all the armies that
have ever been sent against them.
And there is our foreign policy. You have
heard of the Treaty of Washington, that
great triumph of American diplomacy,
which was alike honorable to both nations
which settled the difficulty which threatened
the peace of this country, and restored ami
| cable relations between two great nations
bound together by so many ties of blood,
language, literature and tradition. 1t is
generally believed that it will be carried out
by the English Government in good faith,
and have no doubt that our Government
will stand by that treaty, come what may.
We are ct peace with all the world. An
attempt has been made to embroil our Gov
ernment with that of Germany, and to dis
turb the amicable relations existing between
these two great nations. We know how in
timately they are attached by blood and
sympathy, and friendly feelings in the past.
We know Germany sympathized with us
during our great struggle with the Rebellion;
how she purchased our bonds and extended
to us her confidence and material aid, and
how grateful we were to her for it, and we
know, too, how during the late struggle be-
tween her and France the Republican party
invoIuntarilY and for a reason that we can
all understand sympathized with Germany.
| Applause. The attempt to embroil
us has failed. There was no foun-
dation, no single circumstance,
that can be adduced as an excuse for what is
| called the French arms scandal. That scan
dal has been reported upon by committee,
and our Government eXonerated from all
blame, intentional or accidental, and the re-
| lations between Germany and the United
States were never more cordial than they are
to-day. Applause. And it is not in the
power of busy-bodies to disturb these rela-
tions for the purpose of making political
| capital. The French-arms scandal may,
| therefore, be buried among nameless graves
| of shameless and forgotten calumnies.
| Senator Morton says the charge was made
that the President was guilty of personal
| corruption in connection with the New York
| Custom House. That charge was thorough
| ly investigated, and the President and his
whole household were found guiltless. Mr..
| Morton claimed to be a reformer, but he be-
lOnged to a party not continually making
professions in that direction. 1t had inau-
| gurated Civil Service Reform, and the Presi-
| dent was the only man who had given prac-
| tical shape to it. The Cincinnati CoHven-
tion could only help the Democrats into
power, and, once in power, they will insist
upon the payment of the Southern debt, and
dissipate all the advantages gained to the
country by the Republican party.
Mr.. Morton concluded as follows: Il am