The Richmond palladium., 1874-02-07
SENATOR MORTON.

Letter Of Hon. j. Il. W110o0-A 000e In.
sinuation PEo0p1ly Debakea
To the Editor of the Warrington Chronicle:
In leading article in the Republi-
can Of this morning, in relation to the
letter of Mr.. Cushing, which has at
tracted SO much attention, the writer
says. 200, -, c,.,.
Presidential votes-for Mr.. Lincoln
and for General Grant and by his po-
litical affiliations, associations and acts,
has identified himself unmistakably
with the Radical Republican party,
and is no more to be condemned for
his record anterior to April, 1861, than
is Senator Morton"
fit is intended by this 70 assert
that anterior to April, 1851" /" the po-
litical records and opinions Of Senator
Morton and Mr.. Cushing were similar
the writer has fallen into an error,
which ! beg leave 70 correct.
/ am familiar with the record Of
Senator Morton, and will present 2
few leading facts, from which it will
be apparent that he was pronounced
Republican long "anterior 70 April,
1861" and denied utterly the right Of
secession.
Prior to the repeal Of The Missouri
Compromise he wasa Democrat, but
he opposed the repeal Of that measure,
and when it Was oon1uMmAte4, in ID
"a, left that party. In 1855 he Was .
delegate from Indiana to tho Pittsburg
Convention, at which the foundations
of the Republican party we're formally
laid. In 1856 he was nominated by ac-
clamation by the Republicans of
Indiana for Governor. In 1850 he was
nominated by the Republican party Of
that State for Lieutenant Governor,
and elected.
On the I'D Of November, 1860. a
public meeting was called at the Court
House, in Indianapolis, with reference
to the then threatened secession OF
Southern States, 1T which he made a
speech. 1t will be remembered that Al
that time there was not uniformity 0i
opinion even among Republicans rs to
the course which should be pursued
BY the government in the alarming
condition Of the country, and thai
some prominent Republican papers
were averse to coercion. The senti.
ments then entertained by Senator
Morton are shown by the following
extracts from that speech. which
copy from the New York Tribune O.
December 1, 1860.
I'VE hear much said against tn
policy of coercing South Carolina il
case she attempts to secede. What i
coercion but the enforcement of tn
laws? In this matter the Presi
dent has no discretion. He has takel
solemn oath to enforce the laws an
preserve order, and 70 this end he ha
been made Commander-in-C Chief of tn
army and navy. How can he be alb
solved from the responsibility thus dc
volved upon him by the Constitutio
and his official oath?"
After arguing that to allow . Stat
to secede would be . concession Z
principle that would destroy th
Union, he said:
'Shall we now surrender the natio
without struggle, and let the Unio
20 with merely . few hard word
Shall we encourage faint-hears sso ira
tors to pursue their treason by advi
ing them in advance that it will
safe and successful? If il was worth
bloody struggle to establish this natit
it is worth one to preserve it, and
trust that we shall not By surrende
ing with indecent haste, publish to Il
world that the inheritance Of our fat
srs, purchased with their blood, '
have given up to save ours. Sew,
years is but day in the lifetime Of
nation, and I would rather como o
Of : struggle At the end Of that tin
defeated in arms, and concsding ind
nendence to successful revolutio
than to purchase present peace BY q
concession of . principle that mu
inevitably explode this nation in
smsii and dishonorsd fragments.