Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-08-20
Extracts from Senator MOrtOn's Recent
Speech at Urbana, Ohio.



THE LEADERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
III you would be fully instructed inquire
who to-day are the leaders Of the Democratic
party. Not one who took part in the sup
preston Of the rebellion--not one. Their
motto is, let no such man be trusted. II any
soldier who fought for the Union imaginos
that he has obtained, or can possibly obtain,
the confidence Of the Democratic party let
him be undcceived. They may for purposes
Of policy in doubtful localities, or States
where they are weak, give him subordinate
office, but even that no longer than the ne.
cessity lasts, and never by any chance will
he be placed in q commanding position.
Look at the leaders OF the Democratic party
In Indiana, Ohio, New York, Kentucky,
cverywhere-they are Bourbons all, un.
tainted by single patriotic resolve or action
for the suppression of the rebellion. They
are your Thurmans, Hendricks, Tildens,
Bayards, Seymours, Kernans, Eatons, Pen
dletons, ct ia onne genus, gentlemen Of abil-
ity, each and every one OF whom has been
the unrelenting antagonist Of the Govern
ment from the day our flag was hauled
down In blood from the summit Of Fort Sum-
ter. They have denied the power Of Con-
gress to coerce q State to remain In the
Union. They have asserted the unconst.
tutionality of every great measure to prose-
cute the war. They cast the whole weight
of their influence against the Government
throughout the struggle. They proclaimed
the Presidents proclamation of emancipa-
tion to be fragrant violation of the Consti-
tuition, They went to Chicago, in 1854, in
the midst of the last great campaign, and
published to the world that the war was
failure and should be abandoned. They
fought to the. bitter end the Thirteenth
amendment, abolishing and forever prohibit
ing slavery; with equal bitterness they fought
the Fourteenth amendment prohibiting the
assumption Of the rebel debt, the payment
for the slaves, and establishing the equal
rights Of citizens in all the States. They re-
sisted with increased energy, IL that were
possible, the Fifteenth amendment, which
declared that no man should be deprived Of
the right Of suffrage on account of his race
or color. And in 1868 they solemnly de-
clared in convention that the Reconstruction
laws were null and void; thus encouraging
the Southern people TO resist them, and max
ing themselves responsible for much of the
blood and violence thatfollowed that dread
ful teaching These are but the leading points
Of long and consistent career that have en-.
deared these distinguished leaders to the
Confederate Democracy of the South, and
placed them with unquestioned title at the
head of the party. Whoever aspires to lead
must bring credentials like these, or his
claims will not be considered. This un-
broken career of fifteen years of opposition
to every effort to preserve the nation, to
every measure of liberty and humanity,
point with unerring significance and certain
ty to the future. IT constitutes a platform
for action, compared with which the resolu-
tions of conventions are but empty bubbles
blown by straws. What these men would
do in power we know by their course for
nearly lifetime out of power.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THE ENEMY OF
GREENBACKs.
| When the greenback currency was first
| proposed in 1862, and was indispensable to
the suppression of the rebellion and the
preservation of the Union, the Democratic
/ InoA ,.,I
stitutional, did everything in their power to
make it worthless and to bring it into dis
| honor. This warfare against the constitu-
| tionality Of greenbacks has never been re-
| linquished to this hour. When Chief-Justice
| Chase, with the majority of the Supreme
| Court, decided that the issue of greenbacks
during the war, under military necessity
| to preserve the life of the nation, was un-
constitutional, tho decision was heralded
| everywhere by the Democratic party as the
grandest triumph of constitutional princi-
Piles known in our history, and when, after
ward, during the Administration of Gen.
Grant, the membership of that court having
somewhat changed, the court decided by a
majority of one that the issue of greenbacks
during the war, under pressure of national
military necessity, was constitutional, the
Democratic party with one accord through
out the United States declared that the de-
cision was corrupt, and that the court had
been packed by President Grant for that
purpose. And you will remember that, dur.
ing the canvass of 1872, the charge of hav-
ing packed the Supreme Court to procure a
decision sustaining greenbacks, in fagrant
violation of the Constitution, was the most
persistent and clamorous made against Gen
Grant and the Republican party. Dem
ocratic leaders have not changed their opin.
ions upon that subject Only the other day
at Gallpolis, Mr. Pendleton asserted in the
strongest terms that as member of Con.
gress he had opposed the issue of green
backs in 1862 because they were unconsttu.
tional, that he had never changed his opin.
ion, and believed that Congress had no ,uch
power. Mr.. Thurman, Mr.. Bayard, and /
believe every Democratic member of the
Senate, have from time to time denied the
power OF Congress to make greenbacks a
legal tender, charged that the Supreme
Court by which the decision was made was
packed, although the decision went no further
than holding that Congress had the power
to pass such q law in time of war. If the
Democratic leaders now believe that green.
backs are unconstitutional, how can we suf
fciently condemn the hypocrisy of the de-
mand for new issue of hundreds of mill
ions to take the place Of National Bank
notes? If they believe them to be constitu
tional, no condemnation can be severe
enough for their conduct during the war
when they denied their constitutionality anC
did all in their power to dshonor them at
time when they were necessary to preserv,
whether Treasury note can be made lega
tender in payments of debts is purely q
question of law, to be decided finally by the
Supreme Court of the United States, and
there is not a respectable Democratic lawyer
now in the State of Ohio who does not be.
lieve that a new law creating a further issue
of greenbacks as a substitute for National
Bank notes, or for any other purpose, would
be declared by that court unconstitutional
and void.
4.
greenbacks, in lieu Of National Bank notes
| arraign here to-day as hypocritical anC
treacherous, designed in the first place TO ef
feet the destruction of National Banks, anC
then by their volume, and by the decision o.
the courts, to destroy the greenbacks them
selves, and pave the way for the restoration
of the old State bank system. The State
Sovereignty party will never stop short o.
State banks. A national currency whether
of greenbacks or bank notes, is hateful tC
that party which abhors the national idea
and declares that there is not one nation
but thirty-seven Independent and sovereign
powers. The party which clamors constant
ly about Capitalization and Federal assump
tion can never be the friend of the green
back, which represents the highest form O
national sovereignty. Every year the prop
osition has been brought forward in Con
gress to repeal the law taxing the notes O
State banks, which drove those banks ou
Of existence, and the repeal of which woulC
again open up the hood-gates for public anC
private robbery by the establishment of in
Vulnerable kiting and worthless banks in al
the States. Only last year Mr.. Thurman
and every Democratic Senator voted
for a proposition to repeal that law
which was offered as an amendment to
finance bill. When the project for mort
greenbacks was brought forward in 1867 4
was for the double purpose of Furnishing tn,
bondholders, who had loaned their money Il
the Government 10 carry on the war, and a
the same time destroying the greenbackl
themselves, and thus preparing the way fo
the restoration of the swindling State banl
system. The restoration of the State banl
system means as many systems Of banking
as there are States, violent expansions anC
contractons, hundreds of broken banks, ant
millions of bank-note trash dying in thu
hands of the people. II means the Western
and Southern States shall again pay millions
Of tribute to the Eastern States in the form
of exchange. II means that the citizen OF
Ohio cannot pay his hotel bills in New YORK
or Boston with Ohio money without suffer
ing shave or buying Eastern funds. II
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