The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-08-26

asserts that this government WAS formed by
the people ia their aggregate capacity as
people, and that, therefore, il Is In all things
supreme.
THE TRUE POSITION,
and the only one that has ever
been occupied by the democratic party upon
this subject, is simply this, that the sover
eign states of this Union surrendered GER
! tain OF their powers to form a more perfect
union that we might be represented
as one people in our intercourse
with foreign nations, and that
it might be the means of preserving domes
tic tranquility, after the rest of the powers
/ belonging to sovereign governments were re-
served TO them. This Is the simple plan OF
our government, and so long as 1t is main
tanned wo will have not merely liberty and
union, but peace and happiness. Applause
But, my friends, the position
: assumed by Governor Morton in his address
here, of strong central government, Is the
central idea that controls the policy OF this
republican party, and that party Is on trial
/ before the country to-day. They can not
shit the responsibility by attempt
/ ing to attack as. They must defend
themselves. Their policy has been stamped
| upon your statute books. Their party is at
present dominant, solar as the federal gov
eminent is concerned, over the length and
| breadth of the nation; sBd il is that policy
that now propose TO examine ior
| a short time, because, as L have
already said, this is not a mere local contest.
IL is national in IT'S consequences and ma
tiOnal in its importance. First, let US look
at the question connected with the restora-
ton OF the government OF the Southern
states.
THE WAR CLOSED TEN YEARS AGO
ten years ago the last armed rebel had
laid down his arms and the
last Southern man had submitted
to the federal authority. 1t was supposed
! then that it would be but a short time until
we would have a restored Union, but, unfor
tunstely, no sooner had the war
closed than the theories and
policies upon which it had been
made were abandoned by the party in pow
or. We had heard much during the course
of that long and protracted struggle about
q restored Union, about restoring the states
of the South to their proper relations to the
federal government. Since the war the doc
trine OF reconstruction has been substituted
for that of restoration. In the beginning OF
that controversy Gov. Morton stood by the
doctrine Of restoration. In speech made at
Richmond, Ind, in Sept, 1865, he, in the
strongest manner, Endorsed the position OF
Mr.. Johnson, who was then occupying the
presidential chair; said they were
but carrying out the ideas and
prlDclDlSS LDaC QaQ governed Mr..
Lincoln during his administration. He de-
nOunced the new theory of reconstruction
in unmeasured terms. will read
you what he said upon Lnas occasion.
After having set forth the policy that
had governed Mr.. Lincoln IN bis
administration and was then govern
ing that of Mr.. johnson. he came TO speak
of this new idea or plan of reorganization.
Here is his characteristic language: Reads.
This is one way in which to
AVOID THE FORCE OF THE CONSTITUTION
and its provisions; but there is
another plan, and that is the theory of re-
garding these states as being out OF the
Union and holding them as conquered prov
inces, subject to the jurisdiction OF congress,
like unorganizsd territories. =
will not stop to argue this question at
length, but will say this, that from the
beginning Of the war up to tho
present time, every message OF
of the president, every proclamation, every
state paper, aud every act OF Congress hiss
proceeded upon the hypothesis that 10 state
union, always in the Union. Mr.. Lincoln,
in every proclamation, went upon the prin
iple that the war was an instruction,
rebellion against the constitution, war
against the constitution OF the
United States, not rebellion of states, but Of
Gov. Motions position then, and tor once
he was right, and he has been wrong ever
sncs. Applause and manifestations OF
merrimeDI.l Notwithstanding this declara-
ton, when he was elected I'd the senate
shortly after he had made this
speech, be placed himself in the
very front rank of those who are urging
forward this doctrine Of reconstruction.
And what is the theory of reconstrpction?
Ii is simply this. They have Undertaken in
the southern states ofthe Union system OF
reconstruction by turning society bottom
upwsrds-up side down-and for ten
years IL has been struggling 10 right
itself. The popular will has been
disregarded, and some of the states are al
most in a condition of anarchy. What has
been
THE POLICY OF THE PARTY IN POWER
on the restoration of the South? They start
out, as stated by Governor Morton in 1866,
as il the Southern States were conquered
provinces. TheY have undertaken TO stifIe
and keep down the popular will in
those states where it has asserted
itself. You all understand the stu
alton of affairs in louisiana,
but there are some things connected with
it that are of such character that they can
not be too often repeated TO the people. In
1872 an election to- place there. When the
polls were canvassed there We're two boards
OF canvassers coDtending for the control
a federal judge issued an Injunction against
one OF the boards and federal bayODets main
tanned that injunction. That resulted in
what is known as the formation of the Kel-
logg government or legislature. Soon after
it had assembled under the protection of
federal bayonet', it selected a representative
of that state for the Senate and sent him up
to Washington, with such credeI tisls as
they coul0 give him. Pinchback was the
man OF destiny for the hour, and he was
clothed with mower to represent that state
so. far as the Kellogg legislature could give
it. During the tgo entire years following
Senator Morton, was industriously engaged
in endeavoring to force this man, Pinchback,
into a seat in the Senate OF the United States
as q representative of the state of Louisi-
ana. After that congress had closed, and