Ottumwa weekly courier., 1876-05-10
G0vERNOn MORrON,s DEFENSE
Let No header Fail 10 Pcrusc u.


New York Herald.
From the beginning il was eagerly
picked up by the Democratic press
and appeared in associated press dis
patches. We have not space to give
the dispatch for il is lengthy, but the
substance of ii was that while Nor
ton, was Governor of Indiana, he had
mis- applied, or to speak plainly,
stolen S250,000, which he had OBJ
tanned from the United States trcasu-
ry through President Lincoln and
Secretary Stanton. So ii is that the
nurscd and restored viper, viz: par
doncd and rc-instatcd rebels, arc be-
shining the whole land with these in
famous falschoods as in former days
they dclugcd the nation in blood by
their treason.
Mr.. MORTON. Mr.. President,
the President of the United States in
the spring of 1868 advanced to me
$780, 600 to enable me Ito carry for
ward my military operations in the
State of Indiana. OF this sum ex-
pended $l33,3O2.9l in the service of
the State and with which [ charged
the State in my settlement with it,
and the remaining $ll6,697.O9 were
not expended. This amount / re-
turned to the Treasury Of the United
States, as is shown by the following
voucher and receipt:
TREAs'Y DEr'T, April II, 1865.
SIR: Yours of the 9th inst. inclosing
duplicate certificate of deposit Used
by the First National Bank of Indi-
annapolis, Indiana, in your favor, No.
$50, date of the 9th instant, for $1l6,-
697.O9, on account of moneys due and
refunded to the United States, has
been received. I am very resply.,
GEO. HARRINGTON, Assistant Sec.
Hon. o. p. MOTION, indianapolis, la.
The $l33, ,3O2.9l, which l had cx-
pended on behalf of the State were
paid back to the Government by Civ
ing the Government credit for that
amount upon advances which had
been made by the State in the conduct
of the war, which advances were du-
ly audited by the Treasury Depart
ment and allowed as just and valid
claims against the Government in IA
vor of the State. This settlement and
final adjustment of the whole sum OF
$25O,0OO are shown by the following
vouchers and quietus from the Office
of the Second Auditor of the Treas
ury:
TREASURY Dp'T., Cd AUD's. OFFICE
| November s, 1865.
SIR: The charge of $3.50, 600 on the
books of this Office on account s'sup.
plying arms to loyal citizens in rcvol.
ted States" has this day been closed
on the books of this office, to wit, by
a deposit by you of $ll6,697.09 and q
transfer of Sl33, ,3029l of funds from
the books of the Third Auditor.
Office to your credit on the books OF
this office.
Very respectfully, yours,
| JNo. M. SIMS, for Auditor.
His Exccllency o. p. MOTION,
Gov. of Indiana, indianapolis.
From these vouchers it will appear
that the whole sum of $25O,O0O wa.
accounted for and repaid to the Gov
ernment.
1t will be proper in this connection
to state the circumstances under
which the $25O,OOO were advanced tG
me by the President and the use mad,
of it, to show that il was not misap
piled.
At the October election in 1862 il
Indiana, the democrats carried tn,
State by majority of over 10000
electing large majority in eacl
branch of the Legislature and thei
candidates for the State offices. TIL,
democrats had the Legislature, all tn,
State offices and the judges of the Su
preme Court, and possessed the who'll
power in the State government cx
cept the Executive. When the Leg
islature assembled in the first week il
January, 1868, its conduct was char
actcrized by the most intense hostilit,
to the administration and to the pros
: ecution of the war. l sent my mes
sage to the two houses on the secon,
day Of its session. The house refuse,
to receive it ami directed the clerk t,
: return il to me, and OH the next da,
adopted resolution approving tn,
message of Gov. Seymour, of New
York.
The revolutionary policy thus in
auguratcd was pursued with increas
ed violence and open disregard o
constitutional obligations. The tim'
was chiefly consumed by the intro
duction of disloyal resolutions, tn
uttcrancc of factious and treasonabl
sentiments, intended to excite tn
people against the Government an,
!. destroy its power to suppress the re
bellion. On the 17th of February
bill was introduced into the hous,
which was intended to strip me a
Governor of all military power il
the State. 1t provided that all tn,
arms should be placed in the custo
, dy of the auditor, treasurer, secreta
ry and encouragement of the State
to be kept, issued or disposed of only
by them. 1t deprived the governol
! of all power to call out the militi,
for any purpose whatever. 1t provi
ded that all officers of the militi,
should be appointed and commission
ed by these four State officers, ant
not by the governor, as required b,
the constitution of the State. 1t pro
vided for the repeal Of existing mill
tia laws, the dissolution of all brig
AIDES, regiments, and companie
formed under that law, the surfende
of their arms into the hands of tn
the agents to be appointed by the fou
State officers, and rendered null an,
, void all outstanding commissions
, In short this bill transferred to tn
four State officers the military powe
! which was vested in the governor b,
the constitution, was revOlutionar,
and unconstitutional in every featur
and intended for disloyal purposes
The bill was ordered to be engross
ed and read third time by stric
party vote.
7
1t had become manifest that tn
democratic members of the Legisla
ture were determined to pass the bill
Q at all hazards, which would nnques
tiOnably have resulted in civil wal
; 1 could not and would not surrende
{, my power as governor under the con
I stitution, nor could the Government
of the United States afford to hav
me do SO, for the purpose of the pre-
ceeding was to neutralize the positio
of Indiana in the war and to take he
out of the line of loyal States north
west of the Ohio River. The yer
pendency Of the bin and the avowe
, purpose to pass 1t caused the most IL
6 tense fermcnt, and at once thrcatcne
| the peace and safety of the State.
, could veto the bill, but a simple IN;
: jority could pass it over the veto, S
that that would amount to nothin:
The republicans had barely enoug
members in the house of represents
tivcs to break the quorum and brca
| up the Legislature. Consultation
, were held with the republican men
bcrs of the Legislature and leadin
, republican citizens from diffcrer
parts Of the State, who were sun
moned for that purpose, and 1t wa
the deliberate judgment Of all, !
which mine fully cOncurred, that til
passage Of the bill would involve til
/ State in civil war. The republica
, members of the house withdrew from
l 4 u n - L.