The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-01-24
Morton and his Policy.

There is a bare possibility that Mr.. Morton,
in the various combinations of circumstances
that decide presidential nominations, may
succeed, and become the standard bearer of
the Republican party. That possibility,
however improbable, is OF sufficient interest
in view of the dire results that would surely
follow to call forth the earnest
and thoughtful consideration of every
true patriot and sincere philanthro-
pist. With Morton as candidate
the Republican party must take Morton's
policy. He himself can change with facility,
but the party accepting him upon the basis of
the PRINCIPLES which he is now putting forth
must maintain them in the canvass. If he
Is nominated, the Republicans 60 into the
fight upon the bloody shirt issue. Let the
country look at it and calmly decide whether
it is fit, proper or right that The principles
which Mr.. Morton advocates are worthy of
the espousal OF a great party in
this country in this jubilee year.
The Sentinel proposes to discuss
this question fairly and dspassionately.
What is Mr.. Morton's political policy?
Making due allowance for his declaration
in the opening of his late speech, that
sense OF duty impels him forward in its adj
vocscy, yet that declaration does not in any
respect change the atrocity OF his general
proposal to the American people. Stripped
of all extraneous and plausible adjoining,
the proposition OF Mr.. Morton is nothing
more nor less than to array the American
people against each other in perpet-
&I,o 81.
enmities, the outrages, the hsrdships, the
cruelties, with all the distorted coloring
that may be given to them, are proper
ground to array political parties against each
other to-day, they will be proper ground in
every contest from now on until the jubilee
of 1875. II this hateful warfare of passion
should end before that time it should end
morals or expedIency that should probe a
single wound of the past. There
Is no principle that could make
the nation or the individual
better or happier in the revival of the policy
of Senator Morton. There is no glory to the
nation, no commercial prosperity, no eleva-
ton of morals, no union cement, no true
patriotism and no philanthropy in his pro-
posals. The whole tendency OF his utter
snces is evil and only evil. This nation can
only live In union. His policy is disunion.
If the people are to rule, the hateful and de-
structive luminosity which he proposes to en-
gender must be buried, to be resur-
rected no more. The policy of SEN
ator Morton segregates a section OF
the Union to become an eternal object
OF hate. II is to be tainted and sneered at,
and forever held up as worthy of contempt.
The people there are never 10 be trusted.
never to become equal, never to be per-
mitted to assert their manhood or defend
themselves when reproach is cast upon
them. They are to be continued in a condi-
ton of vassalage, despised in their subser-
viency and assailed with the grossest
abuse If they assert with open
speech their rights in the Union.
This is the fairest statement that can be
liticsl policy upon which he asks the Ameri-
can people to make him president. 1t need
not be said to intelligent readers that upon
no such principles can the American nation
exist. His policy is an insult to American
civilization. 1t is gross misapprehension
of the common philanthropy of the century
to propose it to any civilized nation. There
was an era when parents took their children
to the affairs Of their false gods and made
them swear eternal and never dying hate
to the enemies of their country, but in the
darkest ages OF heathenism, when gross and
thick darkness covered the eartE, no records
are left where policy OF internal strife and