The Portland daily press., 1877-05-26
SENATOR MORTON.
A Letter on the Southern Question
President Hayes Pleased with 1t.

New YORK, May Ex-senator Morton has
written long letter on the Southern question,
in which he Iehearses all the previous action in
the Senate, and refers to the last election. He
concludes as follows:
1t is folly to allege that in these States there
were liberty, protection and equal rights. The
voluminous testimony taken by the Senate
committee establishes the fact that the liberty
enjoyed by Republicans, both white and black,
was but nominal They were outcasts from
society, oppressed in their business, hunted like
criminals, and denied the protection of the
laws. Peace and commercial prosperity, based
upon such conditions, are hollow and worthless,
and are but another form of the barter of rights
for gold. The quiet was that of strangulation
and paralysis, and audacious falsehood at last
grows weary of asserting that such results were
anything but crimes
If South Carolina, with a Republican major
ty of $4,000, and Louisiana, with like major
ty of $1,000, are to be conciliated and pacified
in the same way, the hopes and promises held
out to Presiden: Hayes will have been broken
in every part. IT, on the contrary, the Repub-
licans ip these States, white and black, shall be
projected in person, property and freedom of
speech, action and occupation, l shall be the
| first to acknowledge the grand result. 1 will
| ignore the past, let bygones be bygones, accept
the new conditions with joy, and believe that
| the rebellion was not suppressed in vain. 1t is
| to this happy condition that President Hayes
aspires, and ali should earnestly pray for full
realization of his hopes.
The Republican party South, with all its
errors, waged noble contest for right, and the
| courage and self sacrifice displayed by its mem
| bers are embalmed in history. The warmest
| sympathies of the Republicans of the North
attend those South in their desolate and undone
| condition, with the earnest hope that the dark
| overlapping cloud may have silver lining,
| and that there may be a day of speedy reSur-
rection.
| By the voluntary withdrawal of the army the
| South has boon placed on her good behavior
| After bloody campaign for political power,
| these States have been treated with magnanim-
ity, and should they fail to protect ali classes
| and races in the enjoyment of their rights, the
most conseIv alive Republicans will see there is
| no security but to preserve the government in
| the hands of the Republican party. AS the
Democrats have acquired a solid South by force,
| the Republicans should acquire solid North
| by vigilance and by the eternal justice of their
| cause.
| Northern Republicans are now admonshed
that they can endure no divisions that will en-
| danger their success. Should the North, by
| unhappy discords, be divided, and thus fall a
prey to the solid confederate South, the rebel
lion will have been suppressed in vain; the
| dition worse than the first.
New YORK, May 25-The Times Washing
ton special states that the President is repre-
scented as being highly pleased with the Morton
letter, and will acknowledge his appreciation to
Mr. Morton for his unprejudiced and states
l manlike views.