The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-08-22
MORTON
Extract from his Speech to the
OreGOmfamS.

Now, friends, a few words as to what is
likely to happen if the Democratic party of
the South shall get control of this Govern
ment. / may say right here TO you that
the people of the South are desperately in
earnest. They have policy. Our Demo-
cratic friends of the North have no policy.
| will ask the most intelligent Democrat in
the State of Oregon what is the policy of
his own party upon any subject, l DO not
care what il is, and be can not tell me. /
would like to put them on the stand and
have them answer. They have no policy
On the currency no two hardly agree; on
the tariff question they do not agree; and
on internal improvement they do not agree.
They have a policy upon only ore point
they are all for the offices. Not SO with the
South. They have policy in which they
agree. They will say to you, "Take the
offices, but give US the measures" They
will give you the President, Vice-Pres-
ident and members of the Cabinet, but
they want their measures. What are
your measures, gentlemen? The first
is to pay them for their losses during
the WARRIOR property destroyed by
our army and their army for the real estate
ed. This is what they ask. They will re
satisfied with nothing less. The Dem
ocratic party of the North can never
agree with them except upon that policy.
There is one secret some of you here do not
know. Mr. Tilden wrote a letter Just be-
fore the lsr of November, late in October,
driven to it by stress of circum> tances in
which he said Il shall never be in favor of
paying the rebel debts" He put it off until
the last moment, but the letter lost him the
confidence of the South. They never re-
Spected him afterward. The South now.
il they were to nominate candidate, would
not touch TilOen with fOrty-foot pole.
They voted tor him afterward because they
were clearly satisfied it would be better Tor
them than to have Republican. If it had
not been for that letter, they would have
filibustered and prevented the count. 1t is
sometimes said that the decision was pro-
duced by contract They consented to lose
Tilden because he had declared against
their claims. No Democratic candidate
will ever do that again. The very moment
he did that he cut his jugular vein. The
South are determined upon that policy.
They will not act with the Democratic par
ty except upon the condition that they con-
cede TO the IA that policy Once begun. it
will bankrupt this Government, running
up to hundreds and thousands of millions
of dollars. / may refer to one thing, that so
far as these Southern claims are concerned,
they have been voted upon for the last five
years, and that no Democrat has been found
voting against any claim in the Senate be-
cause the owner was a rebel. So far as that
distinction is concerned, it has been ignor-
| ed almost entirely. Votes in both Houses
have ignored that distinction. The claims
| have been defeated in the Senate OF the
| Unitd States where it was known that the
property belonged to rebels, not one of the
| Democratic members voting against the
| claim upon that account. The Southern
men will not permit them to vote against
| these claims If they do the partner ship is
dissolved-it only exists upon that condi-
ton. But ii don't stop there, friends; this
| is the first thing, and, when they pay all
claims, whether of rebel or Union men, they
say this is the way TO allay all feeling, abol-
ish all distinction created by the war be-
tween loyalty and disloyalty, and thus you
| fraternize. If the Democratic party get
| into power do you think they will ever
vote dollar to pay the pensions unless
you pay the pensions of the soldiers engag-
ed in the rebellion? When they get into
power it will be pension all or pension none
The next, perhaps the last thing, will BIZ
to ask for the payment of their slaves,
They will not come TO that at once
they will come to 1t gradne"- ran
known they have ". II ia wei
their - - = A. :.
saves, their 7praisement aud thei
value, and they will demand payment 70
their slaves, and when they make that de
mand the Democratie party OF the Mort
can not consistently refuse it. because whe
slavery was abolished we were told by on
friends in Oregon, and everywhere else
that IL was unconstitutional. But this
not the first step. The first il the paymen
OF their claims-all their loss. Next il til
| pens ion of their soldiers. widows and OF
phans- Pension all or pension none, an
the next 10 their slaves. And perhaps mex
viii come the rebel war debt.