Year: 1868




made one of his long, and, to say the
least, not entertaining speeches, attack
ing General Grant in the course of his
remarks. Gov. Morton then arose and
said:


Mr.. PRESIDENT have no defense to
make for General Grant; he needs none
| 1 simply rise to call the Senator from
Kentucky back to the great issue pre-
sented by the New York Convention,
and that issue is the issue of peace or
war General Blair wrote letter to a
| member of that Convention less than
| one week ago, in which he said: "If we
elect our President that is the sub
stance of tit will be his duty to use
the army of the United States to over
turn and disperse the State Governments
that have been erected in the South un-
der the action of Congress


That is rebellion; this war. He says:
..If l 60 before the Convention. l want
to go before it upon these principles
He SAYS: 1.-The question Of greenbacks,
Of finance, of taxing bonds, and all that.
are unimportant compared with this.'
And he went before the Convention on
tha. letter, and he was nominated almost
unanimously on the first ballot That is
the great and broad issue presented to
this country, and is not to be obscured
by attacks on General Grant, or by any
thirg that may be said of the past. 1t
will now be more important to talk Of
the future rebellion that is threatened
and promised by the Democratic party
than even to talk of the past.


Mr. President, this is the issue, and I
should have been glad to have heard the
Senator on that issue. He supports Gen.
Blair, he supports Mr.. Seymour. The
Senator from Pennsylvania last night
said that they had laid down platform.
Yes, sir; the logical result Of the plat
form laid down by the Convention is the
same thing as General Blair's letter.
They declare that the recognized State
Governments in the South are unconsti
tutional, null and void. The logical re-
suit of that is what General Blair has
said Gs"ss5ys 7is says n'" fSS GO 5sfSSfe tie
vention upon this declaration OF war
against these State Governments, and
the Convention takes him the Senator
takes him the Convention has affirmed
the declaration of General Blair, and
there is no escape from it. call upon
Senators, therefore, to meet the issue
boldly and frankly, and not attempt to
obscure it as the cutie fish does in which
he makes his escape. Sir, this, then' Is
the issue; shall there be acquiescence IN
and submission TO the action OF Con-
gress shall we again have peace in this
country shall we again resume our
progress, growth, and prosperity or
shall war become the normal condition
of the United States, as it has been OF
other countries? The Democratic par
ty has declared for war, continuous, un
ending war. except upon the condition
of the success of the principles of the
rebellion.


MI Davis-Mr. President, n word IN
reply to my honorable friend. The
Convention at New York formed their
platform before they nominated their
candidates. They do not square their
platform according to their candidates,
but they make their candidates square
their opinions and purposes according
to the platform As l understand the
platform. it does not present any issue
of war which has occurred to the i'm
aeination Of the honorable Senator
from Indiana. They do not allow their
candidates, if understand the principle
upon which they act, to make platforms
for the party. am not of the party;
l was not represented in it; had no
voice in making the platform am
speaking of it simply as understand 1t.
They make a platform upon which their
candidates must take position, and by
| which they must square their principles
and their purposes in the canvass, II
they should be elected


Now, Sir, am not for any war at the
termination of this election for the Pres
idcncy nor for war for the Inauguration
of the President, whoever be may be /;
but believe, as l said before, that the
numbers in favor of the Constitution
over the bayonet, and of the white man s
President over the President of the ne
groes, will be majority of three fourths
of all the electoral votes.


Mr.. Morton-I desire to ask the Sen
ator q question, with his permission
ask if there is any repugnance or disa
greement between the platform adopted
in the shape Of resolutions, and the let
ter of Francis p Blair, and, ii 90, te
to point it out ?


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