OCR Text |
Show MORTON'S STATESMANSHIP. Senator Morion has writtt-n a quasi apology for or defence of President liayes, which puis the former iu a very ridiculous light. While seemingly seem-ingly sustaining tho southern policy of tho administration ho contends that it baa succumbed to the rebellious iu-fluenr-ei in the south, which have no legttimato right to control that section, and that tho southern democracy obtained its power by a system ol violence and injustice, ' and by the oppresiou ol tho negro citizenship J In asserts that Louisiana and South Carolina have been handed' over by President Hayes to the tender mcreiee of southern rebels, while it would have been perfectly proper and just for him to bavo maintained the Packard and Chamberlain governments govern-ments in those states by military force. In other wo;ds, Senator Morton Mor-ton says that the action of the administration admin-istration is au outrage upon the republican re-publican party, a condemnation ot iU tysiem of reconstruction, and u virtual repeal of the fourteenth anil fifteenth amendments; yet the presi dent is credited with a sincere desire to conciliate tho sections and statec and promote the general welfare. Ii his policy shall be successful and prove Morton to bo a false prophet, no otu will rejoico more heartily than the sens-tor, who shows by ntarly ever) sentence of bis letter that ho has not me slightest faith in the future success of any organization resembling resemb-ling the late n publican party in tho southern states. Still he is willing to wait and watch events, in lie mean-time mean-time availing himself of the favors of tho administration to maintain hie position in Indiana as far as possible, being ready to jump upon either side of the feuce as policy or interest may dictate. His position is a weak cue. With his own state against him be cannot hope to come back to tho senate, sen-ate, whose policy he has so largely dictated for year?, aud hi:- political future is grtatly iu doubt, with the chances birgcy favo-nug an early' rrt'TvmPnt from polit;cal life. With' lujo prospects ho could not a fiord til lose his inlLienco entirely with the Hayes administration. L'niike Blaine hoi a waniu; political star; bonce' his shuilliug between the triumphal a-id glories of the past and tli8 sad j realities of tho present. Tne spectacle j of Morton as au implacable defender of political principle would be grauJerj than the lig.it iu wnich he must n;w be vicweJ as sMg-rlrg between t..e weight of crcat moral ideas and material inUuc-nccs which att ic'.i tu i the senatorial supporters of tl.o ad- niiuUtratiou. But Mortou was al.vays ; more cr !es a political trimmer. i 1 |