Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-01-09
TIE PUBLIC SERVICES OF OLIVER
p, MORTON.
His Portrait Exeen'ed for Che CITY
of CIncinratiby =. Bach-
aHan Read. a@slssF

At q regular meeting OF the ClnclnDsu
Council, Friday, 8 L. Hayden, OF the
Sixteenth Ward, referring to a splen-
didly executed and-handsomely framed /
portrair, in oil. of Gov. MOrtou, which
had lust been placed in prominent |
place 10 de CounciI ChsmbeE. said:
Ma PRESIDENT: 1 nov rise, TO perform
q task that, however pleasant many of
the assoc atoms may be which it sug
gests, had rather il devolved on some
more competent person than myself Al
desire to call the attention of the mem
bers Of the Council to the portrait of His
Excelleney Oliver. 2 Morton, Governor
of Indiana, which nov sdorns the walls
of the Couuc Chamber. ssaA srig i
y 10 April, 1868, the City Council adop-
ted resolution, authorizing the appoint
mens OF committee to procure por-
trait of Governor Morton; the same to
be hung in the Council Chamber as an
appreciatiye token of the high esteem
in which we held the valuable and i'm
portant services rendered By him to us,
during the period when our city and
State was threatened with invasion by
the rebels, in September, 1862. About
the same time, another committee, COM
posed of citizens, outside Of, and indie
pendent of the City Council, was APP
pointed for the same purpose.
These two com mittees, after consulta-
ton, acted coDiunctively in carrying out
their instructions. They procured the
services of our distinguished, fellow, citis
zen, 7. Buchanan Reed, whose eminence
as an artist isequaled only by the brill
iiancy Of his genius as. poet, to paint
this picture. OF the artistic merits of
his production, dc not feel myself COM
petent to speak It is here, however,
and subject to the admiration and the
critiques OF all. 1t is regarded by
those who have enjoyed excellent oppor-
tunities for comparison, as q most faith.
full portraiture of the "great original"
| believe 10 10 not an extravaganza nse of
language, nor going beyond what is al
most universally admitted, to make this
application to Oliver p. Morton, Of In
diana. sRvr-spA
Permit me, sir, to instance but one OF
| the many acts that illustrate tHat won
deffuP promptness, and more than ordi
nary executive ability, displayed by him
during the period when our city was
| menaced By the rebels, undsr Kirby
Smith. These WILL also, serve to show
Why every citizen Of Cincinnati should
hold in grateful remembrance the name
and the character of Governor Morton.
When the news of the approach Of
the rebels toward our city was frstlan.
nounced, all was excitement and alarm
Thirty thousand of our own stslwarl
men sprang forward TO resist that ap
proach. But, sir, both arms and ammu
nitiou were required in order, properly
to- equip them. A requisition for the
necessary quantities OF both was made
! out; and forwarded to Columbus Fol-
, ome reason, whether upon the ground
, of informality, or Of nonreceptiou, OF
whether these materials of war had beer
previously exhausted, / know not which
but for some reason, our requisitIon wal
not complied with. La this dilem ma
when the impending danger was though
to be great, this failure 10 comply will
our requirements became mo seriou
meter Not an hour was 10 be lost il
D completing our preparations to resis
r the threatened attack Recourse Wa
then had to the Governor of Indiana
and in fifteen hours from receipt Of th
dispatch by him, the ammunition, tire
e thousand muskets, and twenty-four pie
!. ces of artillery, were landed at Gncin
/. natl and Covington, and We're in posi-
ton for use. The response to the tele
gram was characteristic. Twas j
Q language something like this: " You
Q requi sitiou filed Indiana has plenty
e Send on your orders.
lSignedl o. ?. MORTON"
4 Governor Morton sent US upon the
! occasion 80, l36 rounds Of ammunitio
for artillery, and 1886, 900 rounds 70
0 small arms. Not only this, Mr.. Pres
y dent, he also came in person, and al
9 sisted materially In perfecting the pr
parations for our defense. / can nj
:, here, nor indeed would it be proper fc
u me to do so, enter into any lengthy c
Vt extended review Of the qualities devel
Is oped by Governor Morton during th
war which, think, render him one of til
= great characters of our country. Bg
j. one great, character, prominent abov
.s all the rest, was manifest in all his al
"a tons: that was, his intense devotion |
:. what he believed to be the best interest
!, OF his country, his, fervent loyalty, b
IL exalted patriotism-all things else wer
B. subordinate to this one great characte
q istic. Governor Morton is also posses
sor of perceptive faculties remarkabl
q quick in their operation. He is, hoV
ever, no quicker to perceive tina
, prompt to execute. 1t is the hal
e. py combination of these two ell
b ments of character that gives hi
20 the pre-eminent distinction of havin
displayed greater executive ability tina
any other civil officer, either State /
't National, during the war. Indiana ma
IL be Justly proud of her noble and gifte
l. SOM But, sir, his history and his fam
belong not aloneto Indiana, they belon
y not alone to the great Northwest, the
Or belong not alone to the great country I
er which We are all SO proud, stretching
n it does from ocean to ocean; b
|; throughout all the manifestations
civilization wherever liberty or the pr
o. gress of political science has a frien
ut there, too, does part of his history al
M bis fame belong. This man, worn dow
by intense labor, has lett our shores
l OENcT tuat EcCupct otAOu W MS oAotee
on ed health and constitution may be efe'
ce ed, both by relaxation from the e
be haustive labors, to which he has be-
&c subjected, and by the Influences of 9th
!. climates upon his PROSTATE systel
~ Millions of anxious hearts will folk
MS him in his travels, and breathe pray
ch for his restoration to health, and is So
90 return to the land where be is so believe
= and which he has so highly honore
~ Mr.. President, it now only remains
i'll me to say, that it was originally inten
r. ed to make an appropriation from t
City Treasury to pay 'or th's porrra
, but the necessity for this has been s
~ perceeded by the hberality with viii
e. tie citizens have contributed for tt
- purpose. And now, sir, ia the name
ed the gentlemen who have participated
this honorable movement, l present
~ the city of Cincinnati this portreit of E
lot Excellency, Oliver P Morton, of
a arag alz III = =
les lFrom Hsrper's Weekly
he Breakers Ahead.
tly / We must hevery careful what we a
about. The importations last we