The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-11-02
Nntnre aapma
In all her functions weary OF herself;
MY race of glory run and race of shame;
a nd shall shortly be with them that rept -

a nd shall shortly be with them that rest "
Those whom the ties of kindred bind to
him have had better opportunity to find
graces and virtues 10 bis private character
than they who knew him simply as a public
man. What faults 10 private he had, may
we'll be left now to those whose affection al,
ways condoned them.
AS public man his career has been bold,
lorcible, self-conscous, and bitter. He
was political product OF the war Of the re
bellion. His early partisan affiliations we're
with the democrats, by whom he was elected
10 the circuit bench of his native state
When the issue of negro slavery narrowed
down party platforms to single plank, -
Morton cut his old ties and became
an emancipationist. He had the converts
zeal, and applied it to the advancement of
his personal fortunes. 10 1852 democrat
ic Judge, he became in 1856 the republican
candidate for governor OF Indiana, and
without securing bis election. so closely
pressed his com petitor that he was nomina-
ted in 1860 for lieutenant governor aud
elected. Henry S. Lane, governor-elect
became senator two DAYS after his iuaugu
ration, and Morton grasped the immediate
object ~ his ambition, the executive
chair Of the state. He used his accident
aily-acquired functions with the audqcity
Of despot aud the craft Of demagogue
Instead Of gradually drawing together the
Two great parties whose rancor was engen
dered by the war question, he separated
them more and more. He made the
bloody chasm wider. whose policy should
nave been 10 nil it. In no DnrtherG state
was the ami war feeling more violent and
It's violence was largely attributable to his
official conduct He alieuated by insult,
arrogance, vituperatiOn, and the abuse of
power. that large class of the community
who, at the outbreak Of the war, were not
of positive inclination either way. Men
who loved the national union as much as
he, honestly doubted, in the beginning,
whether the war. instead of preserving,
would not destroy the union; men as
thoroughly convinced of the negro's rights
to be "a man and citizen according to the
Declaration of Independence, grayely
questioned whether the Acknowledgement
of a few ignorant and brutal blacks was
worthy of the immense loss of life. the
waste Of resources, and the appalling mis-
cry Of national civil war. MOrtonS al
most tanatical conduct toward this portion
OF the people Of Indiana had the effect of
organizing a rebel sentiment which might
never have existed; or would have existed
only in insigniicance, had he been unset
fish, sincere, frank, and cOnciliatory. He
made rebels OF the Indiana democrats in
order that he might have the repute of
disciplluing them. On the other hand. in
sincere as he doubtless was, his very excess
OF energy strengthened the national cause,
and imbued the state military with ardor
and devotion. His aggressiveness reuder-
ed him the most available candidate in
1868, and he was reelected. His celebrity
in supplying troops attracted the attention
Of the entire country, and made him a tar
get for extravagant censure, and equally
extravagaDt applause. He did not wait 10
every instance for the presidents call; he
had the state 8 quota ready before the call
was issued; and of the POS. 367 men furnish
ed by Indiana for the national cause, all
but 1900 we're volunteers. He organized
the state militia to the number of 10000
men; filled state arsenal with the best
armament, and equipped q state agency
TOR looking alter the welfare of the troops
on the field and in the hospitals. The legis-
lature seconded his efforts with generous
appropriations, and his management of the
finances was intelligent, courageous, and sue
oessful, Notwithstanding his fierce quarrel
with the Comprehend" lawmakers, who
adjourned in 1862 without passing an ap-
preparation bill, Morton having induced re-
publlcans enough TO withdraw in order to-
make quorum impossible, because his op-
pOnents 10 the legislature were clearly re-
solved to curtail his powers. He borrowed
$250,000 from the national government.
and balanced it against the amount previ-
ously advanced by the state. He estab
lished financial bureau for the state TO