The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-04
OLIVER =. MORTON.
His Career as "Har Gayernor" ef In-
diana.
[St. Louis Times,

Ist Louis Timesl
Oliver Perry Morton WINS born IN Wayne
county. 1naiana. August a. 1879. nnd Was edu-
Gated nj Miami University, He studied law.
and was admitted TO the bar in ta47. Five years
later he. was elected circuit Judge, At this
attaehsd 10 III, Democratic party and i i req.
sonabs to. assume that he was II pretty active
member Of that pnriy. On tho formation If the
Republican party lie transferred his allegiance
and activity to that young md vigorous organ
isation end In 1896 whs the 'ePiIbli,ht.n, noIqi
. majority o., nearly 5000. IN isso hs was elected
Lieutenant Governor on the ticket hsadsd by
Henry y. Lane his mssjority reaching, up to
United States Senate two days after hs eienion,
and Morton success ded him ns Governor.
At this time the North was phralvzed by the
prosprct of impending revolution, and PROPOSE.
tons for CONFRONT 80 were strongly urged and
extensively favored. Morton. however. WINS ut,
the do''rin' Of pencsakIo secession rs psrni-
cious md destructive. He soon had enough to
attend to nj homo. The people Of Indiana were
that the diIerences between tue North and the
South could DO satisfactorily settled without n
costly and devastating war. and in 1862
troll Of th2. Legislpture That body ht once
placed itsolf In opposition to Gov. Morton,
rsfa1sa to receive his nnessags passsd
adjourned without making u single hpproprtn-
ton to carry on the State government. Tho
did not hesitate to institute mn autocraey, do
termnipg to curry on the government without
regard to tho Legislature. Accordingly be 90
and nppenlod to tho general government His
action Mt this time was entirety lnwless. but
e2n Mn s ns"s Wh2 R G id that the Gnd
what be- was doing. He unused himself to be
aappointed disbursing officer by the authori-
$3.50 900 out Of the special appropria ions for
military, PURPOSES. Thus he !. raised and
will Of the people OF the State becoming. for the
time being, tho nutocrnt Of Indiana. This was
the remarsab energy Of the man. At the same
time, in order to overcome the political oppos-
ton In Indiana. Gov. Morton fired the sectional
i heart 6y his exposure OF the all ged knights Of
The republicans. or the war party, finally re-
gained the control Of Indiana and Morton was
jority. In 1865 occurred his first stroke Of par
alysis. which was probably the result Of tho
arduoqs mental and physical abors during the
war. BY the advice Of his physicians he then
spent five months In Europe, returning in 1866.
In 1867 he was elected to the United States Sen
ate. In which body he at once took u prominent
position. The reconstruction policy adopted by
t the Republican party was then the principal
speech was on this subject. II was as able ~ 1t
was acrimonious and extreme. and Thaddelg
defense Of the recon9 ruction policy that had
been made. Two million copies OF this speech
were circulated by the Republicans az cam
paign document. and Gen Grant declared that
tha' one speech would insure Republican vic
tory.
Senator Mortons next conspicuous achieve
ment eminently characteristic Of the man
the securing Of the adoption of the fifteenth
amendment by Indiana. in opposition to and
In defiance OF the declared will Of the people
OF the State The Democrats were then In a
minority In the Indiana Legislature, but in
50 large minority that they were able to de-
feat the ratification If the amendment by re-
signing and preventing quorum The Legis-
latnre had once adjourned on this account,
and was about to adjourn second time,
when Senator Morton arrived and persuaded
the Republicans that tn y might proceed to
adopt the amendment without regard to the
presence Of a quorum. This they did, and
by a Republican Secretary of State. Morton
then returned to the Senate, and procured The
adoption Of an amendment to pending bill
for the reconstruction of several Southern
States, requiring them to ratify the amend nent
before they could be admitted to represe MIA
ton. The amendment was thus Illegally de-
clared to be ratified, but has subseauentIv been
accepted as part If the settlement OF fhe ia
sues of the war. aod the ratification is not likely
to be called in question unless BY the RepubIi
cans, and they must be held to be estopLed
from objecting to it.
His subsequent career in the Senate. his de-
feat before the Cincinnati Convention. his
action on the Electoral Commission are ali foo
well Known to be retold
!, me properly left by Senator Morton's will
hardly amount to s24 900, all of which was made
previous TO entering his Iitical career