Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-01-24

iend and adversary alike lay their garands on the
psor weak nature that when who has sntagvnized
~ joins
4 The insumer.hie caravan which meves
To that mysterious realm where each shall take
4 His chamher in the silsut halls Of DEATH"
ready to review his life in . spirit of fairness
and caador approving tho good and with . generous
charity covering tho in out Of sight Tboee Who
| have been in public life especially know that 10
escape oensurs ono must live whole lifetime With
out committing mistake or doing OF saying au III
death cAsts its shadow upon our souls poor and In
significant will be the story Of our goodness and
greatneas; thst when the life struggle is over and
Sssts al sSsrs Win - len a rs viii be- the he e1s%e; e
| Of our lives and the influence Of eur actions and
opinions. Every human life IL iesson; IL may DO
PIRATE therefore, that occasion like the present
we repeat the history and the lesson Of the FIFE that
Is gone. that is may live IN what Il has achieved
worthy tho respect or gratitude of mankind.
Like most distinguished men Of the republic---cf
those who have taken conspicuous positions Ia pro-
fessie.si OF political hfe-Oliver Morton va. .
fortune. To the accident Of birth fortune, family
inf nence or patronage he owed nothing whatever.
His His oniy patrimony vas orphanage. and he wrought
lie came from . sturdy English stock an ancestry
Possessing that stubborn touzciy OF purpose that
ancestry he sabsless inherited that characters,ic
courage and perseverance 50 prominent In his public
life for the OF genius Is ofttmes in ancestry
tiny" His parents were natives Of New Jersey, but
| al an early dag they moved West and made their
home In the then yeung bat growing State of Indiana
"a State to which they destined 10 give the
| proudest name In its history. who
stand above all others Of his time as statesman and
phan The years of his boz hood were passed at the
seminary OF hs native village. Mt the Miami Uniwor-
sity Oxford Ohio. and IN learning the trade of hat
ter. Ambition. that germ from which all growth Of
trne no5leness proceods inspired him TO seek fields
of broader usefulness than be found in a hat
tiers shop and in the year ls43. at the age Of TWEEN
w. he entered upou the study Of Law His venerable
prvcepts,r. Hon. John 3 Newman. thus wrote q
weeks ago.
Senator Morton came into nv Office at Center.
vile thirty years ago mt the age Of twenty. Az
student he industrious and thoughffnl anxious
Al all times To accomplish everything he undertook.
In Discussing questions that his reading he
exhibited q,ickEe~s of comprehension and clear
ness IN statement that promise OF tina. success
IN has chosen profession which he afrerward
His professional career covered the fourteen year.
from ls43 To 1861 when being elevated the Office
of Gcve.nor be i-ft the bar aud returned Co I,
more hen he retired from the profession he stosd
well advanced toward It's front. lie did not rraeh
professional enlinenee at a single bound. did win
distinction In soms first cause by the briiancy of
hs genius frrvor of his eloquence bnt by per
severance and pluck he went steadily forward and
upward never hainng ana never going back. until
he became the acknowledged leader of the bar of
hers such mca Caleb u Sspitn, Samuel w. Parker
Jane. Harden. John T. Ellisst Charles H. Test aud
John 5. Newman.
In 1855 IL my fortune 10 20 on the circuit as
prosecuting attorney and during the 1--WE suecesin.
years the last aud most active YEARS of his protes
sional life. had frequent opportunities of witnessing
his management of causes in court He presented a
legal quesiIos with great frc- aud cearnsssL With
. niind al ono. robust AMI cuiiczl. no able To
grasp the whals scope Of his subject TO faihom lis
profoundest depths and master its uinutest drtas
With quckness that was notable he seized upon
every power OF his mind. fortified it with facts IN.
rencbed IL tchind psecedenfs. enviroped IL about
with Illustrations until his position seemed iuprrg-
natle. While he cho~e with unerring certainty the
strong point ia his cause with equal readiness
and accuracy he discovered the weak one in that of
his adversary. No better versed In the ari
of putting facts TO the court or jury. He brought
With singular skill the favorable points Of hi,
ciic ease Int" prominence and exhibited like dex
prejudicial to his interests. He readily detected
-optastry. and would break it into fragments As the
spray is broken up,n thu rocks" without any sls-
queDco other than the aeni vi giving force 10 reas.
on he a most nj aud formidable Jury
lawyer. lie had q keen sight into buinan nainre
and posse~sed an extraordinary influence. over men
With dominion that absolute b. seized upon thr
sympathy at the iary aud poured the rerstless tide
II his earnest emotions aud convictions their
hearts. la the trial VI cause he lost faith
but worked resolutcy 90 10 the cnd with an unna..
siBs confidence In has ability 60 win and he ss,ldosu
s'~t the verdict. His Indeed Roman courage.
that plHekrd from rugged danger and match.
"a victory from the jaws If defeat"
The bar IN said 10 las the nursery Of American
politics. the school i'm which the ye,spg the
IL provides opportunity Tor taioa aud In popular
governments there " always place and naisSon
fur a man OF ability and inteli-cf and merit viii
sooner or later force ther poosassor To tine fr,nt
Oliver p. Morton Was trained In this schss aud at
the early age Of tuirty thre passed from and un-
chsllrDgod assumed the leadership OF the Rrppb-
lean party of Indiana In Nav. 1856 be Va
unanimously nominated by that party as ifs cnnsti
date for Governor in that its frsi for politi
compounds and the Kansas Ssbraska legislation he
had b~sn in politics prw"srat but his onvieiions
gu the subject Of slavery would not permit him "
act with that party longer. In this memorable
campaign his opponent the laaenled
aud giited Ashb., p. willard Never were two merc
able but disinlilar pitted against each other In
the arena of public debate. The was eloaueut
eepous. imaginative. and ornate: the other earnest
cpisrammaiic. and severely logical the gave 10
elolusnee the graoes at poetry; the other clothed ii
language and tied tho words iuto massess bouq ust~
10 dazzle and capisaie, while his young competitor
aron the world without q rag 10 oov.r them" Af..r
long and spirited canvass Governor Willard was
csectsd by lareely+rednccd nazjesify. Four years
sfterward Nr. Marion WAS elecied Liaatenant (ses-
erner aud in the follow ing January Henry n Lame
having been elected To the Seuats Of the Unitsd
States. he was inaagurzsed Governor Of Indiana.
His executive career cast In era Of IN
pasallelrd dangers and diffcultiezL beginning ut
Time wheh tise slsv~haLiinx States rcsasving
gousry Congress had s-ssuhled. and wh-n civil ~.r
seemed inevitable. In tbs Very first moment Of his
official lfs he stood At ths fhrsssld of tho most ex
tpoch IN tno Itsttsry OF tho nnflon
er~ch sesiined Ia bring his immcuss executive
aud administrative ability The revolution into
which he thrust suddenly ereats,d sy,orst-
nifty In which he permitted ~ tc both tho sb<rs
of principle aud An occasion. In that stupcsdous
crisis ever, public man Was expected 10 act and Ia
act promptly aud dccisvsly. What o great work
Was nov Deiere himl In that day Of gesn of bsssad
of Tears. and VI peril TO the republic he did
ssaud
with folded arms and bated breath irres.aufc"
bat met 80 cour.gecsny the tryang responsibilities
of his office abby and faithfully aisar.rd every
duty duo his government and psople that he sIeesi
iy became of the naarked chssscssrs In this era
cro~sied with illrstrious OF fbe Union
people of his State he NJ the recognized
leaier and oracle. Frvm the beginning hs wls an
undsgu,sed coereisilist. He believed that 90 pariey
with treason To b<oomc its plics,
nation ceal he-irsse strike when wager of
battle tcndsf~d without hasxring is existence
and justly moriiing tho eoutcsnps Of mankind.
In Ocisi'er. 1sGO. in pobir address. he stated
his position Said he.
Shall we surrender the nation without struggle
and let the Uason 90 with merely few hard worasi
II IL worh boody struggle establish this ma
ton. ~ ~ worth one to n aud trtisi
sisali pot by guaranteeing with ind.eent haste pua