The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-11-03
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Tho Naw Soorataru

The career of Edwin Dennison Morgan, the
newly appointed secretary of the treasury, is
pre-eminently an American one. He was
born in Washington, Berkshire county, New
Hampshire, and continued citizen of that
State for twenty-five years, when he removed
to New York, and engaged in business until
1S49, when he entered politics. He served two
terms in the State Senate as a Wing, but being
heartily opposed to slavery, he appeared as
delegate from New York, and, as chairman OF
the National Committee, he called to order the
first Republican National Convention, which
nominated Gen. Fremont. In 1868 he was
elected governor of New York by plurality
VOTE and reelected a second time. During
the war he ranked with Andrews, Morton and
other distinguished war governors in prompt
ly responding to the call for troops. President
Lincoln appointed Gov. Morgan major-general
OF volunteers, in order to facilitate enlistments
but he declined to accept the pay attached to
the position. During his term he raised and
forwarded from New York $4,000 men. In
1863 he was elected the United States Senate
where he served with distinction. In 1865 he
declined the post of Secretary of the Treasury
and in 1874 the mission to Russia. Mr.. Nor
gan, meanwhile, had continued chairman OF
the Republican National Committee, in which
capacity it devoved upon him to call to order
the several national conventions which were
held during his term of office. The first time
he performed that duty was, as already stated,
at Philadelphia, in 1856, and the last time in
June, 1876, at Cincinnati, when he called to
order the Convention which placed Hayes
and Wheeler in the field. In August of the
same year he was nominated for governor of
New York. Alonzo B. Cornell, the present
governor. was an aspirant for the nomination,
but he withdrew before the balloting, and Mr.
Morgans chief competitor was VIM. M.
Evarts. Mr.. Morgan was made the candidate
by vote of nearly two to one, but at the en-
suing election he was defeated by Lucius B.
Robinson, the Democratic candidate Since
then Mr.. Morgan has not taken an active
part in politics. He was, however, an earnest
supporter of President Hayes administration
and vainly urged the Conkling conference,
which was held at Saratoga in August, 1878,
to give the President and his policy its hearty
approval.
Mr.. Morgan is man of large wealth, his
private fortune being estimated at $12 ,000
The New York shipping firm OF which he I'M
til recently was the head is one of the largest
in the country. He is also largely interested
in the Western Union Telegraph Company of
which he has been a director for years. He
owns large amount of railroad property and
is a director Of the Erie Railway, having acted
as one of the three trustees who bought IN the
railroad as trustees of the stockholders at the
time of its reorganization In 1878. Notwith-
standing his great wealth, he lives in plain,
though spacious house, and makes no display
of wealth except in his picture gallery, which
is one of the finest in New York. He is prom
inent in all matters pertaining to the social
life of the city, and is gentleman OF liberal
culture as well as a connoisseur in art. He is
leading member of the Brick Church, and
recently gave the Union Theological Semina-
~ 100000 for library.