The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-07-11
In MEMORlAM.
4 Brilliant Testimonial TO the Late
Governor j. ID. Williams.
The Grafton OF senator Voorhees, at Wheat
land, Ind. "Wednesday July Ire,
marks by Governor Baker.

delivered at the unwilling of his monument
at wbestland, July 4 by Senator Voorhees,:
AIDES AND GESTLENEN-when our ancestors
framed the GOverrment Of the United StsteS
they found in anci,nt history only dim ana
adopted. The Nations of tne past, it is true,
have had their divisions and subdivisions
Of territory. but they were the mere helpless, ue
pendent wards of 3 supreme guardianship. CIV.
eIned In all things. irom the greatest
lie or private concern by one central
and absolute power. The Provinces OF Rome wee
conquered ard created 70 sggrsudize the power OF
Capitalization and 20 reward snd enrich the lead
eIs OF isetions. The different departments into
which the Governments of modern Europe are
view !. was left for the wisdom of Ameri-
can lawgivers to euact and combine
National and State sovereiguity ana TO accurately
define the limits and boundaries OF each IL was
left for them, by all the Of the past to aScer
tain and wOIS out system of states possessing IL
destructibie National unity, and a. the same ume
holding wi HIN themselves ard in trust for their
people inslie able rights of local self govern
ment Many sOveTeIgnties in one, each with its
orbit OF power and action 6xed: each moving free
from oic.atiO1 restraint uudeF the law as IL Is
written, ana all in harmony without jar or frie
ton, constitute the American Republic. To have
been the Chief Magistrate OF one OF these indie
pendent soveIeigntiss: to have been chosen Gov
ernOr of one Of these United States by
THE FREE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
is an honor such as the Greek and the Roman never
knew, and suen as Is boz now known
anvv here on the globe but here. We meet day
in memorial services over the grave of one who
was thus hO2ored and exalted IN his lifetime, anu
no grace or courtesy which we can extend TO his
sleeping dust will exceed the measure due 70 the
tegrityCf mind and heart with which ne flied
that proud position.
In looking at the career of Governor Williams
and in studying the influences under which his
character was developed, a long and most striking
retrospective view is presented TO the mind Born
in 1873, he came to Knox County In 1913 Here. at
the sge or ten years, he began his lifework the
farm, and mere st the close of more than three
score years and ten he rests IN the soil and IN the
in Indiana and in this County sixty two
years, bebO.diDg with intelligent observation, the
growth and development step by step, of his own
State ard of all the Northwestern States until
from nominal beginning he witnessed the glory
of their civilization and power I'LL the whole
earth. His life embraced almost three-quarters of
the present marvellous century, snd covered such
a period Of human progress as the eye OF man
had no. rested on until then, ia all the
wide a. varied annals OF human efDrt IL was
on the Fourth OF July in the lsO0, just eighty
three years sgO this DAY, when 1.-The Indians Ter
TitOry" was organized under Congressional enact
ment, 3bscing .'a that part of the Territory of
the United states nortnweS- OF the Ohio River
which lies TO the westward of line glnn1ng at
the Ohio. opposite to the mouth OF the Kentucky
River, and running thence 10 Fort Recovery, and
lire Between the UEited S.a-ss and Canals " The
region thus defined by boundaries COMPRISED sill
of the STATES OF Indisus AID Illinois, and the
within all
THIS VAST DOMAIN
the civilized population vas estimated at
bat 4S75 less than the basis
of / 900 voter 1t was the organization Of giant
wilderness through whose mighty depths stalked
the painted aud plumed barbarian in the naughty
supremacy OF his power. Here snd there Il feeble
and sCant ray OF civilization had penetrated his
Widespread abode Of savage life; Like a small
at VinCenneS had been throwing its
feeble but steady and serene light on
the suTTounding night for nearly hundred years
took up his abode at The Old Post in I7IO, sky
five years before the first guns Of the Revolution
were fired. and ninety years before the ln1iana
there rad Geen no growth nor expansion
at the Post, as Che meager population
been Stationary as fts implied In 1876 the
Territory OF Michigan was Iganf1ed and separat-1
from the Indiana Territory, and finally By act OF
Congress, February 8. 1893. the Indiana Territory
again divided by setting of all that part lying
west OF the Msbasn River ana direct line drawn
from the said Wabash River ana Post Nlncennes
between The United s.ates ana csasda. to be
known as the Territory CT Illinois. In 1S0S q
year prior 10 this fiual division, we fiad al
enumeration Of the white population of the In
diana Territory, there beiug about 1900 lnhab-
iants in that portion which is now the State of
Indiana. and about 1I.90 in that portion
now the state of IIiaois. THIS was
was born, and never in The realms OF roUlsnce or
reality have such stuPendous changes and such
sublime results been crowded into the span OF 8
single life as II his But
THE EARLY STAGES OF PROGRESS
in the HOItbwes. were not swift nor easy; they
were slow and painful, and tue life Of the pioneer
was fun Of toll. priY4tion and peril. Emigration
seek new fields of enterprise enTiroaed
as they were by every danger which fact or fancy
could present 10 the mind. Settlers came in slow
1y and tediOusly roads OF their own construe-
tiOn. When Indiana was admitted a State into
the Union, after sixteen years o! important Terri
tOriS Government after the battles OF Fort HaFri-
son ana Ilppeeanoe had been fought after the
battle of New Orleans, and the treaty of peace with
Great Britain, at the close OF the War of
1912, with the Indian titles nearly all extiu-
guiSned, and - Mississippi River and all its trib
utsries oPeEedto the unmoleSted trade aud com
meTce OF The ADeucan people, she yet showed by =
census then taken population OF only 6lS97.
There were but thirteen organized Counties, and
Knox headed the list wish SO6S Inhabitants.
Then came Franklin, Washington, CLARK,
Harrison, Wayne, Gibson, Desrban,
Jefferson, Switzerland, Perry. Posey and warrick
small, tame affair the fret GubernstOrial election
appears TO rs as We LOOK at 1t from this distance
Shlen We nave known! AT a geaeral
election held on the irst Monday in
August 1916 for Governor, Lieutenant Governor.
Representative in Congress. members Of tine Geu-
ersl Assembly and the various County officers,
calling out full vote, jonathan Jennings re-
ceiyed 52,1 votes and was elected Governor over
Thomas FCsey, who received 1854 votes. With
less than COCO voters TO peTsuace and only thir-
teen County seats to visit am inclined TO think
that some ef my friends IN both parties would
rather have had such race for Governor tn IN the
one they are likely TO be engaged IN twelve
NOUNS ltLCC.
IN THE CONVENTION
which framed the first Constitution OF Indiana
there were fOrty-three members, and IL Is both
curious and pleasant 10 find so many names in
that body which have remained familiar to the
people OF Indiana al every OF her oseq
history Jonathan Jennings wes its President
and Nfl'sm Hendricks It's Secretary; each OF
whom soon afterwards served the Infant State as
GOveTnds and as Senator in Congress James No
bic was also there, and Eaoch McClrty, Robert
Hanna, John DePduw, John Badaiet Samuel
Miroy. Joseph Holman. Dagid II. Maxwell and
Others whose h0nored names adOrn the snuals OF
the State A careful and competent historian
of that period has spoken as follows o. those who
fist here laid the foundations of gre It and pow
eriul Commonwealth:
1.-The Convention that formed the first C)nstitu-
ton OF Indiana YVES composed mainly of clear
minded, unpretendtng men of common sense,
whose patriotism was uuquesti0n able
and whose morals were fair. Their
familiarity with the theories of the Declaration OF
American Independence; their territorial ex-
1857 and their knowledge Of the principles of the
Constitution of the United States were sufficient,
when combined 70 tighten materially their Iabors
in the great work of forming a Constitution for a
State. -. 10 the clearness AID con-
ciEeness of its style, In the com prehensive an 4
lust provisions which IL made for the maintenance
of civil and religious liberty, IN Its mandates,
which designed to protect the rights of the
pie collectively and individually. and 10 provide
Tor the pubic welfare, the Constitution that was
formed for Indiana IN 1916 was not inferior TO any
of the State Constitutions which were in exist
ence at that time"