Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-12-27


public respect. Julian u an lshmaeiits.
hating every body but Julian vith,a per-
feet hatred. He is man Of great ability,
bat his repsllency forbids concert of &C.
tion with him. He is party in himself,
and never had friendship or following. |
Cold. bitter and vindictive his heart |
never throbbed in sympathy With any
one. and his VEINS never expanded in tie |
courslng of warmer blood. he is not
the man to write of Gov. Morton or any
other contemporary.
Oliver p. Morton was the man for the |
times. He was born leader for an era
Of turbulence. While he made enemies,
he had devoted friends and theee frieuds
were his instruments of success. He was
ambitious and it made no difference to
him whose neck he used for . spoke in
the ladder he had erected for climbing.
A friend's neck would be sacrificed for .
epoke If it were necessary. If, on ascend
ing the ladder, he found the outlook I'M.
satisfactory, he unhesitatingly threw it
down and put it up IN another place. He
would have been Q MAJOR general il fu-
ture preferment had led that way more
plainly than through the Office Of gov
ernor. Indeed. it is we'll known that he
seriously considered that path ~ more
speedy and brilliant IN the qualification
of ambition than any other offered by
war times. But there were forces that
even his mighty power could not control
in his interests when pointed in this di.
rection. He was anxlous to be ON the
ticket with Lincoln in 1864 In this be was
defested BY Mr.. Lincoln himself very
much to the amazement of Morton when
he ascertained how he came to bs named
for governor by scclamation and not en-.
dorsed for vice.president IN his own con.
vention ~ he had designed. What diff
ferent condition Of affairs would have
existed if he had been president instead
of Andrew johnson! But would the re-
suit have been better? No one can tell.
Morton was grand combatant, power.
full organizer and mighty in executive
force. but; he lacked the qualities of
statesmanship for tho reconstruction
period. HIS unbounded ambition and
extreme sslhshness would have ruined
his administration. It was fortunate
for his fame that he never occupied the
presidential Office. His triumphs were
the result OF war, and when the wariend.
ed the period of his greatest ueefulues,
ended. Though marked man in the
senate he was not 30 marked as when
governor. The brilliancy of that active
career lconld not be sustained wher,
there were other brilliant lights to NEE,
and suffuse 1t. He was attended Will
peculiar good fortune throughout hi,
political life. and was equally fortunat.
. in his death. His power in bis part,
: had in . great measure declined, and b
was saved the modification Of revolt an,
defeat which his abuse of that powe
! made inevitable.
; Whatever may be said by friend O
enemy Oliver Perry Morton vas grea
! man. He had his faults. and very Gel
ious ones. too, but he also possessed vii
; tues. His ambition-no matter ho,
J, selfish it may have beeen at time
never lost sight Of the fac
. that be had countl
9 to serve aud . government to preserv
d aud he never forgot to exalt Indiana as
o part Of his common country particular
o beloved. Indeed he lifted Indiana int
Q more prominence than any other ind
Il vidual has given it and made histol
}. for the commonwealth OF which ever
b good citizen is proud. Indiana do
y we'll to erect q monument to his memor
d though this is hardly necessary. ~
t. will live in the imperishable records
,. time.
IT Democratic have rich pickings in Il
IF attorney generals oface and they prope
., to get al there 10 to be found. The 90
II duct Of the star route trials vas d
70 graceful to the eovsfnment. Whesh
the defendants were innocent or gail
. the proceedings instituted to conv,
to cannot be justified. N~ither can il
70 explained Why other contractor in I
y Same service were not indicted and tri
10 - the same evidence implicated th.
q that put the Others in jeopardy. T
ID great bulk OF the appropriation Tor {
10 department was sxhausted on this hi
g. aud % anxioss vas the special oous
- for ths Revssansss 10 ssssss Ill