The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-02-13
TIE LATE OLIVER p MORTON.


TEE LATE OLIVER Pr MORTON.
Ia monument TO the late Oliver r. Morton
was recently unveiled at indianapolis. Sow
aral addresses commemorative OF the dead
poe% By ehn g Of po psn%
University, was read by its authorl:
When Linooln's hand was thrust into the night
And strained 10 touch some pillar of support,
When through the darkness shot no ray of
And Slavery had Freedom for his sport;
When no star shone TO guide our ship to
port,
And bale,hres blazed across the solitude;
When ltke Iaocoon in woeful sort
The Nation wfithed, and crimson streaks OF
blood
Flashed up the -sly, then Morton rose and
stood.
DARK was the night, ana star BY star went out
And men CROPPED blindly, and no way was
And Freedom fell and Treason raised shout,
And feeble folk with napkins rushed be-
To niendth earthquake, and the Dragons
Mocked their endeayorl All men waited for
That presence whose inspiring voice and
Should mark him for the coming leader, nor
Was any found like ours, the Great War GOV
The people saw him ms he lifted high
His arm ofliroul In his warlixe face q 'i
Was seen the fire of conflict, and his ego
- Shone with Quenchless Light while from
He numbered forth his challenge; and the
That served the times, and doubted, and stood
still, ""' Fl. :. ~
While men were bleeding and the black dis
Still wrapt It's coils about us, felt the thrill Z
And rose, and stood, and went to battle at his
will u#I r.#u.f
How great he was in that heroic timel
How doubly great when round about him
The treachorous bands whose garments
dripped with crimel
How shall this hour speak gentle words OF
who in that hour were the Nations foesH
Lo, all night long, while other men were sleep
Morton kept yigil. knowing not repose,
Piercing the dark, the far horizon sweeping,
Where homes were desolate and women sat
ga-weeping, -.~ -.r,T lI.
On every field where soldiers fought and fell
On every field of triumph or dismay, -
On every field where men did duty well, = .
In march, IN camp, In charge and battle fray,
There, I'm the darkness of the gathering night
Where thousands living with dead thousands
The sons Of Indiana saw light goo
And grasped friendly hand, aud rose and
blessed the sightl .... l..r.t.,so
For there was seen the shadow Of a form or
That all men knew-was heard loving
That all men recognized, and then the warm,
Strong arms OF Morton were entwfncd
around .... ...r ..t
The dying soldier. and his bleeding wound
Was stanched, and In his breaking brain u1
The pulse Of life, returning with bound,
Throbbed wildly, and the brave forgot his
pain,
While tears of deathless love were mingled
with the rain. .. r.'I vi
He saw the Black Man in his fetters bound,
Upon his back the slave-whip's horr1d scar;
He felt In his broad, generous breast wound
Until what time was drawn the sword or
Then other blood was poured as waters are
Poured from the thunder-cloud in summer
Two hundred fields were red az cinnabar,
TIL earth was purged Of that 30 sickening
And Slavery fell down dead, and Afric rose
sublime. H.
He rose sublime, and trembled as he rose,
Patient and black; but Morton, too. was
The Nesro's champion, frownlng on his foes;
His face grew dark as night; he said: " Be
This is Man-now touch him IL you darer'
And they who would reslave the human burst
No more bind on the manacles, or bear
The flaming ire of him who braved their worst
And smiled defiance when the slaYers gnashed
and cursed.
The Commonwealth boheld mis- rising star
And bade him onward till he stood among
The Nations great, and there renewed the
The battle of the weak man with the strong
The endless strife of right against the wrong.
There side by side with Sumner, he threw
The mortal challenge to the sullen throng
That scowled upon him with the slayer's
And sought to set again their plume in free.
doms crown.
oMortonl dead. but still not dead at ALI
Arise from out the shadowsl We are here
Behold our Offering and heed our call!
For six years thou hast spoken notl Come
And speak once morel We stand and wait
10 hear.
As in the days that tried us as by ire
We gather round thee 10 applaud and cheer
MR 9S s9G oTT Sess sMS
and lyrel
No monument can blazon such q life;
No brief eulogium add unto bis famel
Born TO be great-a leader in that strife
In which were blent our glory and our
shame,
He stood the foremost At his magic name
Freedom set up shout on all the fields
Where our starred banner was the ori-
flannel
And patriot soldiers, until freedom yields
That banner up, viii write his name upon their
shields.
This stone may crumble, but che fame OF him
Who stands sublmely In this form OF art
VIII brighten history when the age grows dim
And OF the future be a deathless partl
No time can tarnlsh what the human heart
Has made immortal Not till flood and fire.
And hail and tempest and the ice-king'i
dart
Have wasted nature, and tho ages tire,
Shall Morton's cherished name and glorious
deeds expirel
Forward or Backward.