The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-15

acy and treason Pending the trial, the grand
commander made his escape from the United
States Court building at Indianapolis, and fed
to Canada One of the Others turned States
evidence The court found all four of them
guilty as charged, and sentenced three to death
and one to imprisonment The death sentence
was approved, the day fixed for its execution
when, upon the earnest representation of Gov
ernor Morton and other loyal men, the President
committed their sentence to confinement in the
Ohio penitentiary. At the close of the war they
were pardoned.
A MAN WHO DID THINGS.
In the early part of 1862 there began to be
considerable talk among Western Democrats of
forming Northwestern confederacy to act in
concert with the Southern States, and to hold
the Mississippi river in common. Governor
Morton saw that the opening of the Mississippi
was of vital importance in political as well as
military point of view. To put an end to the
Northwestern confederacy agitation and split
the Southern Confederacy by opening the Mis-
sissippi river he devised the hundred days move
ment, which resulted in raising a large force of
hundred days men, who, by relieving older and
more experienced troops from guard duty,
greatly strengthened the available force of the
Union armies. and contributed to the success of
the cause.
Just before the battle of Corinth Governor
Norton realizing the suffering Of the wounded
from the lack of prompt surgical attendance, OBJ
tanned leave to send, and did send two additional
surgeons to each of the twenty four Indiana
regiments in the field in Tennessee.
His careful guardianship of the common
school fund, the establishment of State Nor
NAL School, an agricultural college and re
form school for juvenile Offenders as well as
the encouragement he gave to the various col
leges of the State attest his deep interest in the
cause of popular education. During his admin
istration the credit of the State, which had pre-
viously been byword and reproach, rose to
high standard, and two million dollars of war
loan bonds were negotiated without difficulty
and on favorable terms.
His vigorous and brilliant administration
during his first term had given the State more
prominence than it had ever enjoyed before,
and converted the name of 'Hoosier'
from term of ridicule to of honor.
He was, therefore, on the 22d of February,
| 1864, unanimously nominated by the
Republican convention for Governor His oppo
nent for the governership was Hon Joseph e.
Mcdonald Governor Morton was elected by
over 20, 600 majority and the Republicans gained
a majority in the Legislature. He was in
the forty -second year of his age-in the prime of
physical and meItal vigor. His services to the
nation were known and honored everywhere, In
April, 1865, came the surrender of Lee and the
close of the war. When the returning troops of
Indiana began to arrive at indianapolis every
regiment and battery as it arrived was welcomed
with fitting ceremony, treated to a sumptuous
dinner, and addressed by Governor Morton in
person, who thanked them in the name of a res
caed government and a grateful people.
For nearly five years every power of body and
mind had been taxed to the utmost. During the
summer of 1865 he was troubled and alarmed by
a feeling of mental and physical sluggishness
which seemed to affect both mind and body. One
morning he woke with both his legs paralyzed in
the lower extremities. His paralysis was as
clearly due to his overwork during the war as the
death of any soldier in battle was to the bullet
that pierced his brain or heart.
AS A UNITED STATES SENATOR.
Early in December, 1865. Governor Morton, ac
| companied by his wife. one son and friend went
to Paris for medical treatment. He remained in
! llldJ Guy SIN MGchS. IHoI uOPfhS W SSb oonto
benefit by change of climate, he Travelled
through Italy and Switzerland. He received lit
tie or no benefit either from treatment or travel,
and returned home in March, 1866 A State
election was to take place in the fall of
that year--State officers and a Legisla-
ture were to be chosen. The controversy then
going on between President johnson and
the Republican party made the Democracy
hopeful of success. Upon the Legislature would
devolve the duty of electing United States sen
ator. Governor Morton opened the Republican
campaign at indianapolis on the Goth of June.
| He spoke sitting the first time he had ad-
dressed an Indiana audience. 1t was a painful
reminder of his physical infrmity, but his mind
was never more vigorous. Nearly every sentence
was received with cheers by the audience, and
the applause seemed to inspire the speaker.
With ferceness of invective seldom equaed he
photographed the Democratic party and its lead
ers; contrasted the policies and the acts of the
two opposing parties during and after the war,
and summed up the salient points of the poiti-
cal situation with his usual comprehensiveness.
The speech was regarded by Republicans every
where as powerful document, and nearly three
million copies of it were circulated in different
States of the Union. The election resulted in
sweeping Republican victory, and Governor
Morton was elected to succeed Senator Lane
without a dissenting voice in the party. His
first term was for six years from March A, 1867
His second term began March T. 1873. 0 His first
speech in the Senate, Jan "a. 1868 was on the
subject of reconstruction. He desired to accord
the South all civil and political rights
! it was safe to do So but lie wished to have the
future peace of the Union secure. 1t was in this
speech that ne showed the wickedness and folly of
trying to establish the Southern State govern
ments on the basis of white suffrage alone He
was willing to forgive the past, but he wanted