The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-16


his advefsaries. Although unsuccessful, he CON
WINGED the people of the State that he possessed
an intellect Of superior order, and such qualities
and capacities as peculiarly fitted him for the
life of a statesman. The times demanded such
abilities his and his defeat, under the existing
condition Of affairs was calculated to turn pub
lie attention more directly upon him, and only
DELAYED the time when he would be intrusted
with the executive affairs of the State. His rep
utation was well established, and he had only to
await the time of ultimate triumph.
The events Immediately incident to the political
campaign OF lSo6tollowed each othern quick sue
cession. Almost every day brought forth some
new theme of controversy to intensity more and
more the popular excitement. The ''irrepressi-
BILE conflict of opinion upon the slavery ques
hon-about which it seemed impossible for men
to talk without paSsiOn-grew rapidly to such
violence as to threaten the peace of the country.
1t demanded the most skillful conduct of affairs
to keep the North and the South in such friendly
relations as were necessary to preserve the
proper efficiency of the national government in
the discharge of its necessary duties. Already
there were threats of disruption of the Union
if slavery could not be carried to the Territories
and exist there unmolested, under national pro
lection. And whilst it did not seem to the gen
eral public that folly could be carried far as
an attempt to put these threats into execution
on account of the enormity of the crime they in
volved-yet there many thoughtful people
in this State who considered it absolutely
necessary to prepare for any possible eventuali-
ties This sentiment was responded to in 1860,
-.
and Oliver P. Morton for Acknowledgements
by those who regarded the preservation of the
Union to be the highest duty pertaining to citi-
zenship. The State CANVASS of that year
conducted with marked ability by all the con
testants, and conspieuously became such
event as, under popular form of government,
prepares the public mind for the intelligent set
Element of great questions. In his speeches
Governor Morton displayed unusual power. sur
passing even the most sanguine anticpatons of
his frends--who, by this time, We're found in all
parts of the State The result was the complete
triumph of the principles defended by those with
whom he was politically allied, and, consequent
ly, his election to the Office of Lieutenant gov
ernor. He held this position, however for
short time only, as the election of Governor
Lane to the United States Senate, during the
winter of 1S60-6l, devolved upon him the Office
of acting Governor.
WIDENING FIELD OF DUTIES.
He had now entered upon more important
and broader field of duties, one which severely
taxed all his abilities and energies, intellectual
and physical, from the beginning. The same
current of public events which placed him in
this position had made Mr.. Lincoln President of
the United States. and, consequently, each in
his own official sphere-one as President and the
other as Governor-became the represent a,
of the principle of opposition to on or 10
40 ~ Si0 olonal powers of the nationa
e o-1Q S%9O lit Everybody knows with wha
-JIICy they defended that principle during theil
lives and that each of them died to maintain il
, with the harness on"-one falling from Tho
murderous bullet of a stealthy and cowardly
assassin, and the other from the crushing weight
of almost ceaseless official labor.
The administration of Governor Morton com
} menced. therefore, at a time when the waves Of
political excitement were dashing with the vic
| lence of an angry and agitated sea, against the
ship of state Those who had supposed that the
slave States would not enter upon civil war tC
} destroy the Union, merely because a presidential
election had been decided against Them were
forced to realize how seriously they had miscal
culated. All reasoning and unbiased minds were
convinced OF nothing more certainly than thai
} all the constitutional rights of the people OF
those States would remain protected, and that
any unconstitutional encroachment upon them
would be resisted by the national administra-
ton. Yet, Notwithstanding this plottings for
destroying the Union were inaugurated and
wickedly persisted in until they eliminated in
ordinances of socession-thus presenting the
plain, direct. and papable question whether the
nation should live die.
This was the first question of great national
Importance which Governor Morton was required
to meet 1t confronted him at the very thresh-
hold of his official life. And it may well be sup
posed that he felt some trepdaton, in view of
the immense responsibility thrown upon him
thus early in his administration, when there was
nothing in the past experience of the
the path of duty The occasion but
TO the severest possible test his fitness for the
management of public affairs. To say nothing
of the patriotic impulses of his nature his intel
lectual powers were so educated and disciplined
that it was impossible for him not to see the ut
ter fallacy of the arguments employed to Justify
the right of State to secede. Considering the
trainers of the government as having designed
that the Union should be perpetual-that the
Constitution and the laws should be supreme
and that any attempt to violate these funda-
mental principles would be an attack upon the
authority of the natlon--he therefore, omitted
OrAloo
his own administration upon the side of the
| Union and against secession. His personal in
stincts combined with his reason and judgment
| to bring him to this determination And having
thus decided upon the line Of his duty, he prompt
ly Put himselfin readiness to respond in behalf of
the State, to the call of the government for mill
| tary assistance whatsoever it should be made.
! There were no equivocations or contingencies in
volved i'll his decision 1t was absolute and I'M
conditonal-the result of the resolution to ad-
here to the government Of the Union, no matter
what combinations should be made to destroy it.
To his mind it clear that the time for dis
cussion had passed when hostile guns we're
aimed at the walls of Fort Sumter Before that
event he listened patiently and attentively at
| the details of grievances on the part of the com
! planning States; and whilst he did not admit that
| any existed not susceptible of amicable discus
| sion and adjustment within the Union, he con
| sidered the seizure of the public property the
| passage of ordinances of secession, the attempt
to take possession of the government forts by
military force, and the insult to the national
! flag, as acts of direct and open war which put an
| end to all discussion. His own eloquent words
were. 1--WE have passed from the fold of argu-
ment to the solemn fact of war"
| This is the key by which we may interpret
everything said and done by him during the mo-
mentous crisis into which the country was so
recklessly and unnecessarily thrown by the in
auguration of civil war 1t left nothing for him
to do, as Governor but to prepare, with the ut
most expedition, such measures as were neceS-
sary to pig the State in condition to aid in
maintaining, at every hazard, the national
authority. How speedily lac adopted these meas
ures; how zealously and efficiently they We're
they were responded TO by the loyal people Of
the State. are matters OF history. Every school
boy in the State understands how Indiana sol