The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-21
RETIREMEN OF eovHRNoR PORTER

OElef magistrate OF the commonwealth mas L
occurred with somewhat of eclat and salts |
faction, The complimentary vots of his |
party in the General Assembly must have |
been to him and bis friends qualification Of
DO small moment and at the same time
mild but very perceptible rebuke of tbs
aspirations Of Mr.. Cslkins to the recognized
position of leadership in the State. At the
same time we notice with real pleasure the
announcement of the purpose of the dig
tinguished ex-Ohief Magistrate to devote
himself, after a brief period OF rest from
official laboIs, to the work OF writing the
history of Indiana. Such an undertaking
justly deserves the very general interest aud
attention which its announcement has
already attracted. Many books have been
they will be found rather to
contain tbs materials for history than his
tory itself. The annals Of our State do not
lack the interest Of even 3 very remote an
tiquity. The first Indisnisns were doubtless
The mound builders; and sny account OF our
country viii, therefore recur in the first
chapter, at least, to the very remarkable
monuments of that race, still existing in
our midst, constructed in that night of time
which antedstes the Appian Way or the
foundation Of Pompeii or Herculaneum.
These ancient structures, such as that sys-
ten of esrthworks seen now in Madison
County near Pendleton, are as fully worthy
OF historic notice and COMMUNICATION as the
"castled crag of Draohenfels," or snY cts.
del, temple or tower of the medieval, Grecian
OF Roman world. Nor would such work
be complete without a sketch of the various
Indian tribes who Inhabited this territory
81 the time OF the earliest expeditions of
The French explorers thereto, upon their
route by the way Of the Wabash
from the great lakes to the gulf
a relation Of the habits and customs, soma
notice OF the languages government and GER
emonials of the Delawares, the Shawnees
worthily find place in such narrative, and
would bring down the course of events to
what are called historic times,
We regret to note that the work il to end
with the close Of the administration, as it is
called, of Governor Morton. We think such
an ending premature, and, besides, We think
we see in it q disposition to mark the differ
eAt Gubernatorial administrations as erag Of
distinct importance in the annals of the
State, whereas nothing could be farther
thereirom. The building sEdroempletlon of
the first turnpike, of the first canal, of the
first or last line Of railway in our borders, or
OF the successive telegraphic posts and
stations-either of these is Of infinitely
more moment than the data of
any inaugural or the contents of any mes
sage. These are the real olympiads OF
progress OF sll earthly rulers the Governor
OF Indiana is, as such. the most insigni6csnt.
dis influence upon the Legislature, upon
the action Of the commonwealth. is, aud
seems by constitutional order, designed 70
be nothing. The power and duties of the
office are almost wholly ministerial and
| formal: the duties Of the position may De
something more, but are only occasional
and ephemeral ia their character.
The writer of our history will have and
must use the opportunity of fully detailing
the account of eur educational system first
foreshadowed in the ordinance Of 81, and
finally developed in the magnificent system
of common schools now in practical opera
| ton in ell our borders. He must by conse-
| quence also note the rise aud progress of leg
islstion and the course of jurisprudence
| from its first feeble origin IN the fortresses
OF the early French commandments in the
| wilderness, through the revision of both
/ Constitution and statutes, until the forma-
lion OF body of laws now in force on
great variety Of subjects, influencing and
! being in turn acted upon by the necessities
and requirements of popular life. He must
| carefully recount the course also Of religious
action and sentiment, beginning with that
deveut worship of the sun, which by the re-
searches of Psychologists is sscertained to
have been the cult OF our antique predeces-
soTs, the mound builders, followed By that
| pure theism, disting uished with barbsrous
rites the belief in ths existence of Great
| Spirit, the creed Of Tecunseh and his tribes;
and that child.like faith in the indestruc-
liability OF life, which taught him
ITO think admitted 10 thateoasf sky.
His faithful dog would bear hin company"
and these will be followed by an account Of
the introduction of the Divine Gospel OF our
savior; first by those OF the Society Of
| Jesus, who left the comforts and refnenents
Of civilization under the auspices of the
most splendid Court in Europe 10 1nd their
homes and graves in the far West-in whose
hands the misssl and the cruoifx preceded
By many ages the hymn-book and the dis
cipline Of our sometime called religious
pioneers. For the historian must be i'm
partial lis ss necessary a qualification tor
him as the most precise knowledge of orthog-
raphy of the rules Of English composition.
Such narrative viii not be wanting IN
passages of more than historic interest. 1t
will, indeed, abound in accounts OF battles
! and seiees