The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-31
1NDIANA'S POLITICAL GIANT.
The Nan Who Made the Hoosier States
Record Glorious During the War.
Mis Strength in the Senate-IIis Wonderful
Courage and PerSistence-A Scene in the
Famous Electoral Commission Debate.

= rlghted. fSsb by john n. french
AT tha tender age of four Oliver p. Morton
was left an orphan. A brief period in the com
mon schools of his native State. four years APP
premiership at the hatters trade, two short
years at an Ohio college, and few months
reading in lawyers Office made up the sum of
his preparation for the business of life. When
the war opened it found him, though he was but
thirty-seven years of age, the chief magistrate
of his State, and it found him equal to the great
emergency.
No man had an earlier or clearer apprehension
of the magnitude of the conflict on whose verge
we stood and the tremendous issues involved.
OF Titan mold, near to nature elemental powers
were his familiars He had an instructive sense
of the awful forces that are unleashed by war.
He knew that in the air. still it would not stir
tine floating down, the fury of the tempest slept
In the halcyon days, amid delusive promises of
peace, he saw that war was inevitable, and rose
TO the supreme height of the occasion. In a
speech the 22d of November. 1860, which rang
through the country like call to arms he said
"Seyen years is but a day in the lifetime of
natior and would rather come out of a
struggle at the end OF that time defeated in
arms, conceding independence to successful rev.
olution, than to purchase present peace by the
concession of a principle that must inevitably
explode this Nation into small, dlshonored rag
ments"
He knew the uncertainties of war. its dread
sacrifices, and declared that all these, though
followed by defeat were better than lnactlon or
the compromise of principle he deemed essen
tial to the existence of any republic on this
continent
During the war Governor Morton's labors
were herculean. Through four long years OF gl-
g 1laln n
attracted the admiration of the whole country.
He foresaw and provided for every contingency.
All quotas were filled upon the call; and again
and again he raised troops before they were
called for, so, upon a telegram from Washing
ton. regiments were on the march before answer
even had reached the department at the capital
Indiana was largely settled by Southern emil
grafton and in non-slaveholding State was
there more of sympathy with the Rebellion Yet
to hold with strong hand this post of greatest
danger was to the cause OF the Union of most
vital Importance 1t was the grand central fort
of the Union line. With any other man In
charge heaven only knows what would have
been the final result Under Governor Morton's
administration treason was kept down, and more
than 100000 troops were mustered and sent
to the field, 10000 officers put in commission.
arms, clothing, camps and camp eQuipage
supplied. soldiers homes erected, sanitary
commissions and soldiers pay agencies organ
ICED. He personally SUPERVISED every detail
W this immense work. He babe each regiment
cheer and encouragement. and with rare excep-
tons was present 20 welcome them home when
with worn and thinnsd ranks, they returned
only at the close of the conflict. He anticipated
and supplied every want of the Indiana soldier
He kept himself informed of the location of
!. every regiment, and wherever a soldier of his
State followed the flag or pitched his tent,
whether the Potomac or the Mississippi
under the pines of the Carolinas or in the savan-
nahs of the Southwest. he the object of his
care After every battle whore Indiana soldiers
fought ere the smoke was lifted from the car
mage, his surgeons and nurses, with an abundance
of sanitary stores and medicines, were at hand
and usually the Governor himself was among
the first to reach the field.
When treacherous conspiracy spread through
his State, resulting in a political revolution of
all the offices except his own, and a hostile Leg
islature adjourned without appropciating money
with which to carry the State government,
he borrowed So 000 900 on his personal assurance
of payment. provided for the prisons and the
asyiums, aud at the front kept Indana's assign
xcent full
Large Drained, large.framed and brawny-
muscled his vigorous health, freedom of mo-
tion physical independence, manly presence,
were his JOY and pride in those days of his gov
ernorship, and part of that full endowment Of
fnind and body which gave him commanding
rank. But the burden cast upon him was too
much for even his gigantic strength, and at life's
meridian he was stricken with paralysis He
accepted his lot without repining. What to an
other would have been a warning to quit act
i've service and an excuse for rest, to him the
occasion of increased exertion aud mental ac-
tivty. The broken sword only made the combat
closer.
From tho chief magistracy of his State Mr..
Morton passed to the Senate chamber, where, for
ten years though in one hopeless struggle with in
durable disease and daily carried TO his seat by
two strong men, from that seat he led the de-
bates of that great body. and more than any 9TH
er man shaped the legislation of that period He
shirked no labor left no duty unparformed. He
accepted more than bis share of the work of the
cpmmtteeroom. and iE all great conflicts car
ried the burden of debate.
AS debater he was an athlete trained down
10 clean muscle In speech, careless of the
graces of oratory and polish of style, his ear
hestness enchanted attention, his directness car
ried conviction. and the strength of his state
mants and the force Of his logic were all above
the help of art
Among the brarest in assault he never lost
hope in defeat; If outvoted in some cherished
measure, true statesman that he was, keeping
his grand purpose in view, he resolutely rallied
his friends and sought its accomplishment
through such other ways might still be open.
fellow Senator we'll remarked that it might be
said of Senator Morton as it was of the Knights
of ST. john IL the holy wars:
I'm the forefront of every battle was seen
his FURNISHED mail and in the gloomy rear of
every retreat was heard his voice of constancv
and of courage"
Mr.. Morton was man of sincere and earnest
convictions, and of the most resolute purpose It
was during that exciting debate, lasting through
anxious weeks. preceding the organization of
the Electoral Commission, and oil of its clos
ing days, that Senator Morton gave the Senate
grand demonstration of the power of mind over
matter; of such will as his even palsied
limbs. He was drawing towards the close of his
argument in support of some proposition which
he considered of vital moment His whole soul
was pulsating with realization of the impor-
tance OF the occasion. In hushed silence full
Senate listened, while crowded galleries eagerly
waited on every word of the mighty argu-
mont The aroused giant. gathering new in
SEPARATION from his great audience, his clear
Toice with fuller tone swept through higher
Reys until IL filled all the spaces of that grand
Sharnber, thrilling every heart with its terrible
oarnestness In such a supreme hour Mr. Nor
Aon cnnld not lonear ahida the anthrallmant Of