Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-05

The estimable lady who presdes over the
elegant household of the aged but brilliant
Senator from Vermont came to Washington
with her husband in the very outset of his pub
lie career. In 1851 Justin s. Morrill,, a mer-
chant and farmer of Stratford, VT, and Ruth
Darrell Swami were married. The four years OF
their early married life was passed at STRAIT
ford. on the beautiful estate of MIR. Morrill,.
Since then Mr.. and Mrs. Morrill, have passed
the congressional seasons at Washington, and
have been prominently associated with the
Spolitico-social events of the capital during the
long intervening period. The family of Mrs.
Morrill, is one of the oldest in New England.
Her maternal ancestors in America sprang
from that doughty pioneer soldier. Miles STAN
dish. whose military exploits in the infant days
of the settlement of Plymouth and Massachu-
sets bay. have been the theme of verse and
prose for two-and-a-half centuries.
SENATOR MoRRILL's ANCESTRY.
Senator Morrill, is of English descent of later
date His ancestors first settled at Salisbury,
Mass in the early part of the last century.
The family later emigrated to New Hampshire,
and from that original state of the thirteen quasi
sovereignties of the young republic his grand
father. in 1895. with his five sons and two
daughters. went to Vermont and settled near
Stratford. the seat of the patrimonial acres of
the present patriarchal head of the Morrills.
During the British invasion from Canada in
the war of 1872. the Senator's grandfather,
mastering his four sons, one of them Col.
Nathaniel Morrill,. the Senator's father, marched
to join the American forces operating on Lake
Champlain. Owing to the British vessels hav-
ing cut off communications they failed to reach
the army on the other side until the close of
that brilliant and victorious conflict. but
gagged in the pursuit of the fleeing Englishmen.
MRS. MoRRILL's FATHER.
Mrs Morrill, is a daughter of Caleb Swami
one of the most skillful physicians and active
politicians during the middle decades of the
present century. He was a native of Charles
town. Mass. where he was born in 1898. He
graduated at Harvard in 1914 one of his class
mates being the historian. Prescott. The young
graduate studied medicine. In 1916 he mar
red Ruth Darrell. of East Bridgewater, Mass.
and settled at Easton, Mass, simultaneously to
the duties of a professional and matrimonial
career. Mrs. Morrill, who has her mothers
name. was the eldest of four children of this
union.
Her father was one of the earliest converts
to the homeopathic system of medical treat
ment. But the state of Massachusetts, knows
more of him one of the original projectors
Of the temperance movement in 1926.
In the stirring and successful wing campaign
of ''Tippecanoe and Tyler too" he was one of
the most active champions of the election of
Gen. Harrison. Mrs. Morrill,. who was old
enough to remember those DAYS of early par
tisan politics. is full of the "reminiscences of
her fathers experiences in the political strug-
giles which placed the grandfather of the Presi-
is one of the happiest experiences of Mrs. Nor
rill's long residence at Washington to realize
that she may reasonably expect to witness the
inauguration of the grandson of her fathers
friend. and leader in politics nearly half a
century ago.
The eventful political career Of Caleb Swami
did not stop with the election Of Gen. Harri-
son. He was one of the most aggressive Mas
saehusetts leaders of the liberty party. and
merged with il into the free-soil movement
whose Candidate he xaa for
resident district He was defeated in the race.
but he stood by his eolors in all the subsequent
political movements. and ran against Gen.
Banks. who. however. defeated him for COVER
nor about the close Of the war of the rebellion
This veteran of the whig. liberty and free
soil parties lapsed into the republican ranks
and finished his political and practically his
mundane career in the senate of his native
state. He was a bitter opponent of know-noth-
ingism in all his radical political movements
and was an earnest disciple of Swedenborg.
the theologian and philosopher.
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CHANGES.
Up to the time of her marriage Mrs Morrill,
was interested observer of her fathers
career. She may be said to have been born
and reared amid the relentless conflicts of old
time politics. Her married life has been
equally associated with the most momentous
political events Of the nations history. When
she came to Washington. in 1856 although a
New England President sat in the executive
UianslOn- tne leaders south of Mason
and Dixon's line dominated public az
fairs Senator Morrill, at once advanced
TO the front rank in the parliamentary con-
tests over slavery, free soil. abolition and a
protective tariff. Party rancor ran high and
social intercourse was sectional. The BLACK
republicans and New England abolitionists
were despised by the southern leaders and the
northern democrats were willing to occupy
neutral ground in order TO share in the loayes
and fishes of executive control. The society Of
tn" capital was then broken into sets. and en-
tersainments at the executive mansion where
all met on common social plane, felt more or
less restraint on account Of the intensifvino
feeling between parties on national issues.
As result Of the political upheaval of 1850
Mrs. Morrill, became one of the leading ladies
In the Representatives circle with the advent
OF the Thirty-seventh Congress. The republi
cans had come into power in the executive and
legislative branches of the government The
southern Senators and Representatives and
their states had seeded from the Union and
war was imminent. The necessity of revenues
To meet the exigencies Of a conflict of arms
brought Mr.. Morrill, to the front as the pro-
jeetor of the Morrill, tariff of 1861. which was
one Of the first of the war measures in defense
Of the Union.
Throughout the warlike din of trampino
armies and amid the acclamations Of victory
and peace Mrs. Morrill, remained at Washing
ton and figured in the court circles of the adj
ministrations Of Lincoln and johnson After
twelve years her husbands election to the Sem
ate advanced her to that sphere of social dig
MY For twenty-five years more she has or
namented the brilliant career Of her husband
~ the surroundings Of the higher social life Of