The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-08

HIS In The 1EO1LEL
He foresaw and attempted to provide for
| future needs and dangers. He foresaw the
necessity for popular elections of Presidents
| and senator's. He was the first to under
stand and to attempt TO solve in advance of
the emergency the fearful problem of cleo
| ton contests Nearly quarter of a CEN
| fury ago Morton proposed an amendment
to the Constitution providing for the cleo
| ton of Presidents by the people. All his
measures, all his deeds were based upon
his faith in the people. He did not doubt
| he did not underestimate the intelligence,
| the purity and the patriotism of the
masses. He did not believe in Matthew
! Arnolds doctrine of 1.-The saving remnant"
! He knew that if this Republic is to be
| saved the plain people must do the saving;
when men get too far away from the soil
| they cease to love it enough to die for IT.
| He knew that nearly all the heroes of Lex
| ington and Concord. of Vicksburg and the
| Wilderness, were toilers before they were
| soldiers. And SO Morton looked at every
problem from the view point of the COM
mon people. He sprang from them-was
one Of them himself His father was ~. a
| association, till full manhood was exclu-
| sively with the working classes. Let me
again and, slgain repeat that no one can
| understand Oliver P. Morton who forgets
| that, first of ell, he believed profoundly in
| the plain people, whom Abraham Lincoln
! loved, and, second, that the passion of his
! life was to see this matchless people welded
| into an indivisible and immortal nation.
LEADER OF THE SENATE
Inspired by such faith and such pur-
pose, he put his will into his thought, and
| instantly they were facts. And this was
| the kingliest will of that heroic period
After ALL courage is the royal element of
human character. Stricken with paralysis,
] this Indiana shoemakers son, this child and
lover OF the common people, went from the
/ -
| and there without experience or wide
| learning, he instantly became the leader of
that glorious company of intellect and spirit
| and learning. And what a Senate it was-
! a Senate, to be mediocre member of
| which, was to be a distinguished man.
Sumner was there, Conkling there,
| Thurman was there, Edmunds and Carpen-
| ter and Logan were there. Warriors and
| scholars and lawyers and orators-some of
! them statesmen equal to the greatest the
| world has seen. 1t was a Senate worth the
while. 1t was time when America pointed
4 to her Senate and said, ''These are really
| representative of American courage and
| character and mind And among them
sat the senator from Indiana, stricken unto
! DEATH yet lord and leader of those princes
! of the people.
Morton was Indiana's heroic figure. in
| Americas heroic age When the worship
| of heroes perishes the worship of heroism
| will have passed before. The danger is
| that hero worship, with all it means. may
| be replaced by the WORSHIP of position and
| of wealth, with all it means AS long as
| the heroes of the American people are their
| saints, our government will live and liberty
| remain secure.
The world is so much better than it ever
was before. In all civilization no absolute
| minds as we'll as bodies everywhere are
| free. The inquisition is so impossible to-
| day. that all its horrors seem but the i'm
| perfect memory of dream. Slavery is
| gone forever, and on the seat of independ-
| ence, dignity and power free labor sits en-
throned. There is bread for all who work
| md hat Will i'm on VIZ 10
| luxuries of the few to-day are the neceSsi-
| ties of all. Thought is free speech is free
of men All this we owe to the heroes of
| the people-those minds of light and lion
hearts and wills imperial who voiced the
peoples thought, led the peoples cause to
victory and enshrined the peoples rights
in the peoples imperishable Nation-and
among them stands our Norton immortal
| with the Immortality of deeds.
GOVERNOR MOUNT SPEAKS.
At the close of Mr. Beveridges address,
Governor Mount was introduced and spoke
briefly as follows:
This is a sacred place and this a
| solemn occasion. There are times when
silence is golden and to refrain more elo-
| quent than speech. After the eloquent adj
| dress by my friend, Mr. Beveridge, it seems
| to me silence on my part would be oppor-
| tune. During the memorable canvass of
1860 the QminOuS mutteringS of q gathering
| storm could be heard throughout the land
| The irrepressibe conflict the house di-
| NlOeO against lISclI were great issues QlS-
| cussed in that campaign. An earnest desire
to hear these great questions discussed i'm
PEELED me to go from my home in the coun-
| try to Lebanon where a trio of illustrious
| men were TO speak. 1t was an epoch in my
| life to be permitted to hear Oliver p Nor
ton. Caleb B. Smith and Benjamin Harrison.
| THE impending crisis was ably discussed
| shall never forget the impression made
| upon my mind by these great men. This
! was the first time / had been permitted to
see and hear Oliver p Morton. His mastery
argument, his forceful logic was most con-
vncing He displayed the wisdom of a
| statesman who fOreSaW the impending dam
| ger, and the courage of a patriot who would
make and sacrifice to save the Nation in
| peril. His forebodings of danger We're well
| founded. The election of Abraham Lincoln
was seized as a preteXt for the diSmember-
| ment of the Union. Governor Morton was
| preparing for the oncOming conflict. When
President Lincoln called for $1,000 soldiers
| Governor Morton promptly offered ten thou
| sand Indiana volunteers.
| HE was called to meet the ordeal of
| supreme crisis. The Legislature of 1862 re-
| fused to receive his message and sought to
| dishonor the State by removing from the
| ferring the same upon military committee
not in sympathy with the war, the Presi-
| dent or with the Governor. The State was
saved from the odium of this disreputabe
| act by the breaking of a quorum. In the
midst of this trying ordeal Governor Nor
meet the expenses of the State He was
confronted by conSpiratorS against the State
! and Nation. It is emergencies like these that
| tests craftsmanship and proves patriotism.
| Morton possessed ability equal to any emer-
| gency He inspired parrots who were
ready to meet danger and death on the
| field of battle, and also loyal men ready to
| give their money and their credit to save
| the State from dishonor and the Nation
| from ruin. He not only guarded with jeal-
| Gus eye the honor and interests of this COM
| monwealth, but he was a tower of de-
| Tense to the entire Ohio valley. His great
| administration lifted Indiana to a higher
| plane among the States of the Union. He
| was beloved by Indiana soldiers. trusted
! and counseled by President Lincoln and
| highly esteemed by the Nation. He was
| extolied as the great war Governor.
| Whenever Indiana soldiers were wounded
| and suffering Morton sent his mnister1ng
| angels of mercy. He was chosen again for
| Governor in 1864 by very large majority
| When at last victory crowned patriotic ef-
! fort and the Nation was saved, his services
| were demanded in the United states Sen
| ate To this body he was elected in 1861
| reelected in 1873. He was an acknowledged
| leader in this distinguished body. The in
| tense tension of these trying times short
| ened his useful life Governor Morton is
| no longer with us, but his name is a treas
! ured household word. Time cannot efface
| the memory of Oliver p. Morton, nor the
| passing ages dim the glory of his eventful
| life for his name is written on the hearts
| and his memory embalmed in the affections
| of a grateful people"
| -<-O-h---
| TIT nuCDEH DIITNuED