The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-11

ans began to find evidences of fraud and IL
legal voting, and day after day the papers
were ilied with the details of the importa-
tons Of voters and other evidences Of cor
ruption. Yet nothing came of contest
which the Republican committee promised
was defeated. But" says the biographer.
I'm that future which he could not see this
defeat became blessing. He was reserved
for greater things. Had he been elected in
this campaign with Willard, he could not
have become the great war Governor. The
Constitution of Indiana does not permit
successive elections to the governorship.
What changes might have happened, not
only to the State, but to the fortunes Of the
Union arms, had Morton in his first cam
paign obtained the object of his desires!'
Four years later, when the time for the
presidential election of 1850 drew near the
outlook for the Republicans was very en-
couraging. The two factions of the Democ-
racy, one representing its Southern wing
and the other led by Stephen a. Douglas,
were bitter and irreconcilable Thomas A.
Hendricks, a Douglas man, was nominated
by the Indiana Democracy for Governor,
and David Turpie for Lieutenant Governor;
but although there was nominal recon-
citation of the Democratic factions in sup
port of the state ticket, the spirit Of har-
mOny was absent.
NOMINATIONS FOR 1860.
"As the time drew near" says Mr..
Foulke for the Republicans to make
their nominations, there were two men
toward whom all attention was directed.
Henry S. Lane was the most dis
tinguished man among those who had come
from the Old Line Wings, ana Oliver P.
Morton, among those who were of Demo-
cratic extraction. Morton having beer the
candidate for Governor four years before
it natural that the first thought of the
party should be directed toward him. A
number Of county conventions had In
strllcted their delegates TO vote for him
Morton IIpdQIlbfpdiy PxnapfQd the nominal
ton. But certain supposed considerations
OF expediency finally turned the sentiment
In favor of Lane. Friends of both candi-
dates proposed the following arrangement;
if the Republicans carried the Legislature
Lane should go to the Senate, and Morton
would then succeed to the office of Gov
ernOr. But this plan was not satisfactory
to Morton. He would Father go to the
Senate himself than become Governor, and
If he took the lower place or the ticket,
ought he not to have the choice? But 1T
was determined otherwise, possibly for the
reason once given in homeiy phrase by one
OF his wayne county supporters, a proml-
nent member of the Society of Friends, to
whom Morton had stated what he preferred:
Oliver We can't let thee go to the Senate
Why not asked Morton. Because thee
is a good man for either of these places,
and Henry Lane would make good senator
but he would not make a good Governor.
So he must go to the Senate and thee must
stay and be Governor Morton at last de-
termined to make the sacrifice, for such it
then seemed to be. He would be loyal to the
party whose cause he had made his own.
his claims should not stand In the way OF
its success"
Morton's acceptance was appreciated, but
1t exposed him to the satire of the enemy.
His love of his country" said the Rushville
JacksOnian, is so irrepressibe that he will
serve 1t in the capacity of town constable"
Two speeches of great power made by
Morton in this campaign are still preserved.
One Of these was delivered at Terre Haute
and the other at Fort Wayne. Extensive
extracts from each appear in the biography.
The Fort Wayne speech was particularly
powerful
The Republicans carried Indiana by about
10000 majority, and in the following month
Lincoln was elected President The mutter
ings of secession which had preceded the
election now became more distinct South
Carolina called convention to determine
her future relations with the Union. The
author now describes the financial condition
of the State. a chapter which was repro
duced in the Journal recently.
PREPARING FOR WAR.
The author next describes the outbreak of
the war, the fall of Sumter and the intense
feeling awakened throughout the North.
The Governor at once began his prepara-
lions for the war. Before the news came
OF Lincoln's proclamation he sent to the
President the following telegram: 'On be-
half of the State of Indiana tender to you,
for the defense of the Nation and to uphold
the authority of the government, ten thou
sand men," But the quota of Indiana was
fixed at 4,6S9. The answer from every side
vas AAhiASOidl6 anu eulHuSldSlCs
quarters Swarmed with men eager TO go:
within week there were twelve thousand
men IN camp. Companies came forward
without orders in the mere hone that thew
would be accepted. Men who could not get
into companies at home came alone in
squads and joined in the Clamor TO be taken.
On the 18th the Legislature convened, and
the next day the two branches met in joint
session in the Hall of Representatives, when
-.',r - .oii IelI 81 ~ ClIeM d iueS-
sage winch has become historic in Indiana,
beginning with the words I'VE have passed
from the field of argument to the solemn
TACT of war"
The author describes the suppression of
the contraband trade which was going on
with the South: the efforts of Morton to
collect arms; the departure of the troops
10 West Virginia and the three months
picnic, as the campaign was called, in
winch they fought and won the first bat
ties of the war.
The next chapter discusses the condition
or Kentucky at the outbreak of the strug-
gle; the traditions and feelings of the peo-
pie of that commonwealth; the absurdties
of Kentucky neutrality a doctrine under
which ii was believed the State would re-
main IAN oasis of peace amid a desert of
war. The correspondence between Nor
ton and MagofIin the secessionist Governor
is set forth in full, as we'll as Mortons eff
forts to support the Union men and To arm
the State for defense against the Confed-
eracy. Morton's military appointments are
now considered, his efforts TO placate lead
ing Democrats by giving them important
places; the mistakes which he made nota-
bly, the selection of Isaiah Mansur as com
miSsary general, together with the COM
( plants of Mansur's administration and the
supplies which he furnished. The meat was
too salt. the dried apples were wormy, the
{ coffee "effemnate." One man from
Hancock county said that "a wild goose
could take a grain of coffee in its bill, swim
down the Mississippi from St. Paul, and
make a better beverage all the way to the
gulf than the soldiers got at Camp Nor
ton"
st AM THE STATE"
The next chapter describes Morton's eff
forts to relieve the necessities and add to
the efficiency of the Indiana troops, a chap
ter which has heretofore been printed in
the Journal
Voices of disaffection and of sympathy
with the South now began to be heard; or
CARNATIONS to resist the collection of the
war tax were encouraged, bitter attacks
were made upon the government and there
were loud demands for peace.
The next chapter describes the labors of
Morton in collecting troops to repel the in
vasion of Kirby Smith; the laconic congrat-
ulation of Stanton, well done Indiana;
the kilograms sent each day announcing the
departure of additional regiments; the diff
Guilty of securing funds to pay the troops
Morton's action in this emergency was char
acteristic; he borrowed the money himself
He man OF little property, but his
credit for such a purpose was unlimited
One morning he telegraphed to a merchant
~. Iii k-.