The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-12
OLIVER PERRY MORTON
THINGS THAT WENT TO MAKE INDI-
ANA's WAR GOVERNOR GREAT.
The WeII-Considered Estimate Of His
Character and Personality Formed
by His BiograPher.

/ recently published by the Bowen-Merrill
/ Company, portions of the final chapter or
| the work are here reproduced. It's publica-
/ ton is timely as showing to those who have
come on the stage since his day what man
ner of man it was for whose widow the
Legislature Has honored itself by making
provision.
A high forehead a large head, black hair,
/ dark searching eyes, iair complexion, q
/ serious countenance, "A nose slightly lat
/ tened at the end voice not loud, but deep
! full and distinct, huge, wel-pToporuoned
| body and broad shoulders. a powerful frame
/ and commanding presence were the physical
/ manifestations of MOrton's indomitabie VIII.
his tenacity of purpose and the plain and
4 simple strength of his intellect and charac~
/ ter Of Titan mold, near 10 nature, ele-
| mental powers were his familiars His IN
! tellectual processes were clear as dayilgnnl
| The object to be attained he pursued ~ the
| directest road, and crushed all obstacles Dy
sheer force He diSdained the nnesse OF
diplomacy; his weapon was the hammer OF
| Thor. In argument, in deed he was rot
/ so much persuasive as compelling he would
| condense the reasons of his opponents into
/ a few words and then shattcr them at
| single stroke. His statement was 50 strong
/ and his reasons so cOgent that they bore
down all resistance.
| Fertile as he was in resources, the meth-
| DDS he chose were the plainest and most
| natural ones. He had the simplicity OF
| greatness. No one excelled him in the
| power of adapting means to ends. lie was
| no visionary. His work was with the prac-
teal duties of the hour, and TO put forth
! his power, he must like Antaeus, have his
| feet upon the earth. In his public addresses
| he renounced all tricks of diction and trans
| mitted, nearly as he could, his naked
thought He was no phrase-maker. The
earnestness of his character was not
| congenial soil for the planting of petty fam
| cies and the cultivation of elegant SEN
| tences He cared little for the form Of his
| speech. Even method in arrangement was
| neglected. If what he said brought on con-
| viction that was enough He never uttered
/ trif1eS and he was clumsy In the by-pldy Oh
! debate, but he waited for the great occa-
slons and then spoke great things. He
! spoke from a heart filled with belief lie
made the words the servants of his thoughts
| and subjected style to matter" He was
| an athlete trained down to pure muscle.
\ He spoke the languages of the masses. His
mode of presenting a subject was so plain
| that child could understand it. and some
| times from this simplicity his diction was
\ matchess
| He was not successful in satire. Wit he
| voluntarily renowned. He had keen sense
| of humor, and could tell story well, but
| he had no intention of passing for a racon-
| teur. He was never coarse. He seldom in
Obliged in personalities. In debate, as IN
/ action he was combative and aggressive
In the early part of his career, his splen-
| did physical presence added much to the ef-
| feet he produced, and latter, when crippled
! by disease, he spoke from his seat (Situng
| Bull, his enemies called him. his oratqry
! lost nothing by the intirmity through which
| misfortune became impressive and the
| physical difficulties under which he labored
called forth attention and sympathy and
added to his power.
HIS GREAT PURPOSES
Whatever the inconsistencies OF Mortons
political views upon subordinate questions,
| he kept constantly before him as the great
| objects of his public life two things: First.
! the maintenance of the federal Union, and,
second, the perpetuation for all time Of the
results accomplished by the war.
AS Governor, he had certain elementary
| convictions upon which his conduct was
based Believing in the common destiny Of
the States composing the American Repub-
| lie. he never doubted that the Union con-
| tanned within itself the means of it's own
| preservation and all necessary powers TO
| vindicate its authority. To him the narrow
| patriotism that confined itself to the
! boundaries of single State was poor and
| pitiable Before all things he was loyal to
| the Nation.
| And YET he had an intense state pride and
| a devoted attachment to the commons
wealth of which ne stood at the head. lie
! felt keenly the humiliation that rested upon
Indiana at the outbreak of the war, in her
! deprecated credit, in the widespread COM
! tempt of ''Hoosier' rawneSs and Ignorance,
! and in the imputation upon the courage OF
| her troops at Buena VISTA and he deter
| mined that the honor of his State should be
| redeemed; not by the assertion of her SOW
| ereignty, nor by denial of the powers OF
| the federal government, but by generous
| emulation of her sister States in patriotism
! and honorable conduct None of these
1 should surpass Indiana in energy and
! promptness in furnishing troops and sup
plies for the war. 3
! One Of his most remarkable characteris-
| ties was the slowness and constancy of his
! intellectual growth. He did not stop grow
/ ing" SAYS Murat Halstead, until he WAS
! fifty years of age" This growth appears
| most clearly in the causes to which he de-
| voted his energies. In these, he reversed the
| experiences of ordinary men he became
more radical as he advanced in life.
He was peerless executive. He was
! meyer more at home than when buying arms,
! consulting contractors sending nurses to
| the soldiers. urging contributions. borrowing
money and doing thousand other things,
/ great and small, to keep up the efficiency
! of his own State and to put down rebellion.
Morton was born commander. Where
| MacGregor sat there was the head Of the
table" He would not follow anybody He
| would always have his own way. He was
| twice offered a Cabinet place, but among
| the reasons for his refusal he said: II am
/ unwilling to put it in the power Of any man
| to dismiss from public position" His
! leadership was recognized everywhere; his
/ enemies acknowledged 1t in their denuneia-
/ tions. He was Goliath" the Blind Sam
/ stTucfion j fhe Giant . the ssFrlephant who
| trampleG upon his own friends" etc. His
! associates bear testimony to it sometimes
I unwillingiy He branded his personality on
| those around him. The senator's who came
| to his room and gathered about mis- bed
| upon their committee work were impressed
! with the consciousness Of dis power 1t
was strange sight said Senator ingalls,,
| to see that old giant lying helpless In bed,
/ pounding and gesticulating and impressing
! his views upon the committee
AN IMPENDING WILL
Sometimes circumstances make the man,
! but Morton was man who made circum-
stances bend to his imperial will Willis
/ Governor of Indiana. he was the State, the
center Of all power in and through whom
/ it acted. He was thoroughly conscious Of
! his own powers and entirely reliant upon
! them When he was elected to the Senate
! he shook his head and said to himself, un-
conscious of the presence of his son, They
! want a leader there" He never avoided
/ responsibility. No matter how great the
| emergency. he was always little
| greater than its requirements. Per-
/ haps Mortons supreme quality was his
| ''stout-hearted presidency which pursued
/ its object through sunshine and storm un-
daunted by clouds or dangers What TO
most men was depression was TO him In
4 SEPARATION. What TO others fOreb0ded disas-
/ ter to him was the prophecy of victory.
| He had a relentless memory. In his refer
| ences to past remarks in the long and com
| pIicated debates of the Senate he was very
! rarely at fault, and his more accurate
| recollection often embarrassed and confused
1 his adversaries. He once told ID. s. Alex
ander, his secretary, that during the war
/ he had carried in his mind the location
4 movements. condition and strength OF every
| one of the 163 regiments from Indiana. and
| that he could call by name most Of the
/ commissioned officers in each.