The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-05
The Annual Ceremony in Honor Of In
diana's Great War Governor
Is Held.
ADDRESS BY LEW WALLACE, JR
HE PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY
OF THE GREAT MAN.
Remarks by Department Comma nder
Beem-A Letter from Rev.
ID. II. Lucas Read.


culable services to the State of lnciana
of Oliver p. Morton. its great war Gov
ernor, were once more commemorated In
an interesting and impressive memorial
service, conducted under the auspices or
the Grand Army of the Republic In Cen
tral-avenue Methodist Episcopal Cnurch
yesterday afternoon. These services are
held annually, and frequent repetition rails
TO lessen their attendance or dim their IN
terest.
The large audience yesterday was mate
up of Governor Mortons compeers IN clV'i
and military life, of their Juniors ana
many women, both old and young-all filled
with a desire to do honor to the great
mans memory. A musical programme VI
exceptional beauty and appropriateness
was rendered by the church choir, unoer
the direction of Edgar Nj Cawley. IEis
included song, 1.-The Noblest Work.. ana
meorial hymn, the compositions or Z. II.
MerrifieId, written especially for the oc-
casion, in addition to number OF inspirins
anthems. The invocation was offered py
Rev. Charles c. Lasby pastor or central
avenue Church, after which David f.
BEEN, department commander of the IN
diana G.. A. r., presented a brief eulogy
of Governor Morton. Commander Beem
said in part:
within our borders there were more
than POO, 900 whose hearts were touched with
the live Goals of patriotism. and who were
ready to go forth in defense of the flag OF
the Union, but in that awful crisis the peo-
pie needed a master to call them To the
front, to guide them, to organize them Tor
battle and to care for them during the
years of bloody strife upon which they
were about TO enter. God in this emergency
OF our State called to the head OF analrs
a courageous heart and strong arm 10
hurl his mighty energies against the de-
structive forces of the hour. How Well
Oliver Z. Morton, the great war Cover
nor of Indiana, reformed the gigantic TASK
assigned him 1t is our duty to- here de-
clare as best we may"
THE PRINCIPAL ORATOR.
Lewis Wallace, jr.. nephew of Major
General Wallace was next presented os
the principal orator of the occasion. Mr..
Wallace devoted large portion Of his
carefully prepared paper to a discussion or
the early training and surrounding; of Gov
ernor Morton, showing that these Tilted
him thoroughly for the performance of the
great tasks imposed upon him when the
war began AMI during its continuance. Mr..
Wallace said in part:
placed at the head of the government
of our State, he became at once COM
mander-in-chief of its military forces; he
came such in fact, and not merely IN
name, and brought to the office practical
capacity that pursued practical objects by
direct means, freedom that burst through
all unreasonable bonds energy that pushed
him forward and yielded TO nothing but
the guiding restraints of his love for his
country and its institutions. He was the
leader of strong intellect, who believed mis-
cause to be sacred, and that he was fight
ing for all that was dear to him and his
country. No obstacles could stop, no i'm
pediments hinder such a giant. The af-
fairs of our State were In their worst
plight, her treasury bankrupt says Mr.
Foulke; her credit poor, frauds everywhere
no money, no arms, no ammunition, 40
militia, except on paper--anG even this or
ganization IN the hands of officers. many
of whom we're in sympathy with rebellion
"a Legislature with a formidable minor
ity reluctant and revolutionary, having
the power and the will to stop even the
most needful measures of public defense
such was the condition of the State when
the most gigantic war in American his
tory broke out, and demanded resources
and energy for which prosperous times and
undivided patriotism would seem barely
sufficient Yet, unappalled by a situation
so desperate, knowing you and him self,
Morton, upon the first news of The fall of
Sumter, telegraphed to Lincoln: On be-
half of the State of Indiana / tender to
you for the defense of the Nation and 10
uphold the authority of the government,
5000 men, And in such circumstances no
one could have sent that message but
volunteer soldier of the United States Of
America.
Controlled by the vital principle of our
race. he fought as you all fought, for the
Republic as the best and surest means of
preserving to all citizens the blessings of
orderly liberty. His practical sense APP
pretended government merely as practi-
cal instrumentality of the people 1t had
in his eyes only practical purposes to serve,
and he did not see among these any rea-
sons for the material glitter and magnifi-
cence by w hich barbaric rulers impress
their ignorant subjects and make their
dominion firmer. We erect state and ma
ton to conduct the public affairs committed
to them respectively and to preserve per-
tendencies and from all external harm.
And before, during and after the war Nor
ton tended and strove towards the full
realization of this ideal as at once the most
practically benefcent and the most sacred
OF all earthly possibilities.
CARDINAL CHARACTERISTICS.
''To advert to any of the multitude and
variety of details of his labors and ac-
complishments would extend this address
far beyond proper limits. To raise before
the mind the cardinal characteristics Of
the man and his deeds must content U.S.
and is truly no difficult feat, for the pur-
pose which pervaded all his thoughts and
actions is apparent and unmistakable 1t
appears in his speeches against secession,
in his early perception and declaration of
the need for ending slavery, in his prompt
offer of troops TO sustain the national gov
eminent, in the strain of his great facul-
ties to organize, equip, handle, care for
and make effective the troops so offered
and the others which followed, in his as
sumption and exercise of all executive
functions of the State, in his dispersion of
combined treason within the State, in his
treatment of the reasonable General AS
sembly, in his stern insistence after the
war upon gaining the full object for which
loyal citizens of the Nation had contended,
in his love for friends. i'm his hatred for
enemies, in his whole great and noble per-
sonality II appears plainly. Consistent
ever, he struggled through that awful con-
test to carry forward the vital principle
OF our race, which Is freedom restrained by
freedom-loviug reason. and after the war
closed he perSeycred still to give true d.
rection TO the racial forces as they ac-
cumulated for the next onward movement
knowing the imperative requirements for
some regulation OF personal freedom he
believed in LAWN our man-made law-as
the sole and the sufficient means for its
government In all temporal affairs, and
right and great Hoosier that he was. he
wavereo not in Preaching or persorming
The Republic and its laws.
Rev DIR. ID. r. Lucas was on the pro-
gramme TO deliver few remarks. but was
prevented from being In attendance. HE
paper was read by Mrs. Rumpler. his
daughter. and It's lofty, patriotic senti-