New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-06-13
JOHN T. MORGAN.

The death of John I. Morgan, for thirty years
n United States Senator from Alabama, breaks
one Of the few links binding the public life Of
our day with the public lie of the Civil War
period. Mr.. Morgan, unlike Galusha A. Grow
and John ii. Reagan, had no record Of national
service antedatng the COS, nor did he come upon
the national stage until the South had begun to
free itself from the shackles Of reconstruction.
But he had been a Presidential electOr in 1860
and had voted for Breckenridge as against Doug
las or Lincoln, and he was a member of the
convention which decreed AlabGmas secession
from the Union. He fought for the COnfeder-
acy, and when the grip Of military government
had been relaxed one of the first of the eX-
Confederate leaders to be elected to represent
the restored South in the Senate He entered
the upper branch Of Congress with /. .. c.
Lamar, of Mississippi; Benjamin II. Hill, Of
Georgia Matt w. Ransom of North Carolina :;
Augustus II. Garland. Of Arkansasi Isham g.
Harris, of Tennessee; Richard Coke, Of Texas
and NJ. c. Butler, of South Carolina or that
brilliant group he has been for many years the
sole survivor in the Senate. His record Of thirty
years continuous service is, In fact, ecllpsed by
that Of only one colleague on either side Of the
chamber-Wllliam B. Allison, of Iowa, who took
his seat in the Senate IN March, 1878, four years
ahead of Mr.. Morgan.
The Alabama Senator enjoyed throughout his
career an exceptional measure OF public esteem
and influence. lie possessed singular charm as
an orator and displayed versatility and indus
try in the discharge of legislative business which
made him one of the real powers in the Senate
He was dlgnihed and punctillous in manners
intense In his convictions and scrupulous in his
ideas of personal honor and public duty. He
differed constantly with colleagues of his own
party on questions Of policy and never yielded
his i0dpDpDdpOcp pP Judgment uDder marty praSS
ure. He was a statesman. not partisan; and
among his associates from the South, many OF
them still smartng under sectional grievances
he was distinguished for Il certain breadth Of
vision and freedom from fractional smalIness
and bitterness. He was an intense and ardent
American and his best work IN the Senate was
done in the promotion of great national causes
and projects.
His chief claim 10 remembrance will undoubt-
edly rest on his long and determined advocacy
Of the construction at national cost OF a water
way across the Central American isthmus lie
labored for years to enlist the support Of Con
gress for the Nicarsguan enterprise, and more
than any other man IN public life no kept alive
the idea Of penetrating the isthmus and uniting
our Atlantic and Pacific coasts as a measure Of
military defence well az stimulus to Amer
lean commerce. He opposed the selection OF the
Panama route and died unconyinCed that the
dbdhuohHenI or tue Nicaragua line was not 4
strategic blunder. But his missionary work in the
interest Of an isthml0n waterway, as such can
Lot easily be oyervalued. lie was also an advo-
cate Of liberal river and harbor improvements
IN all sections OF the United States, and in spite
OF the natural inclination OF Southern lenders 10
resist the creation Of new states at the North he
heartily favored the admission Of the states along
the Canadian line from Minnesota TO the Pacific
rs dictated 10y sound national policy. AS chair
man Of the Senate Committee on Foreign Rela-
tons and as leading minority member of that
committee The Tribune has often had occasion
10 commend his enlightened and patriotic lead
ershlp.
As an orator Mr.. Morgan was unique He got
the reputation Of making over-long speeches
and he often abused the patience of his hearers
But at his best lie united fiuency and copiousness
OF style with exceptional felicity of phrase, and
his eloquence became truly captivating because
1t was charged with intelligence, feeling and
Imagination BY his death the Senate has lost
n real orator and a strong and useful lender