Year: 1877

The opening Of the Forty-ffth Con
gress as witnessed from the upper cham.
Der, lacked for me the impressiveness ol
similar occasions in years gone by II
hardly seemed an occasion-the Senate
simply slipping from one session into
another, like an old canal packet passing
through n lock. You scarcely knew when
il was done Yet "the first Monday in
December" grows every year a sadder, il
not greater day to me; for, more and
more miss the,staong faces, the imperi-
Gus voices, the large vital presence. of the
noble old leaders, gone hence, to be here
no more" Now, toward the seat of Oil
yer 2. Morton we look with solemn re-
membrance and regret, as for the two
sessions past we have looked toward that
Of Charles Sumner. Comparatively few
here knew Mr.. Morton well enough to
know that for all his strong. fearless, de
iant nature, with all his mighty, iudom-
liable will, which, like some fierce royal
creature at bay, awed back even death
for so long, he was a man to be faithfully
and enthusiastically loved Even in my
slight acquaintance with him / came to
know that sunny side of his character
across which neither ambition, nor po-
litical strife, nor personal animosities,
nor disappointment, nor suffering ever
cast lasting shadow. | remember him
as he was during the early part of the
war, at his home in indianapolis, when
his great heart was alternately fred with
enthusism for the heroic deeds of the
soldiers Of his State and melted with ten.
der pity for the wounded and for the
sorrowing mothers, widows, and children
Of the fallen / most pleasantly remem


Der him as, years later, | saw him daily.
on one of his journeys across the CONT
nent, accompanied by his family and a
party Of friends. had full opportunity
to note his charming social qualities and
his close and dear and most happy do
mestic relations. With his little son
especially he was on terms of the most
intimate and jolly good understanding
and good fellowship A much abused
and maligned man, on all sides, and
through all his public career, he kept the
core OF his nature sweet and wholesome.
sturdy partisan, giving and receiving
heavy blows in honest. open fight, he
was never petty nor malignant, nor even
pugnacious, for the sake of strife Ii was
contest, not contention; he was com.
batiye, not quarrelsome. Never did the
man seem SO great to me as during the
DAYS and nights of stormy legislation to
ward the close of last winter; even in
that tiresome period when the Senate did
little else than play like pendulum be-
tween the North and South wings Of the
Capitol, in obedience to the mandate Of
the House, that proved so like the Maker
in Scripture who says ito one servant.


go and he goeth; to another, come,
and he cometh" Mr. Morton was com.
PEELED to be borne back and forth in his
chair, but even then, and perhaps more
than ever, there was something grand and
regnant about him. In the chair of the
paralytic, the same mind, untouched by
blight, the bold, triumphant will, sat en-
throned With death already clutching
at his feet, with cold, benumbing hands.
that pallid face was set with unfiinching
resolve, while the undimmed fire of faith
and purpose cleaned in his great dark
eyes. In Alexander II. Stephens we
have like instance of tenacious and as


tonishing vitality-but with a differ
ence." The venerable valetudinarian of
the House seems to hang on to the skirts
of life with a clutch of senile obstinacy
which nothing can relax, but in the mus
cular torso and massive head of Morton,
life seemed to intrench itself against
death, resisting to the last des-
perate extremity the slow siege OF the
destroyer. | suppose they will eulogize
him soon in the Senate. But what
need? His simple absence, his chair,
most vacant when occupied, are more
solemn and even more depressing than
any eulogy of the set and soulless sort
usually delivered in that Chamber Be
sides, there are but few Republicans in
that body worthy to praise him. Faith
less and unbelieving as to the great prin.
ciples of the Republican.party-the broad
humanity, that spirit of impartial justice
which has been its soul, its breath of
/ life "the only name whereby it can yet
be saved" too many Of them have, by
their time-service, their apostasy, their
/ political cant and hypocrisy, helped TO
make it possible for the place of the great
war Governor to be filed by knight OF
| the Golden Circle.


/ So dazed and discouraged have | felt
at the mad bent toward feLO de Sc and
| hari-kari of some Of our Republican lead
ers and rulers that followed the late
struggle for supremacy in the Senate
with but a languid interest. / was, OF
course, grieyed to see our once strong
and proud majority reduced to such a
strait, writhing in what appeared to be
its mortal agony. At times its violent


struggles seemed to me as unseemly as


useless, and felt like expostulating with
it somewhat after the manner of a Ger


tain aflectionate wife, who said to heI


good man as he was deceasing uncom


monty hard, "Well, Joshua, you needn't


thrash round so and tear the sheets i
you are dying" TO me there was some


thing sadly significant in the announce


ment rfade by a neighbors colored ser
want on the morning after the famous