liver Perry Morton, Indiana's Great War Governor and United States Senator, was born in Saulsbury, Wayne County, Indiana, August 4, 1823. The family name was originally Throckmorton, and was so written by the grandfather, who emigrated from England about the beginning of the Revolutionary War and settled in New Jersey. Governor Morton's father was James T. Morton, a native of New Jersey, who moved in an early day to Wayne County, Indiana, where he married the mother of Oliver P., whose maiden name was Sarah Miller. Of the early life of Governor Morton but little is known. When a boy he attended the academy of Prof. Hoshour, at Centerville, but owing to the poverty of the family, he was taken from school, and at the age of fifteen, with and older brother, began learning the hatter's trade. After working at his trade a few years, he determined to fit himself for the legal profession, and with this object in view he entered the Miami University in 1843, where he pursued his studies vigorously for a period of two years. While in college, he earned the reputation of being the best debater in the institution, and it was here that, he developed those powers of ready analysis and argument, which made him so celebrated in after life. He began his profession reading in the office of Judge Newman, of Centerville, and after his admission to the bar was not long in rising to an eminent place among the successful lawyers of Indiana. In 1852, he was elected circuit judge, but resigned at the end of one year and afterward increased his knowledge of the profession by an attendance at a Cincinnati law school. On resuming the practice, the number of his friends and legal cases rapidly increased, and his reputation soon extended beyond the limits of his own state. As a lawyer, he possessed the faculty of selecting the salient points of a case and getting at the heart of a legal question. His mind was massive and logical, and he could apply great principles to given cases, discard non-essentials and reach decisive points. Mr. Morton's political career was of such a brilliant character that his great achievements in the arena of statesmanship, his wonderful power as an organizer, won for him a recognition from the strongest opponents, and faith in his powers and the lasting fealty and admiration of thousands of friends until he reached the highest point among the great American statesman.

Up to his thirty-first year, Mr. Morton was a democrat. The county in which he lived was largely Whig, thus virtually precluding him from holding elective offices. He was opposed to the extension of slavery, however, and upon the organization of the Republican Party he entered the movement, and in 1856 was one of the three delegates from Indiana to the Pittsburgh convention.

His prominence was such that in 1856 he was unanimously nominated by the new party for governor of Indiana, against Ashbel P. Willard, an able and brilliant speaker, the superior of Mr. Morton as an orator, but inferior as a logician and debater. These two distinguished men canvassed the state together, and drew immense crowds. The speeches of Willard were florid, eloquent and spirit stirring, while Mr. Morton's style was earnest, convincing and forcible. He never appealed to men's passions, but always to their intellect and reason, and whether in attack or defense, proved himself a ready, powerful debater. Although beaten at the polls, he came out of the contest with his popularity increased, and with the reputation of being one of the ablest public men in the state. In 1860 he was nominated for lieutenant governor on the ticket with Hon. Henry S. Lane, with the understanding that if successful he should go to the senate, and Mr. Morton become governor. He made a vigorous canvass, and the result of the election was a republican success, which placed Mr. Lane in the senate and Mr. Morton in the gubernatorial chair. From the day of his inauguration, Mr. Morton gave evidence of possessing extraordinary executive ability. It was while filling this term as governor that he did his best public work and created for himself a fame as lasting as that of his state. A great civil war was breaking out when he became governor, and few so well comprehended what would be its magnitude as he. He was one of the first to foresee the coming storm of battle and most active in his preparations to meet it. Perceiving the danger of a dilatory policy, he visited Washington soon after the inauguration of President Lincoln, to advise vigorous action and to give assurance of Indiana's support to such a policy. He commenced preparing for the forthcoming conflict, and when Sumter was fired on, April 12, 1861, he was neither surprised nor appalled. Three days after the attack, President Lincoln called for 75,000 men to put down the rebellion, and the same day Governor Morton sent his the following telegram:

In seven days from the date of this offer over three times the number of men required to fill Indiana's quota of the president's call offered their services to the county. Never in the world's history did the people of a state respond more cheerfully and more enthusiastically to the call of duty, than did the people of Indiana in 1861. This record of the state, which Mr. Morton was instrumental in planning, reflects imperishable honor on his name, and from that time forth he was known throughout the nation and the "Great War Governor." During the entire period of the war he performed an incredible amount of labor, counseling the president, encouraging the people, organizing regiments, hurrying troops to the field, forwarding stores, and inspiring all with the enthusiasm of his own earnestness. His labors for the relief of the soldiers and their dependent and needy families were held up as matters of emulation by the governors of other states, and the result of his efforts seconded by the people was that during the war over $600,000 of moneys and supplies were collected and conveyed to Indiana soldiers in camp, field, hospital and prison. The limits of a sketch like this forbid a detailed account of Governor Morton's public acts. He displayed extraordinary industry and ability, and in his efforts in behalf of the soldier justly earned the title of the "Soldiers' Friend." The legislature of 1862 was not in accord with the political views of Governor Morton, and it refused to receive his message, and in other ways treated him with want of consideration and respect. It was on the point of taking from him the command of the militia, when the republican members withdrew, leaving both houses without a quorum. In order to carry on the state government and pay the state bonds he obtained advances from banks and the county boards, and appointed a bureau of finance, which for two years made all disbursements of the state, amounting to more than $1,000.000. During this period, he refused to summon the legislature, and the Supreme Court condemned his arbitrary course, but the people subsequently applauded his action. By assuming great responsibilities, he kept the machinery of the state in motion and preserved the financial credit of the commonwealth by securing advances through an eastern banking house to pay the interest on the public debt. In 1864, he was again nominated for governor against Hon. Joseph E. McDonald, whom he defeated by an overwhelming majority. These two distinguished men made a joint canvass of the state, and passed through it with the utmost good feeling.

In 1865, Governor Morton received a partial paralytic stroke, affecting the lower part of the body, so that he never walked afterward without the use of canes. His mind, however, was in no wise affected by the shock, but continued to grow stronger while he lived. In January 1867, he was elected to the United States Senate, and immediately thereafter resigned the governorship to Conrad Baker, who served the remainder of the gubernatorial term. In 1873, he was re-elected to the senate and continued as a leading member of that body while he lived. In the senate he ranked among the ablest members, was chairman of the committee on privileges and elections, was the acknowledged leader of the republicans, and for several years exercised a determining influence over the course of the party. He labored zealously to secure the passage of the fifteenth amendment, was active in the impeachment proceedings against Andrew Johnson and was the trusted adviser of the Republicans of the south. In the national Republican convention of 1876, he received next to the highest number of ballots for the presidential nomination, and in 1877 was a member of the celebrated electoral commission. In 1870, President Grant offered Senator Morton the English mission, which was declined. After visiting Oregon in the spring of 1877, as chairman of a committee to investigate the election of Senator Grover, of that state, he suffered another stroke of paralysis, which terminated in his death, November 1st, of the same year. The death of no man, with the exception of President Lincoln, ever created so much grief in Indiana as did that of Senator Morton, and he was mourned almost as much throughout the entire nation. ON the 17th of the next January, Mr. McDonald offered in the senate a series of resolutions in relation to Senator Morton's death, which were unanimously adopted. In speaking on these resolutions, Mr. McDonald said: "Naturally combative and aggressive, intensely and earnest in his undertakings, and intolerant in regard to those who differed with him, it is not strange that while he held together his friends and followers with hooks of steel, he caused many, whose patriotism and love of country were as sincere and unquestioned as his own, to place themselves in political hostility to him. That Oliver P. Morton was a great man is conceded by all. In regard to his qualities as a statesman, men do differ now and always will. But that he was a great partisan leader -- the greatest of his day and generation -- will hardly be questioned, and his place in that particular field will not, perhaps, be soon supplied." Senator Burnside said: "Morton was a great man. His judgment was good, his power of research was great, his integrity was high, his patriotism was lofty, his love of family and friends unlimited; his courage indomitable." The following is from Senator Edmonds: "He was a man of strong passions and great talents, and as a consequence a devoted partisan. In the field in which his patriotism was exerted it may be said of him, as it was of the Knights of St. John, in the holy wars, 'In the fore front of every battle was seen his burnished mail and in the gloomy rear of every retreat was heard his voice of constancy and courage.'" The closing speech upon the adoption of the resolutions was made by his successor, D. W. Voorhees, who used the following: "Senator Morton was without doubt a very remarkable man. His force of character cannot be over estimated. His will power was simply tremendous. He threw himself into all his undertakings with that fixedness of purpose and disregard of obstacles, which are always the best guarantees of success. This was true of him whether engaged in a lawsuit, organizing troops during the war, conducting a political campaign, or a debate in the senate. The same daring, aggressive policy characterized his conduct everywhere."