Conservative *
never faltering , in support of the great
principles of which he has been a lead
ing advocate. As a candidate for office
through many storms , against strong
and unreasoning opposition , he has de
fended his faith in the face of uniform
defeat , and has lived to see much of
that for which ho contended find ex
pression in the government of the
country. An inveterate foe to the prin
ciple of protection , he has steadily up
held the doctrine of tariff for revenue
only , and today holds to the policy of
commercial freedom with the same te
nacity that ho displayed fifty years ago.
It is not too much to say that through
his fidelity to those great principles of
free trade and sound finance , and to his
undaunted courage in advocating them ,
he is largely indebted for the distinction
which called him to the public service
as a member of the cabinet of one of
the greatest of American presidents.
J. Sterling Morton is a native of New
York , having been born in Adams , Jef
ferson county , iu that state , April 22 ,
1832. He was of distinctly New Eng
land stock , emanating from Yorkshire ,
England , on his paternal side , and from
Scotch-Irish blood on his mother's side.
His grandfather , Abner Morton , born
in Athol , Massachusetts , September 7 ,
1774 , graduated from Dartmouth Col
lege in 1799 , and was a lawyer by pro
fession. He married Sarah French ,
born May 19 , 1784 , at Pittstown , New
York , and removed to Detroit , Michi
gan , in his middle manhood. He was
the first editor of the "Detroit Free
Press , " the first daily paper published
in Michigan , and for many years was
an editor. He died in September , 1863 ,
at Monroe , Michigan , and Sarah French
Morton , his wife , died iu 1870 at the
same place. The maternal grandfather
of J. Sterling Morton , Joseph Sterling ,
was a native of Lyme , Connecticut ,
where he was born , November 25 , 1786.
He married Emelia Cadwell , born in
Hartford , Connecticut , April 10 , 1793.
Joseph Sterling died March 4 , 1839 , at
Adams , Jefferson county , Now York ,
and Emelia Cadwell Sterling died
April 22 , 1848 , at Monroe , Mich.
Julius Dewey Morton , father of J.
Sterling Morton , and son of Abner and
Sarah French Morton , was born March
10 , 1808 , in St. Albans , Vermont. Em-
eline Sterling , to whom ho was mar
ried September 30 , 1830 , at Adams ,
New York , was born there on February
16 , 1812.
J. Sterling Morton was the first born
to Julius D. and Emeline Sterling
Morton. After acquiring his primary
education in the schools of Monroe ,
Michigan , he entered the University of
Michigan at Ann Arbor , graduating
finally at Union College , Scheuectady ,
New York , under its celebrated presi
dent , Dr. Eliphalet Nott. He was mar
ried to Miss Caroline Joy in the city of
Detroit , October 80 , 1854 , and. started
with his bride oil the dame inoruing on
which the ccrof > Diiy took place for his
future home in Nebraska. Spending a
few weeks at Bellevne to take his lati
tude and longitude iu the new laud ,
there he had opportunity to meet Sec
retary Cuiniug , Chief Justice Ferguson
and other territorial officers by Federal
appointment , with whom he discussed
the affairs and future of the new terri
tory. He then removed to Nebraska
City and settled on a beautiful quarter-
section of land adjacent to the town ,
and on a commanding site immediately
erected a small but comfortable home.
These young people began their life in
Nebraska by surrounding that home
with beautiful trees , planted as twigs ,
and which now adorn with ample foli
age and great beauty what has since
become Arbor Lodge. Mr. Morton im
mediately entered actively into the
work of organizing and putting in mo
tion the machinery of civil government
under the Nebraska organic act , to
enable the new community to live in
order regulated by law. The death of
Governor Burt devolved the executive
duties in the organization of the terri
tory upon Thomas B. Cnming , who had
been appointed secretary of the terri
tory by President Pierce , and , under the
organic act , became by virtue of his
office acting governor. The primary
question of the hour was the location of
the capital of the territory , which was
a matter of very serious concern to the
new settlers. The place that should be
favored in the proclamation of the gov
ernor for the first location would have
great prestige over rival townsof which
there were many , but as these towns
consisted mostly of blank prairie with
out houses or people to inhabit the few
rough cabins erected on the sites of
some , actual interest in them of any im
portance had yet to be created.
The capital was located at Omaha by
proclamation ; and elections in the
various districts for members of the
Territorial Council and the House of
Representatives were also covered by
proclamation. The legislative elections
occurred in districts defined by the
Governor's proclamation in the absence
of any law , and also without much
reference to the inhabitants they con
tained. It is something more than a
tradition that in not a few of them it
would have been hard to find any in
habitants at all. But somebody voted ;
returns were sent into the executive
office ; certificates of election were duly
issued ; and the Legislature met in De
cember , 1854 , in Omaha , the capital
question being the sole issue of general
interest. The object of the opposition
was to re-locate the capital , which was
resisted by the Omaha interests to re
tain it. It was a stormy session , and
was marked by the display of remark
able abilities on both sides.
Mr. Morton's first public service in
the territory was as a member of the
lower house of the Second Legislative
Assembly. He represented Otoe coun
ty , having been elected in the fall of
1855. His leadership in the House was
at once recognized by everybody , and
it was at that session that he first took
his position on money questions , which
were presented in the form ot a large
number of bills to charter banks of
issue in different parts of the territory.
These wild-cat schemes for robbing the
public encountered in Mr. Morton an
able and fearless opponent. He fought
and voted against all the banks char
tered at that time. During the contest
over the bank charters in the House , on
his own motion the charter for the Bank
of Richardson county was referred to a
special committee of which he was the
chairman. He reported against that
bank and all others chartered at that
session , as wild-cat swindles , and
recommended that there should be
printed on each bill issued , instead of
the legend provided for in the charter ,
"Stockholders Individually Responsi
ble. " Mr. Morton's action in regard to
banks aroused the wrath of his constit
uents at Nebraska City , and he was
assailed with great bitterness as a young
man who didn't know any better than
to vote against making money plentiful
in his own town. At the ensuing fall
election he was defeated for re-election
to the legislature by William B. Hail by
the narrow majority of eighteen votes.
The contest was very bitter as to banks
and finance in general , Mr. Morton
holding to the same views then that he
has adhered to ever since , through the
long and almost continuous struggles in
the nation and in the state over those
questions.
Mr. Morton's second election to the
Legislature was in 1857. This was dis
tinguished in history as the "Capi
tal-Moving Legislature , " which under
took to remove the seat of government
from Omaha to Florence by the power
of resolutions of the two legislative
bodies. The majority of the members
actually removed to Florence and or
ganized a "rump" legislature there , the
minority remaining at Omaha and
maintaining the legal body. Mr. Mor
ton , though in consistent opposition to
Omaha on the question , remained with
the minority at Omaha , and refused at
all times afterward to act with the op
position to the Omaha location for the
seat of government. Governor William
A. Richardson of Illinois was appointed
to the office of Governor of the Terri
tory about this time , and arrived in
Omaha to enter upon his duties while a
part of the legislature was in session
in Florence and the minority was hold
ing sessions in Omaha. Governor Rich
ardson sought to bring the two bodies
together on a basis of compromise , but
Morton refused to make any conces
sions whatever to the revolutionary
\t