Ohio History Journal

Reviews, Notes and Comments      349

officers in the allied service. There were also citations

and high honors conferred upon him. Ohioans will ex-

perience genuine pride in reading this interesting record

of the World War service of one of her distinguished

sons. The Journal is supplemented by the official re-

ports of General Dawes and the work as a whole de-

serves a place in every library with a department de-

voted to World War history.

We must add, of course, that these volumes are pub-

lished by the Houghton Mifflin Company and in illustra-

tion, typography and general appearance do credit to

the best work turned out by that well known publishing

house. The numerous photogravure illustrations are

especially fine. The Society is under obligation to Gen-

eral Dawes for this gift to its library.

 

PORTRAIT OF SENATOR THOMAS MORRIS

In recent years there has been a renaissance of in-

terest in the life of United States Senator Morris. He

was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, January 3,

1776.  Soon afterward the family moved to Virginia.

He came to the Northwest Territory in 1795 and died

at his home in Bethel, Clermont County, December 7,

1844.  Interest in his career has been heightened by

the recent centenary of the birth of General Ulysses S.

Grant, the proceedings of which are detailed in this

issue of the QUARTERLY.  He served almost continu-

ously in the General Assembly of Ohio from 1806-1832.

He was a member of the House of Representatives in

1806, 1808, 1810 and 1820; of the Senate 1813-14,

1821-22, 1825-28 and 1831-32. In 1832 he was elected

United States Senator and served one full term of six

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350     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

years commencing March 4, 1833. At the time of his

service to his state and the nation the slavery question

had not broken party lines.  There were anti-slavery

men in the ranks of the two dominant political parties

of the time, but the majority of Democrats and Whigs

were strongly opposed to agitation of the question and

it did not promise to rise to the dignity of a political

issue.

Thomas Morris was a Democrat, thoroughly de-

voted to his party and one of its able advocates.  He

was strongly opposed to the institution of human

slavery. He was one of the large number of men who

came north into southern Ohio from slave states and

waged valiant war against the institution which they

believed to be morally wrong and to be fundamentally

antagonistic to American institutions. As he advanced

in his political career his antagonism to slavery grew.

In time it attracted the attention of his associates in

his own party who were in favor of slavery, or at least

opposed to agitation of the question.

In the addresses and comments on the preceding

pages his attitude is clearly set forth.  For fuller de-

tails of his interesting career readers are referred to

the Life of Thomas Morris by his son, Rev. B. F.

Morris.

It is rather remarkable that there is in existence

no portrait of Senator Morris.  His reputation in his

day extended beyond the borders of his state.  His

espousal of the anti-slavery cause made him the candi-

date of the Liberty Party for Vice-President of the

United States in 1844. A long search, however, for a

portrait some years ago led to the conclusion that none

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Reviews, Notes and Comments      351

is in existence. An effort was made to find a painting,

daguerreotype or print to complete a list of portraits

of United States senators but none was found.

On the occasion of the Grant Centenary the writer

met in Bethel Doctor W. E. Thompson, who in his

eighty-seventh year is still actively engaged in the prac-

tice of medicine.  He is perhaps the only man living

who has a distinct recollection of the personal appear-

ance of Senator Morris.  His description was so de-

tailed and apparently accurate that he was requested

to assist in the reproduction of a likeness of Morris.

To this he kindly assented.

A competent person was then sought to make a

sketch corresponding to the picture preserved in the

memory of Doctor Thompson.     Such an artist was

found in Richard M. Brand of the Columbus Evening

Dispatch. He made a number of sketches which were

submitted to Doctor Thompson who suggested modifi-

cations until one was produced that met his approval.

From this drawing the portrait was made which ap-

pears elsewhere in this issue of the QUARTERLY. It is

a faithful reproduction of the features of Senator Mor-

ris as Doctor Thompson graphically recalls them. For

this service the Society is under obligations to Doctor

Thompson and Mr. Brand who have spent consider-

able time in making the presentation of such a portrait

possible.

The quest for a portrait of Senator Morris made

while he was living, has not ceased. It is possible that

one may yet be found. Daguerreotypes were made in

Ohio as early as 1841, and it seems that his prominence

in 1844 would have led to a demand for a portrait,--

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352      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

a demand that would have overcome his indifference to

display and publicity.   Three of his sons were promi-

nent in their day: Rev. B. F. Morris, the author of his

life; Jonathan D. Morris, who served two terms as

congressman from Ohio; Isaac N. Morris, who served

two terms as congressman from Illinois and was ap-

pointed by President Grant commissioner for the Union

Pacific Railway in 1869. If a daguerreotype or paint-

ing of the Senator is in the possession of any of the

descendants of these sons, it may yet be found.     If it

should be discovered, it will be interesting to note how

nearly it corresponds with the picture on the walls of

the memory of the veteran physician, Dr. Thompson

of Bethel, which has been reproduced by the pen of

Richard M. Brand.

 

GRANT MEMORIAL HIGHWAY

Judge Hugh L. Nichols, Chairman of the Grant

Centenary Committee, sends us the following statement

in regard to this Highway:

"The Grant Memorial Road, so-called, is that part of the

Ohio River Road running between New Richmond on the west

and Point Pleasant on the east, a distance of five miles. The

road to New Richmond from Cincinnati is in good condition and

in order to make the birthplace of General Grant accessible it is

the purpose of the Committee to build a highway from New

Richmond to Point Pleasant so that the public may have the

benefit of it.

"Congress, in February last, passed a special bill authorizing

the coinage of 10,000 gold dollars and 250,000 silver half-dollars,

the gold dollars now selling for $3.00 a piece and the silver

halves for $1.00 each. A great many of these coins have already

been sold and it is the purpose of the Committee in charge to

devote, in a large measure, the premium to the building of this

road. Of course we expect direct Federal and State aid in the

matter and from this three-fold source we are confident within

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