Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1891 — A GREAT MAN GONE. [ARTICLE]

A GREAT MAN GONE.

Death of Ex-Senator Joseph E. McDonald. The Distinguished Lawyer. Eminent Statesman. Unswerving Democrat and Honorable Man—Sketch of HU Life. At 11:35 'o’clock Sunday evening, June 31, Hon. Joseph E. McDonald peacefully breathed his last at his home in Indianapolis, surrounded by his family. He was conscious until the last moment and serenely awaited tho end, directing his family in the funeral arrangements , and bidding each an affectionate farewell. For months he has been afflicted with a cancer of the stomach, and for weeks was confined to his bed, suffering intensely but bearing without a-murmur. He hadreceived the unctions of the Presbyterian Church a few weeks ago. In almost his last hour Mr. McDonald said: “I desire to give public testimony of my unbounded faith in the saving power of Cfar.st” Joseph Ewing McDonald was born in Butler county, 0., Aug. 21,1819. His parents in 1826 moved to Montgomery county, Ind., to a farm. In 1831 he was apprentieed to a Lafayette harnessmaker, serving an apprenticeship of five years. At the age of eighteen he entered Wabash College, continuing until jB4O. He also attended school at Asbury for six months. He began the study of law in 1842 with Zebulon Beard, of Lafayette. In 1843 he was admitted to practice. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney the same year. He was re-elected in 1846. Removed to Crawfordsville in 1847 and remained there until 1859. Was elected lo Congress in 1849. In 1856 was elected Attorney General of Indiana, and was reelected in 1858. In 1859 moved to Indianapoli :. Was the Democratic candidate for Governor in 1864 against Morton, and led his ticket 6,000 votes. He was elected U. S. Senator in 1875, to succeed Hon. D. D. Pratt. He was married in 1844 to Nancy R. Powell, of Williamsport, who died in 1872. In 1874 he married Araminta W. Vance, of Crawfordsville,who died in 1875. In 1881, at Washington, Mr. McDonald was again married, this time to Mrs. Josephine F. Bernard, of Indianapolis. As a lawyer. Mr. McDonald was pre-eminent in reasoning powers and no man in the Stato stood higher in the estimation of tho bar. He was the leading counsel in the great conspiracy case of Milligan, Bowies and Horsey. He was a warm personal friend of Mr. Morton. He was an unswerving Democrat, and was earnestly advocated by his friends in Indiana for the Presidency iu 1884. His career has been an eventful one, too much so to give anything near a comprehensive review in this column. He was a plain, blunt man, and honest, no man ever accusing him of a dishonorable act, political o r otherwise. Indiana, in bis death, is deprived of the counsel of one of its wisest and fairest sons.