Hon. Thomas Morris, United States Senator from Ohio, was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, January 3d, 1776. He was the fifth of a family of twelve children, born to Isaac and Ruth (Henton) Morris. His mother was the daughter of a Virginia planter. The first representative of the family name came from England in 1637, and settled in Massachusetts. Soon after the birth of Thomas his parents removed to the wilds of western Virginia, and settled in Harrison county, near Clarksburg. Both were members of the Baptist Church, and the father preached the gospel for more than half a century. He died in 1830, at the age of ninety-one, leaving three hundred descendants. (The number is now estimated at one thousand.) Thomas was instructed in the rudiments of education by his mother, schools being scarce in those wilds. His parents were people of strong anti-slavery convictions, and gave proof of the fixedness of their principles by refusing to receive in bondage four "human chattels" who fell to their lot by heritance. In 1795 Thomas took up his residence in Ohio, then a part of the great Northwest Territory. In the town of Columbia, in this year, he became a clerk in the store of Rev. John Smith, a Baptist preacher, and afterwards one of the first members of the United States Senate from the State of Ohio. His unfortunate connection with the "Burr conspiracy" drove him from home and friends in disgrace. In the employ of this man young Morris remained for several years, during which he improved his mind by perusing books. In his hours of leisure he often hunted wild game in the forest, afterwards felled to make way for Cincinnati. On the 19th of November, 1797, two years after his arrival in Columbia, he was married to Rachel, daughter of Benjamin and Mary Davis, of Welsh descent, and natives of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. This union was eminently happy, and existed nearly fifty years. Eleven children were born to them, all of whomn lived to become useful members of society. In 18oo the young couple removed to Williamsburg, Clermont county, Ohio, and four years later to Bethel, where they resided the most of their days. In 1802, with meagre facilities, the husband began the study of the law. Two years later he was admitted to the bar. He at once became a leader among his professional brethren. In all his arguments he was fond of quoting from Scripture, and, although a successful lawyer for forty years, he never encouraged litigation. He was oftener found pleading the cause of the poor than the rich, and but for this his large practice would have yielded a great revenue. In 1806 he was elected fiom Clermont county to the Ohio Legislature. Here he fought the encroachments of the slave power. His legislative labors extended over a period of twenty-four years, and his record was spotless, as in deed his political and social life ever was. No matter what party was in power, he was chairman of the most important committees. His entire legislative history was free from selfish ambition. He labored long for the repeal of the law making debt a crime punishable by imprisonment. He strongly opposed the canal system, uttering the memorable prophecy: "In twenty-five years Ohio will be covered with a network system of railroads, and canals will be superseded." During all his service in the Legislature he was an ardent and able friend of the common schools, and voted for the largest accumulation of a fund devoted to this great object. In 18O8-9 he was appointed, on the part of the House, to conduct the impeachment trial of Judges Tod and Pease. His success led to his election as one of the Supreme Judges of Ohio, but an act of the Legislature prevented his being seated. He strongly advocated the war with Great Britain in 1812. In the "nullification" troubles of 1832 he was a firm supporter of the general government. In 1826 he was tendered the nomination for United States Senator, but declined. In 1832 he was again tendered the nomination, and his acceptance resulted in his election. He was a member of the Democratic party, but never failed to follow his convictions, especially in his opposition to the extension of slavery. In December, 1833, he took his seat in the United States Senate. In this new field of labor he found the stormy era of sectional prejudices just dawning. But he never hesitated to declare his principles. His career in the Senate, if not specially brilliant, was highly honorable. He measured his reasoning powers with such men as Clay, Calhoun and others, on the subject of slavery, and at one time so roused the ire of the opposition that a Southern member said he ought to be expelled. On February 9th, 1839, he made a memrorable speech in answer to Henry Clay, who took the side of the inhabitants of the District of Columbia in their petition to Congress against interference on the question of the abolition of slavery in the District. This speech produced a great sensation. The Legislature of Virginia suggested his expulsion. But he was too radical for the conservatism of the times, and a pro-slavery man was elected by his party to fill his seat in the Senate. He met the defeat calmly, and soon after joined the Liberty party. In August, 1843, a national convention of this party was held at Buffalo, more than a thousand delegates being in attendance. James G. Birney was nominated for President, and Thomas Morris for Vice-President. The ticket received 62,163 votes. He did not long survive this candidacy. On the 7th day of December, 1844, with his intellectual powers unimpaired by age, he was stricken down with apoplexy. He died on his homestead farm, four miles from Bethel, Clermont county, Ohio. He lies in the graveyard at Bethel, an appropriately inscribed marble monument marking the spot where rests one of Ohio's most honored sons.
Source: The Biographical Encyclopaedia of Ohio of the Nineteenth Century, Cincinnati: Galaxy Publishing Company, 1876, pp. 396-397.