The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1864-03-11
Speech of General Garfield at the Open
ing Of the Cleveland Sanitary Fair.

this day, before the beginning of Tho pres
cot war. 1t is wonderful thing to bo able
TO say There is something now under tn,
sum- but believe wo may say it truthfnlly
of this thing to-day, and OF all of which il
forms part. And, il 1t be true. why ia II
true There seems to be question OF phi
losophy behind and underlying it all, which
makes IL one of the most interesting theme,
that should DO considered. In the words tr
which We have just listened, wo were carricc
back this day to the days of great thoughts
and grort deeds, of which 1t was said
There were great giants 10 those days.
But believe wo now live aud move in q
timo greater than any that has pissed. A.
tho pillar is greater than a single block com
posing it--as tho monument is greater thar
a single stone-as the whole house is create,
than one brck-as the glorious armament o
stars is greater than single crb SO is The
fato Of this nation of greater importanc,
now than that of the country whom Wash
ington lived. 1t has grown in size, in grand
uer. and in Importance, and the iate of th,
nation In its full-grown manhood IS there
fore OF more moment, aud the struggle fol
its preservation grander, than wheu the
country was in its infancy.
| The American Revolution did q great
work for the world, but wo are doing q
greater. We look at the past with toe
much reverence. The telescope through
which we view ii makes its deeds ereatei
than they are, and we degrade oursolyes.-
Let US not look bpck to-day, TO find greater
interests or more momentous questions, but
open our eyes and look about US. The
scenes presented to day have never boer
exceeded The present war is creator, ant
has greater interests at stake, than any
other.
Emmorson has said that "To.day is a
hlpg in Disguise" 1fy9u would SEQ won.
ders--if you would see giandour-if YOU
would see mysteries--open your eyes aud
look at the life We are living. Look at il
closely, and you will see that tho Present is
teeming with wonders, with grandeur, and
with magniffcopce.
Emmerson has told US, too. that man is
more than lawyer, more than King, and
that,to be man in the tul measure Of man
hood one must be not II King, but a man
ruInig,not farmer, but a man farming. So
"o ate not merely q nation, but q people
lighting. And there is a wonderful differ.
ence between tho mere soldier ard tho man.
between the nation with bitoling armies iu
the field. and a people who arc all fighting.
tho first man to the last child ia tho field
or at the fresides. ..-.
There is something behind tho Layonets.
Tho science of war is not reduced 10 a mat
ter OF artillery, horses, men, forage aud am.
munition. The soldiers stand in the front,
in unbroken limo of battle. Back of them is
tho civil power, and, back of oil, thero is
another iank-the people, cheering tho
heart and filling the spirit of the soldier
with bravery. Aud behind thom all, giving
strength and confidence to them all, arc the
affections Of home--tho prayers and b!uss.
ngs OF the family clrc.e-.the active assist
ance OF the women and children left at
homo. Thus the whole people are mussed
into one grand army. They ale array cd
rank by rank, from the child at home to the
soldier in line of battle. Aud when you
hnd whole people marching forward to
strike down the last vestigo of treason and
rebellion. is II not q spectacle never before
seen And this is tho spectacle which we
see this day. We are all ore grand army.
Tho soldiers and officers which are with us
to-day, who have won badges of glory by
their service in the field. arc here moieIy
on visit of inspection. They have come to
500 what tho rear guard is doing, and soon
they will return and make report to their
comrades in the field, that all is woll,-the
whole grand army closed up and pressing
on.
This war is making revelation of this
people. 1t has shown us things we had not
dreamed of. 1t is said that when the
prairie is on fire, you can SEQ all the wild
boasts rushing before 1t, and thousands OF
creatures no ono believed there, are seen
fleeing for their lives. The hidden mys.
teries of the prairie are laiG baro by tho grca,
calamity. fire in the city uniolds the
dens of shame, uDcOvers its mystery and
lays bare strange places and strange lives,
The lurid blaze OF calamity uncovers vices,
miseries and sins, before unknown and un
suspected. So when great calamiries fall
upon nation and great Disturbances tear
its interal life apart.
The human heart is shown. Aud / know
of nothing which has so opened up the
heart of people as this war. Though it is
great calamity, blessings grow out of it,
such as only come from sorrow and grief
Sampson found honey in tho dead lions
carcass, so we may fad good in tho horror
and evils of this war. God means good for
us in it. He who rules the destinies of man
would not lot down the upper milestone
upon us and grind us 10 powder beneath It,
eh'Soo ''ohi 'uo ROou was W COu6.
Though the mills OF God grind slowly,
Yet they grind exceeding small;
Though with patience lie stands waiting.
Yet He gr inds exactly all"
We have all thought of the horrors of
war, but who of Us have reflected upon the
borros of peace ? There are greater evils
than War. To forget God justice and truth,
ia worse than war. Sometimes q nations
life becomes stagDant, and from its slimy
corruption foul things arise which make the
air poisonous with their contagiop.
1t is terrible to see the ocean rocked with
storms, and think of tho wrecks and loss of
life which the tempest brings but il is
more terrible to think of it wero il mover 10
feel tho breeze or gale. or storm, its stag.
nant waters lying CLASSY and without mo.
tion, and ships and sails rotting, piece bv
piece. This is moro terrible than the storm
II may be that VIC were becoming a nation
of dead people. 1t may be that this storm
of war, which makes us bleed at eyery more
is raising US to life again.
If We come up hopefully, with ewes Oman
to our duty, we shall be better for living in
this age, and taking part in this war. Is
there a man or woman here who will not
say when peace comes II have lived in a
time giving mo great opportunities for
growth and development !" No man ever
/ L.f s., 4