Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-04-26
Gen. Garfield on the ARniversa-
ry Of WIZ. Linc0ln's Death


In the House of Representatives on Saturday
the following proceedings took place:
On motion of Mr.. Garfield. the reading Of the
journal of yesterday MAS dispensed with.
Mr.. Garfield then proceeded to address the
House at length. lie said:
desire 10 enter motion, that this Honse be
now adjourned. This day. will be memorable rs
long as this National Government shall endure.
which, God grant, may DO the last moment OF re-
corded time, when the volume OF the worlds hisO
~ shall be sealed up and placed before the On
nipotent Judge for his sentence On this day, for
all time to como. doubt not the citizens of this
Republic will meet together, looking in each 9th
ers faces with solemn sadness as they recall the
great events Of this day, in 1865; an event unear
alelled in the history OF nations. certainly unpara
elled in our own. think il cminently proper that
this Congress should put on its record to day a
resolution in memory of that event. The war,
with Its wonderful events, which gave to history so
many distinguished names, took the young OF the
land and made them into heroes; lit made the old
men patriots, and women became mlnisterng IN
gels all over the land. But chief among all
the great Developments OF the war W ere the char
actor and life that great MN whose loss the ma
ton still depores. Heis APPLY described in the
language OF one of Englhnd's greatest poets as
THAT divinely gifted m1H,
Whose lile in low estate, began
Upon simple village greer
Who break. his births invidious bar,
And grasps the skirts of happy chance,
Aud breasts the blows OF circumstance
Aud srapples with his evil star;
Who makes hi. force by merit known,
And lives TO clutch the golden key,
To mpulda mighty States decree,
And shape the whisper Of the throne.
And, moving up from higher to higher,
Becomes, on Fortunes cruwinng slope,
The pillar of peoples hope
! The centre OF a worlds desire"
Such a life and such character will 90 down
TO ali time as the great and sacred possession OF
/ the American people. But there is more than the
mere character OF any man in that great stru,-
gle through which We have passed. There were
two scenes in the drama Of the rebellion; one was
the military scene with all its death with its suf-
ferings, signs, and tears; that scene was closing
one year ago this night. Just as the curtain was
lifting on the and final scene-the restoration
of peace. liberty, and order; just as the curtain
WAS rising TO show the characters, the evil
spirit of rebellion and treason could resist il,
desire 20 strike one blow and 10 cause the chic
character i'll the then closing 10 perish by the
hand OF assassin Ii was not the hand of one
man that killed President Lincoln. /, was the
embodied spirit of treason and slavery, cone mira
ted into irar:sl ate, that struck him down in tn
supreme hour Of the nation Joy.
/ There are times in the his,.rv Of men and o
nations when they seem 10 stand so closely by IN,
vail which shuts out mortals from immortality
time from eternity, and man from God, that the,
can almost hear The beating and feel the pulsatoi
of the heart OF God. Such q time have We pa sec
through, when two hundred and fifty thousand pt
triotic spirits broke through tho folds OF that val
and wen. up into the presence of God. and, whcr
At last the parting folds admite ell The President t,
20 with the dead heroes OF the Republic the m
ton felt. indeed, it could hear the whispers OF Go,
coming dowa among the children of m N. knee l.
ng at that troubled hour, when joy and sadness
were so strangely commingled.
The American people listened to the voice o
their God and made a solemn covenant with Hin
and with each other that this nation should be re
deemed, all its gore. restored, and that on tn
ruin of slavery and treason the temple Of fr. edun
aud justice SHOULD be built, and should survive
However, it rem iins for us, Mr.. Speaker, conse
Grated bv that great event and under the cove
nant with Cod to keep that faith and 20 on il
the good work unit it shall be completed. Fol
lowing the lead of that great m IN, and reverentl
following tie lead of God let us remember tina
He has sounded forth the trumpet which shall ne
call retreat lie is .ltin. on, the hearts Of mel
beore His judgment seat Be swift, my soul,
answer Him. Be jubian, my feet, for Col
N irching on.
The motion of Mr.. Garfield was agreed TO, am
the House thereupOa adjourned.