New-York tribune., 1880-06-27
GARFIELDS POWER.
A THRILLING INCIDENT IN NEw-YoRK.

A THRILLING INCIDENT in NEW-YORK.
From The Cincinnati Gazette.
The following "reminiscences of General GarheldS
power during the greatest crisis tine country ever
passed through, has been furnished us by distin-
guiShed gentleman who was present, ana SHOWS @ the
nominee for tho Presidency over surglng and
maddened crowd
Garfield. IL was the morning after President LIN
coins assassination. he country was cXcittd TO
its utmost tension, ana New-IOrk City seemed
ready for the scenes of the French Revolution. The
intelligence of Lincoln's murder had been flashed
by the wires over the whole land. The newspaper
headlines OF the transaction were set up III the laTg-
est type, and the high crime was on every ones
tongue. Fear took possession OF mems minds as TO
the fate of the GOvernment for III few hours the
npwS came Oh that Stewards throat was cut and
that attempts had been made upon tic lives Of others
OF the Government officers. Posters were stuck mp
everywhere, in great black letters, calling npon the
loyal citizens of New-YOrk, Brooklyn, Jersey CIV
and neghh boring places. to meet around the Wall
Street Exchange and give expression TO their senti-
meDts. 1t was dark ard terrible hour What
might come next no one could tell, and men spoke
with bated breath. The wrath OF the WOrklnRnen
was simply unc0ntrOllable ana reyOlyeiS and
knives were in the hands of Thousands of LncOln's
friends ready ut the first opportunity To take the
law into their own hands and aycnge tho death Of
the martyred President upon any and all who dared
to utter word against him."
Eleven o'clock a. N. was the hour set for the
rendezvous Fiftv thousand people crowded around
the Exchange Building, crammlng and jampng tho
Streets and Wedgcd IN tlglt aS men could stand to-
gether. With few to whom special favor WAS
extended. ] weht over from BrOOkivn at 8 q. nl.,
and. even then, with the utmost difirElfy. found
way To tn reception room for the speakers in the
front Of the Exchange Building, and looking ont
upnn the high and massive balCCuy whose front was
protected by heavy iron railing. We sat III solem-
nity and silence. waiting for General Butler "hO, 1t
was announced. had started from Washington aud
was either already IN the city, or expected every
moment. Nearly a hundred generals Judges, STATES
men. lawycrs editors. c.ergymen, and n.hrr>, were
in that rom waiting BdtlcTs arrival, We stepped
ont 70 the balcony 10 watch the t"1rfuily So!en
of hur ur1
hut for the most part dead silence. or deep. ouD-
Ops muttermg ran like rising wave up the street
toward Broadway. and again down toward the
TIvcr on the right.
at length the batons of the police were seen
swinging Ia the air, t.r I'D on the 'et, parting The
Gro yd and pressing u back To make way for a
riage that moved slowly ami with tiffcu.t jOgr
through the compact mulritud'. Sudd, MY the
silence was broken. aud the cry OF Butler Butler!
Blfler rang Out with tremendous AID thrilling
effect aud was taken np by tae people. Bat not .
hurrlh! Not once Ii was the cry # n gr'at peO-
pie. asking TO know how their President died. The
blood eouhdc IN our VEINS, and the tears ran Ike
streams down our faces. How 1t was d lie fnTg !,
but Butler was pulled through. and pulled up, ard
entered the room, where We bad just walked back
TO meet linn. \ broad crape yard IOuS. hung
from his left arm-terribl CONTRAST with tlr count-
les tlags that were waving the nations victory in
the breeze. We first realized thea the Truth of the
sad new. that Lincoln we5 Gead When Batter en-
tered the room we shook hands. Some spokr, SON"
couldn't Al were IN tears. The only word Butler
had Tor ms all n the first break Ot the silence was
'Gentleuen lie died in the iulnts; Oi his fame =
and rs he sp,ke i, his lips qu;vcrcd and the tears
ran fast down his cheeks
Then alter a few moments, came the spe king.
Ami YOU can imagine the effect, ~ the cTIpr illt-
tered in the wind while HI arm was upiited.
Dickinson Of Nrw-Y0rk STATE. was fairy wind.
l Inc old man lcape over tlr IroI railing oi the bal
cOny and stood on the very Edge OvrrhadRlng tEe
crowd, g.stculatng III th" most vehement nanuer,
and mex thing - ling IN" rroNI . burn NJ ihr
reel seed, root ant branch while bytlUdrr bell
Oh to hs cOut-;;lls to keep Inn from tallc- over.
Br this time tine way Of popular indig;atInn had
LID ito lat- tftf
of the side street. the one dead tie u'h'r NJ t.
DIV ny; OIr on tine pivtnrnt Tie ot1rT IN Tue
gutter Tncy hal SAID u MON mt bcinIr tadt L.u-
coin uugE: 10 have been shot .Ohg nS'! IhcY were
not allowed to say i; dgun. Soon wa ~ pIrcr,
of scInt ing STOOD 0u above e heads Of The crowd.
crossed ~ tAe top Ike me lrttrE \, IN ioori
halter pendcnt from the Junction, duz II men t"'-
lowing lis Stow motion througI the ma 7e', Whlc
Vengeance! was the cry.
UOrMp The Uoridg TIE uiiite uf The UO'id|
WOrH! WTld! and movement OF perhaps 5000
or 10000 turning tner faces IN thc direction OF ina;
moment. What might come 10 Que conld tell, dIi
that crowd get IN front OF that oifcc Police and
military would have avdIed little or beon too late
a telegram had Just been read from Washington,
Seward is DYING Just then, ~ that junc'ure,
man stepped forward with asnall lljg III his hand,
and beckOned 10 the crowd. Another telegram
from Washingtonp And then in The awful st-
Of the cIsls taking advantage Of the hcs alton
of the crowd, whose steps had been arrested "A mo-
mcnt, right arm was liftrd skyward and a-voice
clear and steady. loud and distinct spoke out:
Fellow -ciiiZensi Clouds and darkness nre round
about Him His pavilion ~ dark waters and thick
clouds of the skies Justice and Judgment are tho
establishment of His throne Mercy md truth
shall go before His facet Fellow-cltzens! God
reigns, and the Government at Washington still
livesP
"Ihe effect was tremendous. The crowd stood
rveted 70 the ground III awe. gazing ut the notion
less orator. and thinking Of God aud the security of
the Government in that hour. As the boiling wavo
subsidies and settles to the sea when some strong
wind beats it down, the tumult OF the people
sank aid became STILL All took 1t as divine
omen. IL was a triumph Of eloquence inspired by
that but once in "A century. The genius Of Webster,
ChOate, Everett, Seward. never reached il. De-
mosthenes nes er equalled it, What might have
happened had the surging and maddenod mob been
let loose, tell. The man for the crisis was
on the spot, more potent than NapOleOn's guns at
Paris. 1 inquired what was his name. The answer
came in low whisper, 1t Is General Garfield, of
OhOpD