Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-06-28
GEN. GARFIELD's SPEECH.

The nomination of General Garfield |
gives peculiar interest to the speech
in which he nominated John Sherman
for the presidency, producing an effect
upon his audience which undoubtedly |
led to his nomination. The following is
its full text:
| Mr.. President-I have witnessed the eX-
| traodinary scenes of this convention with |
deep solicitude. No emotion touches
| my heart more quickly than sentiment
| in honor of great and noble character.
| Bnt as / sat on these seats and witnessed
| these demonstrations it seemed to me
| you were human ocean in a tempest. I
have seen the sea lashed into fury and
tossed into a spray, and its grandeur
moves the soul of the dullest man. But
1 / remember that it is not the pillows but
i the calm level of the sea from which all
/ heights and depths are measured. When
the storm has passed and the hour of calm
settles on the ocean, when sunlight
bathes it's smooth surface, then the as
tronomer and surveyor takes the level
from which he measures all terrestrial
heights and depths.
Gentlemen of the convention, your
present temper may not mark the health
full pulse of our people. When our en-
thusiasm has passed, when the emotions
of this hour have subsidized, we shall find
the calm level Of public opinion, below
the storm, from which the thoughts of a
mighty people are to be measured, and
by which their final action will be deter
mined. Not here, in this brilliant circle
where fifteen thousand men and women
are assembled, is the destiny ofthe repub-
lie to be decreed; not here, where 1 see
the enthusiastic faces Of seven hundred
and fifty-six delegates waiting to cast
their votes into the urn and determine
the choice of their party; but by four
million Republican fresides, where the
thoughtful fathers, with wives and child
rem about them, with the calm thoughts
inspired by love Of home and love Of
country, with the history of the past, the
hopes of the future, and the knowledge of
the great men who have adorned and
: blessed our nation in days gone by-there
God prepares the verdict that shall deter
mine the wisdom of our work tonight.
Not in Chicago in the heat of June, but
in the somber quiet that comes between
now and November, in the silence of de-
| 70 i,51c will
2 ton we settled. Let US aid them to-
r night.
{ But now, gentlemen Of the convention,
what do we want? Bear with me mo-
ment Hear me for this cause, and, for
a moment, be silent that you may hear.
Twenty-Five years ago this republic was
L wearing a triple chain ofbondage. Long
c ramI1rar1ty with traffic in the bodies and
q souls of men had paralyized the conscien-
t ces of majority of our people. The
Gl 6aleful doctrine oct Of state s9yeEejgnty had had
most benefcient powers of the national
government, and the grasping power of
: slavery was seizing the virgin territories
r Of the west and dragging them into the
= den of eternal bondage. At that crisis
the Republican party was born. 1t drew
its first inspiration from that fire of lib
: erty which God has lighted in every mans
e heart, and which all the powers of igno-
0 rance and tyranny can never wholly ex-
& tinguish. The Republican party came to
. deliver and and save the republic. 1t
entered the arena when the beleaguered
and assailed territories were struggling
. for freedom, and drew around them the
q sacred circle of liberty which the demon
(, of slavery has never dared to cross. Il
n made them free forever.
! Strengthened by its victory on the from
tier, the young party under the leader
: ship of that great man who, on this spot
Ii twenty years ago was made its leader
7, entered the national capital and as
q sumed the high duties of the government
# The light which shone from it's banner
: dispelled he darkness in which slavery
had enshrouded the capitol and melted
the shackles of every slave, and consum
Il ed, in the fire of liberty, every slave pei
e national industries, by an impoverishins
T policy, were themselves prostrated an(
! the streams of revenue flowed in sucl
feeble currents that the treasury itsel
> was well-nigh empty. The money of th'
70 people was the wretched notes of tive
g thousand uncontrolled and irresponsible,
ID state banking corporations, which Wer
filling the country with circulation tina
\ poisoned rather than sustained the life o
business. The Republican party changed
" all this. 1t abolished the babel of con
g fusion and gave the country a currenc,
a. as national as it's flag, based upon th
y sacred faith of the people. 1t threw it,
r. protecting arm around our great indus
, tries, and they stood erect as with ney
life. It filled with the spirit of true ma
u tionality all the great functions of th,
e government 1t confronted rebellion o
ID unexampled magnitude, with slavery be
,e hind it and, under God, fought the fna
,e battle of liberty until victory was won
Then, after the storms of battle, wer
+, heard the sweet calm words of peace ut
tered by the nation, and saying to tn
y conquered foe that lay PROSTATE at it
Id feet: 'sThis is our only revenge, that yo1
1t join us in lifting to the serene frmamen
as of the constitution, to shine like star
forever and ever, the immortal principle
of truth and justice, that all men, whit
or black, shall be free and stand equa
before the law Then came the ques
tions of reconstruction, the public debt
or and the public faith. In the settlemen
II of these questions the Republican part.
has COMPLETED its TWENTY-FIVE years Q