New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-09

severe march of ten DAYS brought his men to the
| gap. He sent his cavalry along the main road to
| over the rocks and through the woods with his
| infantry and reached the outskirts of the Rebel
| camp unobserved. few vOlleys scattered them I'D
| full retreat
These operations cleared Eastern Kentucky and
| stopped the flank movement which was disturbing
BuelPs plan. 1t was of much greater military I'M
portance than the number of troops in 1t indicated.
! Garfield was rewarded for his victory with tine rank
| of BrIgadier-General, and was ordered to join
| BuelP> army which was then on it's way to rein
force Grant at Pitlsburg Landing. In command OF
the wentieth Bngade he reached the hattie field
In August St iii-heat5 compelled him 10
he rv was made ae ncm Ti" of the conrmara for the
trial of Fitz JON. Porter. In January, lSt3' he
was made Cinef Of Staff OF the Army OF the nm
| bertrand, and became the intimate TREND asd al-
| wiser of its commander General R0sccranZ. Al
| the battle of ChickamauGa lie WrOie every Orher
| save one, submitting each to General Rosencrauz
for approval or change That one the fatal
order to General Wood, which lost the day. lhe
words did not clearly convey the meaning oi inc
| and the result was the opening Of the gap IN the
| main lines through which the Rebels poured, n1hk-
ing and destroying RosecranZs right wing. Cen
eral Garfield was made a Maior-General for his con-
duct al ChICamauga.
| ELECTED TO CONGRESS.
| In the Summer of 1862, when everybody supposed
the war was going to end in few months num-
| Der of officers who had gained distinction IN the
field we're taken up at home and elected 10 Congress-
Among them was General Garfield who was nom
mated by the Republicans of Joshua r. Giddings
obi district while with his brigade il, Kentucky.
! He had no knowledge of any such movement III his
| behalf, and when he accepted the nomination nc
did 50 in the belief that the Rebellion would be sub
dued before he would be called upon to take
| his seat in the House, in December, 1868.
Hrs nomination was partly the result of his mil
Itary fame and partly If desire on the part oil the
! friends OF Giddings to defeat tie man who had
pushed him out of Congress two years before.
Gariied's popularity made hun the most available
man in the district for this purpose. lie was
| elected by large majority He continued his mil
itary service up to the day Of the meeting of Con-
gress Even then, he seriously Thought of resign
ing his position aS Representative rather than his
| Major-Gcncrals commission and would have done
had there been prospect of active service Ill
the field during the Winter months. He mas often
expressed regret that he did not fight the war
through. Had he done So he would, no doubt. have
ranked at ITS close among the foremost OF the VIC
tOrious Generals of the Republic.
He was appointed the Military Committee,
under the chalrmanShip of General Schrnck. and
was Of great service i'll carrying through the
measures which recruited the armies during the
closing years of the war At the same time he
began n course Of severe study of the subjects of
finance ami political economy going home every
evening To ms modest lodgings IN Ihlrtcrntli-St
win ms arms fuu oi books borrowed from tine
Congressional Library. lie SOnu took rank an the
House rs 4 ready ami torcbe drhatcr HaIH
worker. and n Glhgent, practical ic"iSllt"r Ills
superior knowledge used to "trud some ~ lIS l'~-
learned coiltaGur@ at mrs., lEH, lIi"I'n,
HIM bOokiah and ptdautc uhtll they found how
solid and useful was ms store Ol knoWied<c. ana
how pertinent to tue 'I>IH'NN ~ h'Lu wee az
drafts he made ur1n It, ii G"u;a! personal WAYS
soon made him mlH% warm friends III 'oi3r,S'.
The men of brains in b0jA houses aud III IN" De-
|
was fresh, strong intellectual force irat W'' dS-
tined to bllkr lis mark upon the politics of the
country. lAcy sought lis arqudll autt, ana before
he had been long III Washington he hat tine aIVau-
tasc 81 tie best society of the Capital.
In 1861 General Garfield WAS r'nominat"d WIN
out opposition and reelected by an increased major
n.y. lie served Oh tie Comhlilcc OF Nays ana
Means nch WiS very mcA IN ihi ,iI' "i ~ ll,.'
and studies. Tie favored u moderate pr trctN'
tariff, and n steady reduction OF taxation AMI Gov
ernuneut expenditures. In J. sos . tew OF his con-
stitunuts LIVING m The Nah"nlnc Valley, an HoL-
producing district opposed his denomination on the
ground that he dId not favor a. high tam on
IRON as they d. Ih' convention wa over
whrlmiHgy on his -.dr, however, and ~ ~ err lrdI5
hc succeeded III convnriig his opponents Hat
moderate dutv, ailordmR sufficient margin for
protection, was better ior their inter- SITS than
high prJhLltoIy rate. Ia his LhTd Term he was
chairman Of Tie Committee on Military AHtir~, Hn.
had plenty Of work ~ rclnodcilins ne Regular Army
ana ookirg after the demands Of the discharged
soldiers for pay and bounty OF which many had
been deprived by the rci-ape decisions OF tic Gov
crnment accounting olnc"r-.
Again reelected IN lists, Grucral Garfield was
appointed chairman of the Banking aud Currency
Committee and during the sane Congress d'i most
of the hard work of IN" Committee on On" ninth
census His financial views, always sound, ard
based on The firm foundation Of honest money ant
ursulhcd National honor, had now become
Strengthened by his studies and investigations, AID
he was recognized rs hc best authority in the House
on the great subjects Of the debt and the currency
His record in the legislation concerning tlese sub
iects s without flaw. No man in Congress made
a more consistent and unwavcrIng fight against ia"
paper money decisions that foulshrd during The de-
cade following tie war, aud in favor of specie pay
mepts and the strict iulimcnt Of the Nations OBJ
legations to its creditors. His speeches became the
financial gospel of the Republican party.
In 1871 General Garfield WAS made Chairman Of
the Committee on Appropriations, and Lrld The
post until the Democrats got control OF the House
IN 1879. In that important position he largely re-
duced the expenditures of the Government and
thoroughly reformed the system OF estimates aud
auprepriafOns providing for closer account ablnty
on the part Of those who spend the pnhhc money.
and clear knowledge on the part OF those who vote
il of what II IL used for.
LEADERSHIP or THE HOUSE.
When James G. Blaine went to the Senate, i'll 1877,
the mantle Of Republican leadership in the House
was by common consent placed upon Garfield, and
he has worn it ever since In January last he was
elected to the Senate to the scat which will be va
Gated by Allen G. Thurman on the 4th of March,
1881. He received the unanimous vote of the Re
publican caucus an honor never given to any other
man of any party in the State Of Ohio.
As a leader in the House he is more cautious md
less dashing than Blaine. and his judicial turn Of
mind makes him too prone to look for two sides Of
n onestiOn for him TO be efficient partisan. When
the issue fairly touches his convictions, however, he
becomes thoroughly aroused and strikes trench
dous blows Blaine's tactics were TO continually
harrass the enemy by sbarp-shOoting SURPRISES aud
pcket firing Garfield waits for an opportunity to
deliver pitched battle, and his generalship is
shown TO best advantage when the fight Is 4 far
ono and waged on grounds where each party thinks
itself strongest. Then his sold shot Of argument
are exceedingly effective. On the stump Garfield is