The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-10-05

foction, we shall find it rather il
the richness and integrity Of hi.
moral nature, and in that sincerity
in that transparent honesty, in tha
truthfulness that lay the basis fo
everything of greatness to which W.
do honor to-day. / may state here
what perhaps is not generally
known, as an illustration of this
When James A. Garfield was yet /;
mere lad in this county, a series o
religious meetings were held in on,
of the towns of Cuyahoga county by
a minister by no means attractive
as an orator, possessing none of tn,
graces of oratory, and marked only
by entire sincerity, by good reason
ing powers and by earnestness ir
seeking to win souls from sin IL
righteousness. The lad Garfield at
tended these meetings for several
nights, and after listening night
after night to the sermons, he went
one day to the minister and said tc
him, "Sir, / have been listening tc
your preaching night after night
and l am fully persuaded if these
things you say are true, it is the
duty and the highest interest o,
every man, and especially of every
young man, to accept that religion
and seek to be a man. But really
don't know if this thing is true Oh
not. l can't say ! disbelieve it, but
dare not say that / fully and
honestly believe it. III were sure
that it were true, I would most glad
ly give it my heart and life" So
after long talk, the minister preach.
ed that night on the text, "What is
truth ?"and proceeded to show that
notwithstanding all the various and
conflicting theories and opinions in
ethical science, and Notwithstanding
all the various and conflicting opin-
ions in the world, there was one as
sured and eternal alliance for every
human soul in Christ Jesus, as to
the way of the truth and the life;
that every soul of man was safe with
Jesus Christ; that He never would
mislead; that any young man Civ
ing Him his hand heart and walk
ing in his pathway could not go
astray, and that whatever might be
the solution of ten thousand insolu-
BILE mysteries at the end of all things,
the man who loved Jesus Christ and
walked after the footsteps of Jesus
and realized in spirit and life the
pure morals and the sweet pietv that
He taught, was safe, if safety there
were in the universe of God; safe,
whatever else might prove unworthy
and perish forever. And he seized
upon it after due reflection, and
came forward and gave his hand to
the minister in pledge of acceptance
of the guidance Of Christ for his
life, and turned his back upon the
sins of the world forever. The boy
is father to the man, and that pure
honesty and integrity and that fear
less spirit to inquire and that brave
surrender of all the charms of sin to
convictions of duty and right, went
with him from that boyhood
throughout his life, and crowned
him with the honors that were so
cheerfully awarded to him from all
hearts over this vast land.
There was another thing. He
passed all the conditions of a virtu-
Gus life between the log cabin in
Cuyahoga and the White House,
and in that wonderful, rich and
varied experience, still moving up
from higher to higher, he has touch
ed every heart in all this land at
some part or other, and he became
the representative of all hearts and
lives in this land, and not only the
teacher but the interpreter of all
virtues, for he knew their wants and
he knew their conditions, and he
established legitimately the tie OF
brotherhood with every man with
whom he came in contact. | take
it that this now lying at the basis of
his character, this rock on which his
whole life rested, followed up by the
perpetual and enduring industry
that marked his whole career. made
him at once the honest and capable
man, who invited in every act of his
life and received the confidence and
the love, the unbounded confidence
and trust of all who learned to know
him.
There is yet one other thing that
l ought to mention here. There was
such an admirable harmony of all
his powers; there was such a beauti-
full adjustment of the physical, intel
lectual and moral in his being
there was such an equitable distribu-
ton of physical, intellectual and
moral forces, that his nature looked
out every way to get at sympathy
with everything, and found about
equal delight in all pursuits and all
studies, so that he became through
his industry and honest ambition
really encyclopedia. There was
scarce any single chord that you
could touch to which he would not
respond in way that made you
know that his hands had swept it
skillfully long ago, and there was no
topic that you could bring before
him, there was no object you could
present to him. that you did not
wonder at the richness and fullness
Of information somehow gathered,
for his eyes were always open and
his heart was always open and his
brain was ever busy ard equally in
terested in everything, the minute
and the vast, the high and the low,
in all classes and creeds of men. He
gathered up the immense store and
that immense variety of the most
valuable and practical knowledge
that made him q man, not in one
department, but in all rounds, every
where in his whole beautiful and
symmetrical life and character. But,
my friends, the solemnity of this
hour forbids any further inyestiga-
ton in that line, any further detail
of very remarkable life, for those
details you are familiar with; or il
not, they will come before you
through various channels hereafter.