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

great lesson to which | desire ts
point you can be expressed in q few
words. James A. Garfield went
through his whole public life with
out surrendering for a single moment
his Christian integrity, his moral in
| tegrity, or his love for the spiritual
Coming into the exciting conflicts
of political life with a nature as
capable as any Of feeling the force
of temptation, with temptations to
unholy ambition, with unlawful
prizes within his reach, with every
inducement to surrender all his
religious faith and be known mere
| ly as successful man of the world
from first to last he manfully adj
hered to his religious convictions,
and found more praises, and gathers
to him in his death all the pure in
SEPARATIONS of the hope of everlasting
life.
I am very well aware of a feeling
among political men, Justly shared
in all over the land by those who
engage in political life, that a man
cannot afford to be a politician and
a christian that he must necessari-
ly forgo his obligations to God and
be absorbed in different measures OF
policy, rs may be necessary to en-
able him to achieve the desired re-
suit. Now, my friends, | call your
attention to this grand life as teach
ing a lesson altogether invaluable.
just at this point | want you to look
at that man. | want you to think
Of him when, in. his early manhood
he was openly committed to Christ
and the principles Of the Christian
religion that he was frequently
found among a people who allow a
large liberty, occupying a pulpit,
and you are within a few miles of
the spot where great congregations
gathered when he was yet almost a
boy, Just emerging into manhood,
and week after week hung upon the
words that fell from his lips with
admiration, wonder and enthusiasm.
1t was when he was known to be
occupying this position that they
invited him to be a candidate for
the Ohio State Senate. 1t was with
the full knowledge of all that be-
longed to him in his Christian faith
and his efforts to live a Christian
life that it was rendered TO him, and
without any resort to any dishonor-
able means he was elected and serv-
ed his State and began his legislative
career. When the country called to
arms, when the Union was in danger,
his great heart leaped with enthusi-
asm and was filled with the holiest
desire and ambition to render some
service to his country. 1t required
no surrender of the dignity or noble
ness of Christian life to secure to
him the honors that fell upon him
so thick and fast; and successes fol-
lowed each other so rapidly as to
make him the wonder of the world,
though he entered upon that career
wholly unacquainted with military
life, and could only win his way by
the honesty of his purpose and the
diligence and faithfulness with which
he seized upon every opportunity to
accomplish the work before him.
Follow him from that until, called
from the service of the field, the
people of the district sent him to
Congress, their hearts gathering
about him without any effort on his
part, and they kept him there as
long as he would stay, and they
would have kept him there yet if he
had said so. He remained there
until, by the voice of the people of
this State, when there were other
bright and strong and grand names
men who were entitled to recogni-
ton and reward and altogether
worthy every way to bear Senatori-
al honors-yet there was such cur
rents of admiration and sympathy
and trust and love coming in and
centering from all parts of the State,
that the action of the Legislature at
Columbus was but the echo of the
popular voice when, by acclamation,
they gave him that place, and every
other candidate gracefully retired.
And then again, when he went to
Chicago to serve the interest of an
other, when, as / know, his own
ambition was fully satisfied and he
had received that on which his heart
was set, and looked with more than
gladness to a path in life for which
he thought his entire education and
culture had prepared him, when,
wearied out with every effort to COM
mand a majority for any candidate,
the hearts of that great convention
turned on every side to James A.
Garfield. In spite of himself and
against every feeling, wish and
prayer of his own heart, this honor
was crowded upon him, and the
Nation responded with holy enthusi-
asm from one end of the land to the
other; and in the same honorable
way he was elected to the Chief Mag
istracy under circumstances, which,
however bitter the party conflict,
caused all hearts of all parties not
only to acquiesce, but to feel proud
in the consciousness that we had a
Chief Magistrate of whom they need
not be ashamed before the world,
and unto whom they could safely
confide the destinies Of this mighty
Nations.
Now, gentlemen, let me say to you
all, those of you occupying great
places of trust, who are here to-day,
and the mass of those who are called
upon to discharge the responsible
ties of citizenship year by year, the
most invaluable lesson we learn
from the life of our beloved depart
ed President is, that not only is it
not incompatible with success but it
is the surest means of success, to
concentrate heart and life to that
which is true and right, and rise
above all questions of mere policy,
wedding the soul to truth and right,
and the God of truth and righteous
ness in holy wcdlock, never to be
dissolved.
l feel just at this point that We
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