The National tribune., 1881-03-01
The New President.


BY the clear voice of the American people, fairly
expressed both in popular vote and in electoral col
lege, James A. Garfield is the President of the
United States. On the 4th day of March, 1881, in
spite of clouds and snow and fierce northwest
winds, pageant of unequaled grandeur in equip
ment and of magnitude never before known, was
displayed on the broad avenues Of Washington,
and even the threatening clouds that had hung
over the city gave way at II M. to let the sun gd
the first hours of the new Administration.
No man has entered on these high duties so
thoroughly sustained by the thoughtful minds of
all parties. No man has come to this high position
with better preparation for its duties. Let every
good citizen in this broad land give him hail and
welcome, and invoke upon his future all possible
success But Garfield, the Representative, the SEN
ator the politician the statesman, has this addi-
tional nearness to the mass of our subscribers in
this, that he was soldier of high and deserved rep
utaton in the volunteers. He is whom we
have the right to call comrade He is proud of
MS and we are proud of him.
This soldier President has been through the ac,
tual duties of war He knows the material of which
our army was composed He knows the suffering
and endurance that fell to the lot of the private SOL
der He knows the effect of battles, the diseases
of the camp and the march, the fearful array of
gaunt and CHASTITY enemies that silently stole away
the strength of our battalions He has said long
since that the Office of Commissioner of Pensions
belongs soldier of experience and of service
in the line of actual duty
10 this all the people say Amen for this there is
but one voice outside of the wretched clique of
oice-hoders and oice-beggars, for the proposition
is so clear, just transparent in its equity that
it demands assent
We want no codblooded, petty lawyer with a
county court reputation for badgering witnesses
and for picking flaws in an Indictment no man who
has not felt the pulse of battle no man who safely
staid at home and speculated upon our blood and
courage. Of these we have had enough and more
than enough The Office is worth better material,
more brains, more heart, more blood.
We do want and we demand the best educated
legal brain that went into the service we want and
demand the trues bravest steadiest soldier that
won his honors fair fought fields, that stood by
his men in all their perils and all their successes
that was sharer alike in their glories and their
durance-we want and demand such man to close
out promptly fairly, and sympathetically the long
delays that cucumber the rolls of the Pension Office
We name no man we have no candidate we
only ask some one who will " do justice and love
mercy" The rolls of our volunteer service are full
OF such men they are entitled by every considera.
tion to the office aHd the Office needs such men
Crown the initiation of your administration, Mr.
President, with such man, and your old comrades
will bless you, the widows and the orphans of the
dead who placed the stars on your shoulders, and
who wait for justice. will feel that husband and
father have not died in vain