Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-09-23
OLYMPIA. WASHINGTON TER.
FRIDAY EVE'G, SEPT. %, 1881
The Nations Sorrow.

The Nation : SORROW.
A great nation is clad in the habil-
iments of mourning; from the Allan
tic to the Pacific, from the northern
most confines of Alaska to the Flor
ida Keys, a loyal people are brood
ing over the great national calamity
that has befallen them. Away back
in oui schoolboy days, we shuddered
to read Of those dreary, gruesome
ages, which bred regicides as later
ages have bred public benefactors,
and in spite of the sentimental times
in which We live, it is hard to resist
the unwelcome conclusion that his
tory repeats itself; nay, even redu-
plicates in solemn train its Ugly cate
CORY of human flailties, follies and
atrocities. As pant and parcel of a
great Christian commonwealth, we
seem prone 10 look abroad for ma
tlonal crimes and enornities of the
darker hue. By sort of common
consent, our own free and enlighted
country has been considered exc mpt
from the lavages of internal animos-
ity and brutality. The assasssina-
ton of the late Alexander of Russia,
without the slightest premonition,
came like shock into the quietude
OF every household in the land. 1t
IS IN distant climes and not in our
own fair land that we are wont to
locate these terrible occurrences,
and hence the greater measure OF
terror and dismay that attaches to the
present sore affection which has over.
taken US as nation. But our be.
reavement is not without some con.
solatory element. 1t is a praise.
worthy fact that, irrespective oil
party demarkations, the nations
grief is common one. There
surges from the North, the South
the East and the West, great re.
vefberating waves of the truest and
most heart felt sorrow; while along
the attenuated lines of q thousand
tslegraphed symtems, messages oil
coincidence from millions of melt.
ing hearts are pouring into the DIES.
olated Executive Mansion at Wash.
inslon. Truly, a great man has
fallen; one in whom were united the
priceless elements of the scholar
the soldier, the statesman and Chris.
tan.
That will indeed be sorry page
in our future history on which shal
be delineated the dark record thai
within the space of little moro thar
sixteen years two Of our President.
were foully assassinated while il
Office and during the quiet discharge
of their executive duty. But, VIVA
of the night? What does all thi.
sorrow portend? Was the curtain
of futurity lifted, when the Presi
den feebly gasped, els It wortl
while to struggle on?" Though
uttered amid the throes of dissolv
ing humanity, this simple sentenc,
strikes choid whose vibrations
sadly proclaim the vanity of earthl,
honors. The query, in a broade
sense, applies to oul nation. Is i
worth while, after all, to continu,
tho great experiment of self-govern
ment? Let us hope that tho events
since the close Of The war may no
portend what is in store. Lei u.
la;her believe that we have faller
upon evil times which must end ant
pass away as the tempest passes owe
the landscape leaving it smiling will
the glad sunshine.
The public services of Mr.. Garfield
are too we'll known to require recapi
tulation. He was born in Orange
Cayahoga county, Ohio, November
10, 1881. He g aduated at Williams
College, Mass, in 1856, and adopted
the profession of The law. In 1861
he entered the Amy, since which
time his record in the military and
civil service has became part of the
history of the nation. Let us re.
member only his virtues as we mourn
for him as one who fell at his post
OF duty.
The ship Dakota arrived on the