The Hawaiian gazette., 1881-10-12
MEMORIAL MEETING
-oF THE
AMERICAN CITIZENS
AT THE BETHEL

General ]. NJ. Comfy, q. s Minister Resident, as
Chairman. The motlon was carried unanimously.
been requested 10 call meeting Of the American
residents of Honolulu. in order that they might
express IN Sums suitable manner their deep feel
ings of sorrow, in view Of the great bereavement
suffered by the whole AmSrican people in the
death Of Gen. James A. Garfield, the late PRES.
dent of the United States.
Gen. Comfy being too much overcome to speak
on this subiectat the time. felt obliged to leave
70 Others present the duty of giving expression to
their feelings on the occasion.
On motion Of Mr.. E. o. Hall, Mr. ]. B. Atherton
was chosen the secretary of the meeting.
The meeting being fully organized d Mr.. B. h.
Austin read the following resolutions:
Resrfred That it is fit that the Americans in the
Hawaiian Islands should come together in special
meeting to speak their grief at the death Of James
A Garfield
For nearly twelve days after the great BODY Of
our countrymen, ana England, and all the nations
of Europe, were shrouded in mourning because Of
that death, were buoyed up by sickly hope
that the good God might spare his life; but as We
beheld the ship which brought the news approach
ing shores, her lowered flag told rs the fatal
story before any words had uttered it; and our
hope Was turned to despair.
And now medical science declares that the long
term of waiting and suffering of the great man
entirely unavailine, and that as as he WAS
struck by the assassin, his death from the stroke
was inevitable.
Buf though unavailing to bring life out of the
opening jaws of death, that term of suffering has
disclosed TO the civilized world the true grandeur
of Il nature as sublime any which all the centu-
nes have produced. and has embalmed the memory
of the great dead In the hearts of all men IN all
With the sunlight of heaven now gliding the
perfect symmetry Of his majestic character, we
cannot regret that term of suffering.
With profound sorrow, but with exultant pride
we bow at his grave and thank God that he was
our countryman.
Resolpes, That all Americans in the Hawaiian
Islands do wear some badge of mourning for Pc
Resolrsd that these Resolutions be published in
the newspapers of the Hawaiian kingdom.
Mr.. p. c. Jones moved, and Mr. B. F. Bolles sec
onded, that the resolutions be accepted as the
sentiments Of all American present.
Remarks were then made in favor of the resolu-
tions BY number of gentlemen present.
Justice McCully said
| heartily concur in the suggestion of the mem
emoria Just Offered, tn 4 it Is good for Americans
to come together in this meeting. We have not
come here TO hear or TO say anything which has
not been said before and elsewhere, and better
than it may be said here, but as a separate COM
munity we desire to voice our feelings, and to
! speek for ourselves No length of time abroad,
no fixed residence in and adoption of another
country, lessons our sympathy with our father
land.
yox populi vo1 Del is an ancient proverb. It
is not true that any popular clallor Is a divine
voice, but the truth of the saying is that the
deepest instincts and feelings of the people are
right. The safety of the Republic stands on that
ruth. The deepest feeling nov of Americans is
Teneration of the character of the man whom we
molrn, and We met here TO Join with them our
expression of this sentiment.
We do not defy Garfield, We do not set him in
the banl1etiIg b. Ills of Thor and Wodin, as did
lie old Norscmen their kings and heroes We do
not place his statue IN Roman Pantheon We
would not canonize him. But we do wish 20
place him in the front rank of good men. We say
that be was good among great men and great
ssseong good men
SefSi1g actively as President from the Ith of
March to the End of July, be exercised his great
Office q niSu who was prepared for il by
thorough statesInaSship. He was the tool of no
machine, the puppet % no clique No bargains
of Office for Office bound h:Fu. He called cab
met to his aid ofhis choice and af other peoples
Senator ConkIing, naughty and dOmsaeering, met
President who could not be ort-haSked by
man9lvres or crushed by attack and fell SSck
defeated ignominiously.
With his chosen cabinet he consummated the
great financial result of converting US. indebted
ness into 81 per cents. al premium. He puri-
fed the postal service. He was ready in wise
and pratical ways to accomplish civil service
reform, and he had commenced II by exhibiting
determination 70 remove officials only for cause
and 10 appoint only for merit. And for this deter
milation may say he was asSassinated.
Then followed seventy nine days of heroic
patience for him, of Quotations of dread and hope
fol the whole of great people, and they alone,
the civilized world with them. We cannot speak
at large of those pathetic days
We bow ourselves to the Divine will in the issue,
and We struggle to see why he who had so greatly
approved the great expectations Of the party who
elected him, and of the whole country, should be
c1t OF and by such mean instrument. The
highest character is perfected by suffering and
We behve the American people have been purified
by this ordeal
In power and influence Garfield is not dead.
1t may well be that his life would not have better
served his country than his death. This thought
must be our solace.
Ar. Amasa Pratt spoke of Garfield as Williams
ell. -
Mr.. 5. n. Castle then made the following re-
marks:
M. Chairman aud Felloie-eifiseHs.-We have met
to give expression of our sorrow for the untimely
death of President 6 lrisl1. As public nan and
President of tie United States he has had no
have watched his public life from its earliest
development with deep interest and admiration.
In the midst of much venality and corruption it
has been one of unsullled putty without a stain.
Amongst many men of ability on the vital subject
of finance, important to the welfare of the state
his views we're eminenty sound and statesmanlike.
His speech IN Congress few years SINCE upon the
subject Of gold and metallic basis for the national
circulation. was unanswered and unanswerable.
We mourn the loss of great and good man.
Some three years since, in the United States, |
expressed the wish and hope in conversation, that
he might be President of the United States. did
not then think il would come so soon, and to be
soon followed BY the sad and fatal tragedy that has
clothed the land yes all Christian lands in mourn
ing.
It gives me pleasure to express the gratitude 1
feel the kindly sympathy for the great. sorrow of
the country, that comes in fitting words from all
quarters. From Her Majesty the Queen of Great
Britain and all civilized lands and IN this express
sion am sure speak the hearts language of every
true American citizen.
Mr. Chairman, cordially support the resolution.
DR.. Rodgers praised the work Of Gen Garfield
as showing that purity was practicable In Ams III
can politics.
M Bowen said be was a student at Oberlin
about Fifty miles from Gen. Garield's Ohio home,
when the news of the attempted assassination
arrived that the students tolled the college bells
all night, fearing at first that the blow va imme
6iately fatal.
Dr. Hyde and President Jones referred to the
high Christian character OF the late President as
his greatest achievement
Mr. C. J. Lyons spoke from the same stand
point Mr.. Amssa Pratt
Mr. H. B. Austin said
On the fourteenth day Of april 1853, Abraham
Lincoln, the President OF the United States, was
slain BY the hand of an assassin, and the whole
world stood aghass at the horrible act.
On the second day Of July, 1881, James A. Gar
field. the President Of the United States, by simi
lar act. was moTtAlly wounded, and Is dead,
and again the whole world is in mourning.
Thus twice, within two decades, has assassina-
tion stricken the chief of the Great Republic
The first crime was the eliminating act of years
of treasonable sway, and, in itself, was not more
atrocious than many acts done in that var-
But the last crime vas more lameutable far, for
it WAS the poisonous and deadly upshot of selfish
and wicked system of undue official patronage,
which has been hitherto tolerated and many times
fostered and promoted by the chief officers of the
government; and which, it IS wrongly claimed, is
the legitimate outgrozth Of Repnblican instiiu- |
ti0ns.
He, who has gone, when stricken down, was en-
gagged with all his tremendous energy, and all the
power of his great Office, IN assault upon that
system
In the presence Of this great calamity which |
comes 10 us Americans, like the shadow of great
personal loss; by the brink Of bis grave who stands
only second to Lincoln IN the hearts CT all his
cozntrynen, We should make high resolve, by |
the love We bear his memory, henceforth, with all
our influence. to work TO eradicate and cast Of for