Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-09-27

which Republics depend ano piSee bheh h'Pes' az"
become imbued with the genius OF the American
system-devoton to the rights OF others, TO justice
the reign OF law, the welfare Of his feow-ctizens,
and the service OF his untry and Of his God. He
looked upon his country as something for him TO
love- serve honor; not something TO aid him, and
give him rights, liberties, offices, honors, without
any return So his character has grown up, typical
of the true American. 1t was symmetrical, broad,
strong, imprt gnable transparent, commanding con-
fdence and admiration Whatever service or sacri-
fee the country called for, he freely gave And
now Providence lifts up this characterize broad
and finished so thoroughly mbued with the Ameri-
can genius so .ee from stain and even dust blown
on it by the breath of political facton-before the
whole country and the world, fixes it on its proud
pedestal in everlasting beauty, and says to young
| men, says to poor boys of lone, struggling WIDOWS
/ to those yearning for education and trying 10
make something Of themselves, to those to whom
society has committed trusts already and who are
locking forward to higher services There Is an
example for you-an example, not Of success in
getting office-there is enough OF that-but OF ris-
ing on basis of character, OF making more OF man
hood and service than OF gain and OF being rewarded
by the confidence and love of great nation
MAY the example stand with the great models of
the eountry-with Washington and Lincoln-till
many youth in the coming generations, smitten
with its simplicity its beauty, its grandeur, shall
be stirred to it by pure, patriotic Christian life.
This visitation may well, also, be interpreted by
US in way to temper and sober ambition for Office
and allay the heat Of political strife. How the
brightest prize struggled after in vain by SO many
contestants, when it had come unsought INTO the
hands of the late President, faded In his eyes No
beautiful Lubble ever proved to be so empty-no
apple OF Sodom SO full of ashes The honor which
had seemed so bright to him, how gladly, in four
months. he would have stripped it of, were it
possible and thrown it away, if thereby he could
have been restored 10 his former self. Well may
such an occurrence chasten the love OF office and
introduce sweeter spirit into political discussion.
Here is a man who was raised to the highest posi-
ton who descended to no meanness to gain it
who uttered no unkind words, practlced no du-
plici V, used no corruption, who found the place
deathly sorrow and the place came to him. If ever
a nan should have found it pleasant it was he.
how this should restrain the eagerness of men who
are tempted to seek office by improper means.
President Garfield had no chidngs of remorse on
his scE-bed. No specters from the pit whispered in
his ear, a. Your wrongs brought you to this If you
had been true you would not have been
here" Faith, hope, the consolations of
God, have no doubt, came and min
istered to him in his agony. That is the
only relief and solace. The man rose above
the place and communed with God. Oh how utterly
Wretched must be the lot OF a man, in such
condition, who is conscious that he falls below the
place, and who has torments, besides his bodily
agonies, from the world beneath Let US, then,
people chasten our ambition, hasten slowly and
purely in the pursuit of office, and cherish spirit
of charity and justice in political life. Let the
ory of the wounded and the 79days dying President
rise, like an sparition, during the wild surgings of
party, and hush to sobriety and candor and good
will
We are taught, further, to look to God to bring
ing good out OF this seeming calamity. We know
that, in a large sense, all dark providences
work out good. The issue, somewhere, in
some age, to come people the issue to
the grand cause which God is marshaling
through the ages-must be good, for God reigns,
and He "maketh the wrath of man to praise Him,
aud the remainder He resti aineth." And we know,
further, that if we as a nation fear Him and honor
Him. He win overrule this trial to good. If We
have the requisite humility tone of righteousness,
insight into His ways and disposition to put our
selves into them, We have gracious right, through
what He has made known to US, to read the promise
to toindividuas, as ii made to nations: ' All things
work together for good 10 the nation that loves
God" Blessed is the nation whose God is the
Lord" Thus, as far as we are gody people
of good somewhere, ID the belief of good
to our own country, from this discipline.
And God shows us that we may have this specific
faith. He has remarked to US in our history that
He does care for us. We have been led, hitherto,
benefcently, through dark periods, by a divine
hand. Again and again what seemed great osas-
ters proved to be the dark canopy under which un-
expected, rich blessings, not planned BY man, come
out to greet us from the love Of the Father.
We have reason to believe it will be so now. Al
ready, we cannot doubt God has bowed to the cry
of his people all over the land. The way in which
he has broken the severity of the shock by the long
period of fading nope, allowing time for the ma
tional distress to adjust itself to the inevitable,
slowly-approaching fact, remarks his patience and
care The change, which, if the fatal bullet had
at once done its work. might have convulsed the
ton and wrought great disaster, came at last like
the shadow of night down upon the country, or like
gush of silent tears filling the eyes and darkening
them, without causing ripple of civil, social,
financial disturbance Surely, God has heard our
prayers. And, more, our sick and dying Presl-
dent, all through those seventy-nine days
was a means OF divine sottening, blend
ing and cementing the nation. His dying
form, extending, as it were, the country, from
Maine to Georgia, from Alaska to Southern Califor-
MIA, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, drew the
country into oneness. The sacred sorrow and SYM
pathy, penetrating all hearts, made them love one
another and forget the past AS the children in a
home, owing to their individuality and thoughtless-
ness, may not know how much they love one
another, and sometimes may make themselve un-
happy by their differences, when their mother is
taken with fatal illness and slowly approaches the
grave, forget all disagreements and become con-
scous of their real love for one another so under
the influence of our national anxiety, the country
has been brought feel again the sacred pulsatios
of the dear old family feeling. These vicarious
sufferings by society, in the person of those who
represent society, is one Of the most powerful
influences in cementing society en- a higher moral
plane; and President Garfield held back from
immediate death by the mercy OF God, may have
done better service for the country in this way-a
sacrifice in the interest of national unity and
universal, blended, patriotic devotion than
he could have done had he served out the
remainder of his term-for we must remember
that these spiritual forces that 80 into the life of
people not only the most sacred but the most
far-reaehing and controlling OF all. Yes, if God
did not hear prayers to restore him to health,
he may have heard them to do what is far better
So, then, my fellow-citizens, God speaks to us
and the country out OF the clouds to day He calls
US to see his hand, 10 recognize linn, to bow to his
will, to trust him and obey him. Doing this, when
the clouds clear off in the future, and we see the
lessons of this event the plan of God, we shall
discover that the sacrifice OF James A. Garfield, at
the head Of the nation, our beloved President, a
great and good man Of rounded Christian character
and worth, has been the mysterious way in which
God has led US up TO some unexpected good. So we
dismiss him to the bright world of the immortals,
-, 49, hsliaF chat his life and death will he n,aans