Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-10-03
GARFIELD TO HIS OLD FRIENDS.

Gen. Garfeld's first start in public life
was when resident of Hiram, Portage
county, Ohio, and until within three or
four years he resided there. A few days
before the election last November his
Portage csun ty friends called upon him
at Menter and he delivered the following
speech, which has touching interest at
this time, showing as it does the warm
hearted character of the man:
Ladies and gentlemen: I once read of
man who tried to wear the armor and
WELD the sword of some ancient ances-
tor, but found them toe large for his stat
rerand strength. If should try at this
moment to wear and sway the memories
which your presence awakens, should
be overwhelmed and wholly unable7 to
marshal and master the quick coming
throng of memories which this semi-cir-
Gle Of old friends and neighbors
has brought to me. Here are school
| fellows of twenty eight years ago. Here
are men and women who we're my pupils
| quarter Of century ago. Here are ven
cradle men, who twenty one years ago, in
the town of Kent, launched me upon the
stormy sea of political life. see others
who were soldiers in the old regiment
which l had the honor to command. And
how could listen to the touching and
thoughtful words of my friend, the ven
cradle late chief justice of Ohio, who has
evening in 1861, of which he spoke too
modestly, when he and l stood together
in the old church at Hiram and called
upon the young men to go forth to battle
| for the union and be enlisted be-
fore they slept, and thus laid the founda-
ton of the Forty-second regiment How
can forget all these things and all that
has followed! gH
How can forget that twenty five years
of my life were 50 braided and inter-
twined with the lives Of the people of
Portage county, when / sec men and
women from all its townships standing at
my door! cannot forget these things
while life and consciousness remain. No
other period of my life can be like that.
The freshness of youth, the very spring
tide of life, the Frightening on toward
MONDAY all were with you,
and of 10 you, my neighbors,
my friends, my cherished comrades,
in all the relations of social, student,
military and political life and friendship.
You are here so clsse to my heart, that 1
cannot trust myself to an attempt to mar
shall these memories, with any thing like
conference. To knew that my Aeighbors
and friends in Portage county, since the
first day of my congressional life, have
never sent to any convention q delegate
who was hostile to me; that through all
the storm of detractien that roared around
me, the members of the Old guard of
Portage county have never wavcred in
their faith and friendship, but have stood
an unbroken phalanx with their locked
shields above my head, and have given
me their hearts in every contest. If q
man can carry in his memory a jewel
more precious than this, I am sure Judge
Day has never heard what it is.
Well, gentlemen, on the eve of great
events, closing great campain, look
into your faces and draw from you such
consolation as even you cannot under
stand. Whatever the event may be our
part is secure; and whatever may befall
me hereafter, if can succeed in keeping
the hearts of Portage county near me,
shall know that l do not go far from
wrong in anything, for they are men who
love the truth for truths sake far more
than they love any man.
Ladies and gentlemen, all the doors of
my house are open to you; the hand of
every member Of my family is outstretch-
ed to you; our hearts greet you and we
ask you to come in.