New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-04
A NATION IN SUSPENSE

between lie anu death u great and I'M
wonted anxiety fills the public mind. 1t arises
from two sentiments which the shock of this
terrible calamity has clearly revealed. One is tho
affection and confidence in which General Gar
field is held by the people, and the other is the
dread OF what may come after him if the "Stal-
wart" assassin's bullet proves to have done its
work effectively.
No one knew until Saturday how strong a
hold our President had gained upon the hearts
OF the people of this country. His honest, open.
noble nature, his genial friendliness, his quick
sympathy with all classes and conditions of
men, had as much endeared him to our affec-
tons az his genius and great services had COM
mended him to our admiration. He was
the peoples President, one of them in
MS origin, in his early struggles, in his
honorable success, in tho sturdy national
strain of his character and mind While he
had attained by his great talents and splendid
industry place beyond the reach of compe-
tition years ago, and had afterward been raised
to the highest station upon earth attainable
through the free choice of a people, he never
lost the popular qualities which rendered him
less an object of envy than of hearty personal
regard, not only among tho thousands who
knew him, but also among the millions to
whom he was merely a name and type of
greatness due to merit and to labor The con-
tovcIsy forced upon him at the very outset of
his Administration, the good nat,lred firm
ness, utterly devoid of arrogance and
buster with which he pursued the course
he thought required by his sclf-respect and
the best interests of the country, resulted in n
great increase of his popularity among pco-
pie who like firmness and courage most espe-
cially when accompanied with sense and
InOUeStY md
ness. just at the moment when his fellow
citizens had begun to appreciate him and love
INN most the bullet of the assassin laid him
low, an the tenderest compassion was added
to Their former regard. BY the every day
miracles Of the telegraph and the prntiny-press
working together the whole mass of the Deo-
pie have been admitted to his bedside, and
have scanned his every action and expression
since the blow was struck. In these long bours
of pain and mortal peril they learned anew how
brave and true and tender a soul their
great ruler possessed. His calm resignation
to the will of heaven his absence of all feel
ing OF resentment against his assassin and his
enemies; the knightly devotion with which his
first care was given to breaking the news and
sending his love to his faithful wife; his cheer
full serenity, ightencd even to POPULARITY, with
his friends at his bedside; his words of com
fort to his weeping children; the indomitable
VIII and courage with which, when his Dhysi-
cian informed him that he had one chance in
hundred OF living, he replied, "Then we
Will go III on that chance "-all these things have
touched the hearts of millions, and turned
their admiration and regard to warm and anx
ious affection. Yesterday, from thousands of
churches, prayers went up to Heaven for the
safety of life that had suddenly grown more
10
few family affairs in the land that did not send
up the same petition with passion and tears
The pain of his loss, if it be the will If
Heaven that the Nation shall lose him. seems
therefore a sorrow too great to be borne. at
this hour, when the people seem first to have
come to full and adequate knowledge of
him. But mingled with this sentiment of sor-
row is another. which it is our duty as chroni- |
clers to record 1t is q feeling everywhere ex- |
pressed on Saturday, and yesterday as well
that what is known of the Vice President il
not OF nature to inspire that full measure of
confidence which would afford the only conso- |
latiOn possible in disaster like the present |
General Arthur is gentleman of many ac-
cOmpllshments and many amable and en-
gaging qualities. He is represented to
us by those who know him well as one
of the most upright of citizens, one of the |
most loyal and devoted of friends. 1t is pre- |
cisely here that the public mind finds its cause
of d ubt and apprehension. 1t is feared that |
he is more devoted to his friends than to the |
public welfare; that he can see nothing but good /
IN them, and nothing but evil in their oppo- |
nents. If this be true, and if the grief and |
misfortune is in store for of losing the noble,
placable and generous ruler
whom we chose in joy and hope last year,
then the bitterness of the present sorrow and |
the weight OF the present anxiety will be as |