The Portland daily press., 1881-09-28
THE LAST RITES.



dawn ali his countrymen unto each other.
Mourning for Garfield is confined to no sec-ss
tion of this land it is as sincere and UNIVERSAL
in the South as in the North.
To-day all Americans are one in commonE
sorrow; to-day, around the grave OF Garfield
our beloved country is united as 1t has neyerI
been before since rent by civil war.
This dire providence of God may then bel
easily read Alright by the children of men Il
and the words written by our stricken Presi-l
dent on his death bed become the best inter
probation of Jod's sovereign will.
"StraRgwIatus pro Repu5tca = urealII
heart, thou hast in very truth suffered ana
died for the Republic! Scholar, soioler'I
statesman, first citizen, martyr, nan anoI
farewell The world honors thy memory, theI
world mourns thy loss!
REV. A. M'KEoWN.
Mr.. Mayor and Fellow Citizens--l esteem|
it a mournful privilege to be permitted toI
mingle nv voice in those memorial services tol
the honored dead. Because of the number oil
distinguished gentlemen who are to follow mel
of the many things that crowd upon my!
mind, and weigh down my heart in this sad
hour. will mention but one OF two, from|
which l seem to get some alienation OF myI
sorrow. 1 do not offer them as explanations
dl Oh the uItdulul pAOfAoChSS, HAN S~i
aifording perhaps some relief.
And, first, the marvellous unity of national
sentiment and feeling which has been brought
about by this event. Are we not to-day al
united people as perhaps we have never BEEN
befores Have not the sutferings and death OF!
our martyred President done what prayers
and arguments and political measures failed!
TO dos Is it important that this nation should
be ones Then, perhaps, the sacrifice Is notI
too dear.
Whether his administration Of the govern
nent, from which we hoped SO much, and
with reason, would have had the effect to OBJ L
lterate party prejudice, and soften down theI
asperities of sectional feeling, and make us.
east, west north and south, united people,
as have his protraeted and heroic suherlngs
and death we cannot tell. We are nation on
brothers o-day, drawn together by common|
sorrow. We have wept and prayed together
through the long agony till every antagonismI
has vanished and old grudges have been tor
gotten. The fair minded and patriotic OF all
parties and sections feel the vibrations OF Al
common chord of afectionate sympathy to a
degree perhaps that no wisdom of administered
ton could have secured. There is wide
spread impression in the minds OF the people
that the President has fallen victim to his
uncompromiSing opposition to dishonesty ana
his determination to curb the baser elements
of society, whether they exist i'll Utah or IN
corrupt s'rings' OF plunderers about the seat OF
government; and, with this feeling, we clasp
hands over the dead body of our Chief, and
swear fealty again to the government, IN the
maintenance of whose purity he fell sacrllce1
Whether his administration, however char
acterized by wisdom and justice and magnan-
unity. would have had the effect to bring us|
the sympathy and good feeling of all the ma i
tons of the earth, as has his tragic death, WEE
cannot know.
1t could hardly have furnished under any
circumstances the occasion for such an ex-
preston of it. We never knew as we know
to-day how greatly this nation is beloved by
the peoples of other lands. The outburst OF
heartfelt sympathy with US in our sorrow that
has come TO us from all quarters Of the globe,
is tbs phenomenon of the century. The world
never saw anything like it before. The rising
tide of human brotherhood reached the high-I
est mark yet attained when our great Garfield
died. Who can estimate the benehcent IN I
huence on the peace and best interests OF the|
nations of their being thus fused for these
weeks in one common sympathys lhelr1
words of coincidence, and their sincere partcl-l
patton in our sorrow, we can never forget i
and in the years to come, when difficulties
settled because of the experience of these last
weeks. Preserve the newspapers-pile them
up in one grand mansoleum, that the genera
tons to come may see how the nations felt
for u.s. Preserve Vietoria's wreath-the floral
tribute she laid upon our dead. Hang 1t spI
in the Temple of Concord. The nations are|
coming together. And no finite mind can esti-'
mate the effect in bringing on the MillennlumE
of that grand life and grander death in which,
he taught US all how to suffer and to de-
Whether this crime of an i'll balanced mind
will have any compromising effect in abatlng|
the rapacity for the spoils of office we cannot
tell. 1t is right that in government hkel
ours there should be rotation in office. Incl
emoluments of Office should not be con7
fined to one party or class OF menI
but should under proper regulations, such asI
competitive. examinations or tried fidelity andS
ability. be open to all. 1t is but natural and
necessary that men who spend time andI
money-always supposing that they spend
their property-to elect men to power who Will
uphold certain principles which they ..ludgel
essential to the welfare of their country, should
be rewarded and encouraged in their patriotisml
by the emoluments of office. Indeed it isl
necessary that the friends of policy should bel
in power in sufficient numbers to carry 1t lntol
effect. Do not banker, gentlemen, for that
permanence in office, which some of you are|
pleased to express so much admlra-
fion for as characterizing the English
and other monarchical governments. We do
not want the curse of privileged classes to|
which it leads. An open field and tairl
chance is the glory of our happy country1
Remember that ancient Israel wanted king.
But it viii occasionally happen under such AM
order of things as ours, that fool, hkeI
= bo hac claims for r.
vices. which, because they cannot be reeogJ
nized, viii issue IN murderous revenge. dol
not expect any great advantage in this respect
from the Presidents death.
But there is one lesson, from this sad EVENT.
which we ought to learn. God grant that we
may! And that is, the danger and wrong OF
indulgng hatred towards the government and
its officers have not the slightest idea that
there was any body concerned in this murder
but the wretch himself. Nobody l belleve|
had ever, by the remotest inference, suggested
it to hi.n. 1t was begotten of his own foul
heart. ! never wish to think otherwise BUY
he knew there was, in certain quarters, a
hatred of the President. lie felt 1t IN theI
air. He saw its manifestation. Great
men INDUCED in it. And having
his own petty grievance for fancied services
unrewarded. he hadn't head enough to pref
vent MS ldLIeQ lTOH IlpeHluS lut0 t'it tiiNA
derous act. Oh, if God will only make this'
providence the means of restraining the badE
passions of men. Of curbing selfish, unholyl
ambitions, of teaching them to put country
before party, and to put country and partly
both before self-seeking, and of making themI
feel that they must sustain the government
lawfully elected, whichever party holds It'll
NAV not be entirely in vain that our good
President has died. These thoughts afford mel
some relief, and the great career, which seemsI
to human eyes to have been arrested, while asI
vet its course was but well begun, might bel
seen, if viewed in clearer light, to have hadH
the most symmetrical termination. We CAM
never know through what divine mysteries of
compensation the great Father of the universe
NAV be carrying out his sublime plan; andl
those three words, ''God is love-" ought toI
contain, to every donbting soul, the solutlon|
of all things.
GENERAL SAMUEL J. ANDERSON.
A nation stands to- day i'll reyerent awe bel
fore the open portals of the tomb, where hasE
been placed BY tender hands the loved imageE
of him, who but yesterday was the first 'citi-!
zen of the Republic. No stately obsequies,,
no cold and heartless ceremonial. dictated by!
power and paid for from the public treasured
are thrust before unwilling eyes, but With
heads in sorrow bent and "hearts bowed down.