The Fremont County record., 1881-10-01

the roadside seemed most grateful te
his grand yet simple nature. In the
! transports of the last hour, it is said
the mind often returns to those mem
ories which have been most priced il
the pilgrimage of life. So it was with
our hoAored dead. His struggling
spirit fiuttered like Gagged bird til
he seemed 10 have escaped from the
gorgeous mansion where freedom was
q stranger, and moved once more
| upon the green lawns and amid the
fragrant parterre of his loved Mentor
Many of US may lesson here, and
profit by the study.
1 will mention one more union
of seemingly -aissimilar virtues- The
deceased was peculiarly Independent
in his judgment. He was not only
uninflucnced by authority and inter
est, and popularity, but also by
friendship, by those he most loved
and honored. Yet with all this firm
ness and tenacity of conviction, it
would be difficult to cite a single in
stance in which he transcended the
limits of the most delicate courtesy.
His singular respect for the rights
and feelings of others, encouraged
the fullest expression of opinion how
ever inimical to his own views. His
greatness was unpretending. and i'm
measurably above those arts by which
inferior men thrust themselves into
public notice. Wise, learned, brill
liant, honest and industrious he stood
without rival and without shad-
ow Thus briefly and imperfectly
have indicated some of the grand
traits of our martyred President. He
was not good as most of us are /:
Faithful to duty when duty is conven-
lent; loyal to truth when truth is
shouted from the multitude zealons
for virtue when vice is fostering in
the streets. But he adhered to duty
when TO do it would menace him
with death; he loved truth when
truth was maiigned and distrained
by designing and wicked men; he
adored virtue when the populace
shouted away with it, and be knelt
at the shrine of his devotion with a
Christians faith. Hence, 1 deem it
no sscrilege to speak thus largely of
this great and good man, though
sheltered by this house devoted to
the service OF religion. 1t is not SIM
ply to give expression to the feelings
of full beart, nor yet to incite TO
idolatrous devotion the hearts of 9TH
ers that have spoken these words of
eulogy in memory of him whose un-
timely death we mourn to-day. We
are in the presence of the Unseen
II il. HI
for any object save God, the Eternal,
unsEss,sa Il higss issst aiI isy 4aS faSm Rst
tncreateu Light. May l not affirm
that God teaches the world important
lessons through the lives of his pious
servantsI
Go read the Book of books ano you
will lind that Jehovah has voiced his
instruction to the people through the
great and good of the ages that are
gone. So does He teach us now, and
that man is stupid and obdurate in
deed who can survey the life of this
worthy person and catch NO fresh inn
pulse for his soul.
That, however, which the Christian
most admires in their martyred
brother was his answering devotion
to the principles of religion, amid all
the vicissitudes of his public life. He
has demonstrated beyond cavll that
the highest public distinction does
not demand the diyorccment OF the
purest religious principles And to
the memory of this Christian states
man We pay our trionte OF respecs
and love. We bow our heads in grief
while fifty millions of our mourning
brotherhood throng us at the
scpulchre which to-day hides forever
the form we loved.
He has gone from us to that world
OF which hc carried in his own bosom
SO rich a pledge. He has gone to
Jesus Christ whose spirit he so deep
ly comprehended and so freely i'm
bibed, and to God, the Father whose
all-embracing love he adored. But
he is not wholly gone. His memory
is with us. His honest words and
patriotic deeds will live and grow
green in the unfolding history of q
grateful people.
have but one request to make IN
taking leave of this subject, 1t Is. that
the same spirit which conducted our
martyred President along the path OF
his brief but eventful life, may pre-
side over us; that by his help we
may SO live that those who survive
us can shed over our graves tears of
hope as well as of sorrow; that they
may find in their remembrances OF US
springs of comfort, testimonies to
religion, encouragements to goodness
and assurances of biissfui immor-
tality.
when the memorial shaft shall be
erected, let it be inscribed:
TO
JAMES ABRAHAM GARFIELD,
THE