Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-10-05
NEE TING OF BUTLER BAR.
Proceedings had on the Death Of
President Garfield.

of this place assembled in the Court
House on Monday afternoon, Sept 26,
1881, for the purpose of making an ex-
preston of their feelings on the death
of our late lamented President, James
A. Garfield, and placing them upon
record 1t might be stated that a num-
Der of the members of our Bar were
personally acquainted with President
Garfield, and some of them had trans
acted business of legal nature with
him.
The meeting was called to order by
Charles A. Sullivan, Esq, on whose
motion the Hon. E. McJunkin was re-
quested to preside, and on motion of
Lewis L. Mitchell, Esq, the editors Of
the Butler press present were requested
to act as secretaries. On motion of Gen.
j IN. Purviance, Gen. E. r. Eckley and
L. T. Mitchell, Esq, acted as Vice
Presidents. On motion of Gen. Pur-
Vance committee of seven were ap-
pointed by the chair to draft resolu-
tions expressive of the sense of the
meeting. The following committee
was appointed Gen. J. n. Purviance,
G. A. Sullivan, Esq, Charles McCand-
less, Esq, VIM A ForqUer, Esq, E.
G. Miller, Esq, G w. Fleeger, Esq,
and S. p. Irwin, Esq who retired and
after a short absence returned and re-
ported, through their chairman, Gen.
Purvianee, the following resolutions;
Reaolued, lst. That widespread
and public sorrow, on the announcement
of the death of President Garfield, at
test the profound sense of the loss
which the whole country has sustain
ed His life was great and signally
eventful, his patriotism and the exam
pie of the marked characteristics of his
life leave to his co1ntrymen the richest
of legaciea.
2nd. The Nation mourns for the un.
timely death of one of its noblest sons.
The death of this great and good man,
whose life was one of purity, and
whose example is the model of the
highest type of all that ennobles the
character of the American citizen. As
a soldier, he was true and brave; as
statesman, for fidelity to the Consttu-
ton, and wisdom in originating nation
al legislation, and in support of the
most beneficial Acts of Congress, and
by an eloquence and force of argument
never surpassed in the halls of Con-
gress, he was eminently distinguished.
3. Never has the people of this Ma
tion been more universally moved with
profound sympathy and genuine sor-
row than on the present occasion.
James A Garfield was the beloved of
all our people, and no one more worthy
of love. His death has caused mourn
ing and lamentation all over the civil
lied world.
4 The assassination of President
Garfield is q stain on our national his
tory that can never be effaced that
our Nation had one man so stepped in
sin and crime as to take the life of the
man who was first in war, first in
peace, and to-day first in the hearts of
his countrymen.
5. We tender to the bereaved widow,
the aged mother, and the children of
the late President Garfield our most
sincere sympathy and coincidence in
the sorrowful affliction which has be-
fallen them.
6. That these resolutions be publish
ed in the county papers and recorded
upon the minutes of the Court, and a
copy be forwarded to the family of the
late President.
After the reading of the resolutions
on motion of Walter l.. Graham, Esq,
they were unanimously adopted. Gen.
Purviance then addressed the meeting
in feeling and appropriate terms, in
which he reviewed the character, pri-
vate and public of the lamented Presi-
dent, recounting his services to his
country both in war and in peace. He
referred to the services of Gen. Gar
field in the counsels of the Nation, his
studious habits while in Congress, his
abstaining while there from all the oc
casions and gatherings of pleasure so
common at the Capitol of the Nation,
his great industry and the Fart he
bore in shaping the laws of the coun-
try during a most eventful period in
our history. Mr. Purviance was fol-
lowed by G. A. Sullivan, Esq, in the
following eloquent tribute to the memory
and character of our murdered Prasi-
dent:
REMARKS OF CHAS. A. SULLIVAN, ESQ.
Mr. President and members OF the
Bar:
We have convened, at this Bar of
human justice, to pay tribute of re-
spect to the memory of the heroic sut-
ferer, who woke from a sleep, pressed
his hand on his breast, and then passed
away His pulse bounds no more in
pain and anguish or with the passions
of heroic bravery. His lips are voice
less. His ears cannot hear your words
Of praise OF Nations sobs of grief
Unheeded by him are natures myriad
voices of winds and waters, that sing
to-day, in solemn tones, his requiem.
Death possesses him alone. The grace
full verdure creeps apace over the brown
earth. The scared foliage gayly flut-
ters on the branches, while tonight,
overhead, the changeless stars will
look down, silently, upon the grave OF
another American matyr-President.
o shame shame to the American
character In the midst OF our peace.
In the midst of our joy-In the midst
of our national honor-In the midst
of oar commercial prosperity-In the
midst of plenty and happiness unprece-
dented aye. when the olive branch
was rendered on the 4th of last March,
and accepted by Gen. Hancock, after
the elimination of tremendous polit-
ical struggle for ascendancy to the
chief executive chair When the burn
ing questions of party enthusiasm had
subsidized and swooned into pleasant