Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-07-18
GEN. WOoDFoRD ON THE
PRESIDENT.


ing held in Brooklyn, N. Y, last Thurs
day night to testify the peoples graft
tude to God for sparing the Presidents
life and to pray for his recovery, was
Gen. Stewart l.. Woodford aud he
made an impressive speech. He said:
lit is doubly fitting that We should
meet in this house of prayer, for James
A. Garfield is man who in every place
of life-as student in the old Williams
College days, as soldier, as member of
Congress, as politician and as President
has been constant, sincere, praying
man. He is man so simple in his
personal habits that he never thrusts
his family devotion on friend or stran-
ger who tarries within his gates. At
Mentor last winter, learned that each
night, after the guests had retired he
gathered his own family in the little
parlor to the right of the hall, and with
his wife and his children around him, he
led in prayer that God might care for
his home and the Republic he was about
to rule. In an age of scepticism, when
SO many think it wise to reject the CEN
trail truth of Gods Fatherhood, this elo-
quent orator, this brave soldier, this
great statesman, has been an honest,
earnest, prayerful Christian man. APP
plause.
And yet in our sorrow I think we are
more proud, more tender of James A.
Garfield tonight than we have ever
been before.
think of him as he stood on inaugu-
ration day with the thousands gathered
around him with martial music and
glad acclaim on every hand. 1 think
of him after he had put his hand on the
Bible and sworn that he would obey and
maintain the Constitution, turning to
his wife with a loving kiss; the wife
who had been his schoolmate in the
days away back in the old Ohio school
house; and then reverently STOPPING
and kissing the little old mother, whose
faith and love and good sense had
trained him up to be President of the
United States. God bless the Presi-
dent. God bless his loyal wife /! Gods
richest blessings be on that little moth
er and spare her aged eyes from seeing
her boy pass before her to the Better
Land. Great applause, mingled with
earnest amens.) 1t is great thing to
be great soldier, great thing to be a
great orator, grand thing to be great
statesman and wise scholar but it is a
far greater and nobler and grander
thing to be true man who is faithful
to wife and obedient to mother, kind
father and loving Christian.
| My friends, if we needed proof that
the sad years of battle have borne fruit,
we have it tonight. If we ever doubt
ed that the Republic could be saved, lei
US reverently thank God, that by the
side of Garfeld's bed of suffering We
see the whole nation kneeling in sup
plication. In the shadow of his posi-
BILE death the blue and the gray kneel
swearing that they will be true to the
Republic. If he lives, and God grant
he may, the way IS open through the
Red Sea, across the desert into true anG
enduring reconciliation. Applause.
If he lives, and God grant he may, ht
will come back from the shadow of the
grave to bind together the old Republic
by love and fraternal union forevermore
But if in the strange mystery of Provi
dence that permitted Lincoln to die lik'
Moses when he looked into the promised
land. if our loving friend and goot
President is to 60 above, let US pray il
the solemn stiffness of this hour tina
though the President may die, the Re
public shall live, and live forever. (En
thusiastic applause.)
bid you remember that this is
Government of the people, by the pee
pie and for the people" bid you re
member that this is Government Q
law and that he only is a good citize
and true son of the Republic who. i
every time and place, obeys law an
holds up the hands of those who righf
fully rule under the law.
bid you remember that the sam
ballots which made President, name
. also his successor. Applause. | bi
you remember that the patriotism tn;
{ bids you to pray for the President t
night compels you, if the Presidel
should be called away from US. to
loyalty obedient to his successor ar
earnest supporters of the Government
that still lives. Applause].
There is grandeur in the thoug
that we, the people. are, after all. tt
y real rulers in this land. The law
y which we all must bow is our embodi,
will. Applause For us, the peopl
N Presidents rule. God gave US Was
a ington, God gave us Lincoln. May
g spare to us Garfield, that coming ba,
e, to us from the silence and shadow
e. the grave, our President may bring
ii solemn hush and holy peace into t