New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-20
A TALK WITH THURLOW WEED.

/.
reporter.
TALK WITH THURLOw WEED.
3 mo" HE WAS INFORMED OF TIE presidents
DEATH-HIs VIEWS OF GENERAL ARTHUk's
POLICY
Z a TRIBUNE reporter called at the home of Thur
low weed IN West Twefth-st., three quarters of an
/ hour after the death of President Garfield The
rowfui intelligence was slowly making its way up
: town, and about Union Square when the reporter
reached that place there no indications that tho
calamity bat all had been dreading during the day
'ad al last fallen. Hall an hour later all had changed
K There Woro no more laughing crowds standing III
/ 'front.' OF houses or walking homeward, but instead
, silent groups Of gathered about lamp-posts
reahing the particulars of the death Of the Pres
4 dent. Newsloys were hurying in all directions
gcrying their extras" and ir their wake they left
silence and sadness. 1t was half past IL o'clock
: when Mr.. Weeds house was reached but tho re-
porter was admitted. Mr.. Weed had been in at
& tendance on a gathering of temperance workers in
the Rev. DR.. TaylorS church, and had not yet re-
tired
8 lie almost ant pated the intelligence which the
reporter brought Dot after his first greeting he sat
8 silently and shook his head. Others of his house
i hold came to ask what news the reporter brought.
4 The sad words were repeated.
q OH, dear! oh, dear how dreadful it isl" said Mr..
3 Weed. Il have been dreadng ii all day. Tonight
I was in the paror of DR.. Tayors church, where
9 some temperance workers had gathered to well
a come Robert Rae, of England. He
& talked TO us, this distinguished man,
3 and toGus how universal the socitude all over
q England that our President shoud get well, and
as we SIT and listened terrible dread was on us all
q Tono,row will bring the saddest day this country
4 has ever seen--yes, think the saddest day any
!, country has ever seen"
q Were you expecting this outcomef" the reporter
"a asked
81 a" have been dcspondent all day, but not before
q was buoyant all day yesterday, / received three
8 dispatches from Long Branch, the last at 10 O'clock
q i'll the evening, and they were all encouraging
a Was 50 anxious that others should be relieved that
q semitic dispatches TO the Fifth Avenue Hotel and
q there they made many people happy. I won't to
& bed Sunday night hopeful. To-day all the
8 news has been sent to me, but have been without
hope since morning. Until this morning had en-
8 tortaincd hope, which was almost a belief that
I President Garfield would be spared. And now you
i say he is dead"
4 How Will this be received by the people of this
country ?"
8 II will overwhelm them. 1t will not be u sharp
grief like that after President Lincon's death be
lcause that so sudden, aud it pass
Sed over. Now the people have been
4 Tor more than two months in suspense and the sub
y iect has developed anxiety and reflection While
u,
8 the people are better prepared for the
blow than if the death had been sudden.
3 The delay has educated the people to meet it, In a
sense, therefore, inasmuch must lose him the
time and manner of his dissolution is providentiaI
D No one think, has profted by the suspense
i than General Arthur. lie will make n
q much better much wiser President now than if it
4 had come sooner. He has had two months to look
I, the great responsibility that falls on him in the
4 face"
q What are your expectations with regard to
& General Arthur's policy as PresidentHD
"About three weeks ago had a long and frank
conversation with General Arthur | have known
him long time and our friendship has been unin-
3 terrupted since he was Governor Morgans
staff. There was, therefore, no restraint in
i Jour conversation, and it Inspired me with con-
iidcnce In his wisdom. While ] hoped the
President might be spared felt reconciled so far as
General Arthur was concerned. 1 think he
Will try to do what General Garfield would
!! have done if he had lived. think he
g will go to Washington with that intention.
4 Nothing be palmer than his dnties in this re-
gard and nothing more certain than that one course
viii transfer largely the confidence Of the Repuhl
4 can party to him and make his admins
!; tratioD popular, while any departure from it
q will break him and the Republican party down.
3 believe he is going to be wise and administer
4 the Government wisely and well. but if
q / should be disappointed in my expectations
3he will destroy the Republican party and
s himself. Everything is in his hands
3 and feel it is safe to leave it there. The sures
way for hin to guard against mistakes is to act ON
8 his own Judgment. He has experience and lSnowl-
edge enough to administer This Government if he Will
4 but be guided 10y them and take up nobodys quarres
d and nobodys ambitions. His visit to Wash
4 ngtOn after the shooting of the Press
4 dent has been fortunate all around.
III think he got many useful ideas
Il there. Indeed he told me in the con
\ versation which l haye referred to that
Che felt that he was better prepared
q il the emergency should now, than lac would
" have been if he had not passed the time he did in
a Washington, and made the acquaintance he made
/, there. lie told me that his relations with the
{; members of the Cabinet were plcnsaot
= and that he had passed tho time
Il very agrecably with the Secretary OF State and his
q family and that Mrs. Hunt the wife OF the sccre-
n tary of the Navy, and his wife had been grl
n acqraintapces and friends and there
g was a pleasant intimacy there. All his
81 talk confirmed my favorable impressions
q OF him and ieel now that though it is great re-
4 sponsiblity, he equal to it. lie cannot fail to
proby the lessons which the fate Of The three other
h Vlce-Presidents who became Presidents teach"