The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-09-29
DIR. POWERS ADDRESS.


the Vermont-avenue Christian Church
OF which President Garfield was a
member, delivered feeling address.
He spoke in a clear voice, and was
distinctly heard in every portion of
the hall. He said:.
The cloud so long pending over the
nation has at last burst upon our
heads. We sit half crushed amid the
ruin 1t has wrought. A million mil
lion prayers and hopes and tears, as
far as human wisdom sees, were vain.
Our loved one has passed from us.
But there is relief. We look away
from the body. We forget for time
the things that are seen. We re-
member with joy his faith in the Son
OF God. whose Gospel he sometimes
himself preached, and which he
always truly loved. And we see light
and blue skies through the cloud
structure and beauty instead of ruin;
glory, honor, immortality, spiritual
and eternal life in the place of decay
and death. The chief glory of this
man. as we think of him now, was
his dicipleshipi in the school of Christ.
His attainments as scholar and states
men will be the theme of our orators
and historians, and they must be
worthy men to speak his praise
worthily. But it is as a Christian
that we love to think of him now. 1t
was this which made his life to man
All invaluable boon, his death to us an
unspeakable loss, his eternity to him
celf an inheritance incorruptible, un-
defiled, and that fadeth not away
lie was no sectarian. His religion
was as broad rs the religion of Christ
He was simple Christian bound by
no sectarian ties and wholly in fellow
ship with all pure spirits. He was a
Christologist rather than theologist.
He had great reverence for the family
and relations. His example as son g,
husband and father is a glory TO the
nation He had a most kindly nature.
His power over human hearts was
deep and strong. He won men to
him. He had no enemies, The hand
that struck him was not the hand of
an enemy, but the enemy of the posi-
ton, the enemy of the country, the
enemy of God. He sought to do
right, manward and Godward. He
was u grander man than we knew.
He wrought even in his pain better
work for the nation than we can now
estimate. He fell at the height of his
achievements, not from any fault of
his, but we may in some sense rever-
emily apply to him the words spoken
of his dear Lord: "He was wounded
for our transgressions; He was bruised
for our iniquities; the chastsement of
our peace was upon Him." AS the
nations remember the Macedonias as
Alexander the Great, and the Grecan
as Aristides the Just, may not the son
of America be known as Garfield the
Good. Our President rests; he had
JOY in the glory of work, and he loved
to talk of the leisure that did not
come to him. Now he has it. This
is the clay, precious because of the
service it rendered. He is II freed
spirit; absent from the body he is
present with the Lord. On the
heights whence came his help he
finds repOse. What rest has been his
these four days? The brave spirit
which cried in its body ~ AM tired"
is where the wicked cease from troub-
ling and the weary are at rest. The
patient soul which groaned under the
bnrdcn of the suffering flesh 90! this
paint" Is now In o world without
pain. Spring comes, the flowers
bloom, the buds put forth, the birds
sing. Autumn rolls round, the birds
have long since hushed their voices,
the flowers faded and fallen away, the
forest foliage assumes a sickly, dying
hue; so earthly things pass away, and
what is true remains with God. The
pageant moves; the splendOr of arms
and the banners glitterin the sunlight;
the music Of instruments and of ora
tory swells upon the air; the cheers
and praises of men resOund. But the
spring and summer pass by, and the
autumn sees nation of sad eyes and
heavy hearts, and what is true re-
mains of God. 1.-THE eternal God is
our refuge, and underneath are the
everlasting arms.".
At the conclusion of DIR. Powers
address Rev. J. G. Butler offered
prayer.
This closed the ceremonies and the
assemblage, with bowed heads and
reverent mien, arose rs the casket con-
tanning the remains of President Gar
field was slowly borne from the build
ing in which he had gained SO many
laurels and triumphs.
On the way to Cleveland the
funeral train was received by thous-
ands of people along the lire with
sad hearts and bowed heads. In the
places through which the train
passed bells were tolled and national
saftites fired. And in every manner
the mosl profound respect was paid
the remains of the Beloved dead.
AT CLEVELAND.'
There were $4,000 people around
Euclid Avenue when the train ar