Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-10-09

congress mas been a fair representative Of
the stronger and better elements of our
population. While now and then phe-
nominal genius has appeared in the forum,
at no one time has there been a galaxy 40
brilliant that it formed an absolute excep-
ton: Washington. Jefferson. Hamilton,
Webster. Clay, and Calhoun must ever be
great and illustrious names in the history
of our country and the world; yet it may
be confidently asserted that there has been
a general advance in the Intelligence of the
people since the last of these illustrious
men passed away. and that there has been
no retrogression in the character of the
OF our story has there been in Congress
more practical wisdom. more sagacious
craftsmanship, more ability to cope with
the great problems of government, than in
the last twenty years. It would not be
difficult to name score of legislators now
in public life, who not only for sll the
practical work of legislation. for the enun-
citation and illustration of sound principles
of political economy and general govern
mental policy, but for profound learning.
inspiring eloquence, sound reasoning, and
sagscious Craftsmanship in all lines, need
not fear comparison with any other states
men who have made our annals illustrious.
The very number of our accomplished
statesmen accounts in part for the too com>
mon notion that we have zone who are
great.
Had we been lookih for man whose
mind. originally vigorous. had been stored
with literary, scientific and political learn
ing; WHO had made it the business of his
lif. to study whatever concerned the well
fare of man, who bad noted the rise and
fall of governments and of peoples, and
studied the causes of their greatness and
their decay, who had, in short. taken pains
to acquire all knowledge that would throw
light upon and simplify present problems !;
if we had been looking for one who by the
native structure of his intellect, by the
training of his moral and mental powers,
and by bis public and private experience
tions that awaited him, in what period of
our history would we have been more sure
of finding such man than in the present,
and in whom would we recognize all these
qualities sooner than in him whose death
we to-day mourn? We believe it may
truly be said that with possibly the single
exception of the younger Adams, Garfield
was equalled in general culture by none of
his predecessors in the Executive Office.
Ali this, those whose privilege it was to
have a nearer view of our lsmented Presi-
dent. we'll knew; all this. as light came
more or less fully to them, the people we're
finding out. The star of the Republic never
shone with q purer, steadier, stronger lus-
ire than on the morning of the day that
carried eorrow into the h arts Of good men
and good women all over the world.
All this is powerless to avert the assas-
sims fell blow A nations love and hope:
the welfare of millions; the interests OF all
society and civilization; the pure character
of the victim; his lofty station, none of
these, nor all of these, stay the murderers
hand, and one of the noblest- lives that have
Illustrated cur aga goes out in the darkness
We stand aghsst at the crime in its
magnitude the insie niflc .nce of the crim-
inal is lost sight of; he was nobody; be
represented no idea, no person; nothing
temptible character can hardly be
conceived than that of Guitesu seems to
have been for years. He seemed one to be
despised, but never to be feared. The
most exalted emotion he seemed capable of
exciting was contempt. Yet from this ia
noble creature comes all this woe, all this
suffering, all this sorrow of nations. This
Infinitely mean agency it ia that has cut off
in bis prime one of the brightest men Of
our age, that has bereft the nation of its
honored ruler. that has torn from noble
woman and her children husband and
father whose domestic virtues were but
types of his more widely spreading civic
virtues: that has file all hearts v ith sor-
row. Oil how infinitely past finding out
are God's waysl
II is no part of my purpose to analyze
Guiteaus motives. The results of his az
ton are what concern US. The law will be
executed by those who are Its constituted
agents. God reigns, and to Him alone it
belongs to measure and fully requite the
evil this man has done. Vengeance is
mine, saith the Lord. will repay.
Let lie no. linger around the tomb of the
| martyr. His mortal life is over. By
| permission of the great Author of bis beip q
he has passed away while in the full
strength of his powers and while, go far as
human eyes can see, his life was more walls
liable to his fellow, men thar eyer before.
Man proposes, God disposes. He has left
us, but he has left the lesson of his life
with us. and a splendid les' on tits. The
painter may reproduce on bis canvass the
lineaments of bis countenance and the out
| lines of his form as his friends loved to see
him. The sculptor may transmit to
his manly proportions. but
come in the grand lesson Of his life. That
| lesson shall be told TO our children and
our children's children from generation to
| genaration ard as long IS the Repub ic ex-
lists, his memory shall be retired BY
its people for what he was, for what he did
and for what he suffered. Coupled with
his name and fame shall be that of the
noble woman, who by her heroic fortitude,
her constant love and devotion and her
Christian resignation, has won place in
the very heart of hearts of all good men
and good women in the civilized world.
The hour of the nation'f agony is passed
For nearly three months the one tepic Of
| thought, the one object of solicitude,. the
theme of the first morning inquiry and the
last evening prayer in the millions o.
homes in our own country. and in thou
sands in every other civilized nation, ha:
been the condition of the august person
who is now released from his sufferinge.
| The worst has come aud now, that ali ii
known, we find that there has never beer
ground for hope.
The terrible ordeal passed by the Presi'
dent, the days and nights of WEAKNESS and
pain. have, however, revealed to Us greai
| qualiti-s ia his character and in that of his
noble wife, which might never have me-
our view but for their tragic occasion. Out
of go much evil much good has come. The
passions and prejudices of party have beer
softened; long dormant sffections and
sympathies have been reawakened; 9
stronger bond of union between the sec
4 tons of our country has been forged in The
heat of the sacred fre of an all pervadine
grief May God grant that in our common
sorrow, SO deeply felt, We may remember
that we have common interests, Q common
destiny, and common country, and tha
eli these demand that we be common
brotherhood.
When the great Lincoln met the
martyrs fate, Jane, A Garfield, then
never dreaming that no was to fill the sam,
high place and share THAI same tragic des'
tiny, said: God reigns and the govern