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

Gus unless its people In the mass are vlrtu
Gus. The dominant inhuenoes must be
such as to crush out crime. Liberty, regu>
lated BY law, and among virtuous PEG.
a means of development Of the citizen, and
of the man; liberty without such regula-
ton. and without public aud private virtue,
has no especial advantages over despotism
under q reasonably sagacious despot. It
NAV not be amiss for us all to inquire how
far we b ave urselves contributed to bring
about state of society in which Guiteau
I have said that the blow at Garfield was
struck in time of profound peace. Not
only was this true. but the victim was a
man to remarkable degree beloved by all
who knew him. Long prominent figure
nature necessarily developed political an
taeonisms, yet these never degenerate
into .nm,ties. Political opponents holding
exalted station were ever ready to testify
10 his exemplary patriotism, his personal
nurity. and his broad aud catholic spirit !;
It ia doub tful if among the vast number of
men of all shades of political and religious
thought with whom he was brought in con-
tact during the period OF his public life,
there was one who could be called his per
sonal foe, or one who did not feel q respect
ration for his moral qua tiles.
II was my good fortune to become &C.
aaainted with the late President in 1863.
and from that time to the time when be
was elected Senator Of the u nited States.
in January, 1880, was in the habit Of sees
ing him frequently. On many occasions
in the performance of our public duties it
was my privilege to witness bis admirable
business capacity, his sound legisls, i've
judgment, and his devotion to the public
we fare. He was natural leader of men.
Born in very humble circumstances, eat
ing the bread of poverty in his youth, his
education was obtained only by the stern
est self denial, and by that determination
to succeed which is itself success His
love of learning was such that no ordinary
proficiency satisfied him ; be aspiret 10 ex>
ceilence in all be undertook and his aspi-
rations were so lar realized that he was y
ripe scholar, and man Of mark in his own
State, when his country, in the agony OF
her hour of trial. called upon her sons to
cometo her rescue His people had made
him State Senator, and he was holding
that position when President Lincoln issued
moved at once that Ohio should furnish
10000 soldiers and So. 100000 in money ;
but he did not rest satisfied with filling a
civic position at home when his country
was in peril and there were battles to be
fought in her defense. No laggard step
was his when be strobe forward among
those who rushed to the front; castlDg
aside the presidency of the college Whlch
owed so much to his labor and his love,
cut ing loose from the sweet joys OF newly
made home, hs counted it gain to give his
labor. and if there were need, his lie, TO
his imperiled country. Though having
previously had no military traini ng, his
military life was not only creditable. but
distinguished by those characteristics
which make the ideal soldier in the armies
of free people. He rose to tie rank OF
IN jor general, and when in Decem ber,
1868, he laid down his commission, he did
it relucts ntly, and with no wish to avoid
the toll, danger and hardship of war, but
because his Congressional district had
called him to represent them in the coun-
ellis of the Nation. The nomination and
election rs Representative in Congress was
a spontaneous tribute to the Intelligence,
virtue. and patriotism of one who, whether
as student, teacher, soldier or legislator, had
made everything subservient to the DIS
charge of duty. That first election was no
ordinary honor. The district is, and has
for many years been, one in which the
average intelligence and virtue OF the ciu
zens is as high as in any district in the
whole country, and in which the tone OF
political morality absolutely forbids the
election Of any man whose personal char
scter is not above reprosch. The heroic
Giddings, the sturdy Wades and 9th er
earlier patriots had made the district
famous in the halls of Congress, and the
election ofso young a man as Garfield to
wear the honor they had 30 Won and truly
borne was compliment of which any
citizen of the Republic might we'll be
t,rnnd Tho aiti1a-e of tha WosfprR RnS
serve knew their man. and had made no
mistake. At election after election they
again returned their gifted mem Der till a
wider circuit Of constituents demanded
his service, and by the unanimous voice O.
the Republicans in the Ohio Legislature be
was called to seat in the United States
Senate. This august position he was never
permitted to FILL. Ere the term for which
he was elected began, he had been elected
to fiji the highest and most honorable off
cial position in the Republic. Never before
have honors so marked fallen in SO rapiC
succession on the hea of an An erlcar
citizen. So splendid career has rarely
fallen to the lot of mortal rarely, if ever,
has such q career met So tragic fate.
Asa Representative he had early attained
| a position CT prominence, and = ear by yea
his 6uence was strengthened ant
widened Though his manners were frank
open and manly, and he rarely failed t.
greet with hearty grasp Of. the hand ant
genial sunny smile his remem bered &C
qusintances, he nevertheless owed hi
place in our political system, his influence
in our councils, his strength as a statesman
not TO the happy accident of tempersnn ent
not to that personal magnetism and ut rae
tive power he possessed in no common de
gree, but to his large requirements. hi
Jealous use Of those requirements for nobl
purposes, b Is patriotic devotion to the public
welfare, and his lifelong adhesion 10 tn
hight.
He studied every pu bile question patient.
scope and its minute details he omitted n
means of obtaining light, and when b,
Came to act. he was armed at all points AM
could and did give a reason for the faltf
that was in him. He dealt not in subter-
fuges he never evaded the logical result
of his opinions and principles; earnestly
using every available means of arriving q
the truth. when be believed he had fouue
it, he stood by it; he had the courage O
his opinions, and feared not to avow them
whether they fell in with, or ran contrary
to, the popular current. Whatever he be
lieved to be manly, whatever he believed
to be honest, " as,ever he believed to bs
patriotic in the widest sense of thst word
whatever he believed TO be right. T HAT
James A. Garfield did. No partisan ad
| vantage. no personal honor or profit, n,
place or power. could make that great sou
be the minister of what he believed to b.
wrong, socially, morally, or politically
To serve his country with pure heart ant
clean hands was a. much part Of his re
ligion as to love and cherish his noble wifi
and to nurture and educate their children
To be good Christian in Garfeld's mod
of thinking. one could not but be goo'
citizen; to be good citizen, one mus
make of himself all that could result from
the most thorough and constant cultivation