Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-11-26
GARFIELDIANA.
MEMORIAL MEETING OF THE LITER.
AIRY SOCIETY.


garfield IN Literature ana Science
The meeting of the Literary Society on Sat-
urday evening, at DR.. Galiaudet's residence, on
Kendall Green, was quite fully attended by the
! members and by considerable number of in
vited guests. among whom were the Chief Jus
tice and Mrs. Waite, ex-Secretary and Mrs Win
dom. Senator and Mrs. Edmunds. Senator Nor
rill, Mrs. Admiral Dahlgren, the Treasurer of
the United States and Mrs. Giifillan, President
Yelling of Columbian University, and Mr.. +.
Stanley Brown.
There was no profusion Of flowers in the dec
Grafton Of the house, but in their stead the
rooms were heavily draped with hanging moss.
peculiar to the south, which, together with ivy
and magnolia leaves for wreath around the ex-
hibited portrait of Gen. Garfield, was sent from
Savannah ''as an Offering from a southern fam
lily who thoroughly appreciated the virtues of
President Garfield" The sOmber effect of the
hanging moss was thought to be especially ap-
prOpriate to the occasion.
The literary exercises of the evening were Of
a very interesting character. and were wholly
devoted to the memory Of the late president of
the society Gen Garfield. DIR. Gallaudet. the
vice president, made a short opening address.
in which he gave sketch of Gen. Garfield S
connection with the Society from the time when
he was announced as a member at Mrs. Dahl
green's. on the 10Th OF February 1876 Gen. Gar
fields presidency dates from December. 1879
DR.. Gailaudet announced the especial purpose
Of the meeting in the following language:
at will be for others to tell of his Gen. Gar
helds) work as a teacher to recount his deeds
in arms to describe his career as a legislator.
and to record the events of his brief term as
Chief Magistrate of the nation. 1t is our priv
ilege to fill a page in his history which may
show him to have been man of letters-a stu
dent of books as well as OF men-a promoter of
the fine arts as We'll the arts Of war and of
government"
Garfield Among Books.
The principal paper of the evening was by Mr..
Spotford, the Librarian of Congress. in which
General Garfield's methods of reading. study.
composition and delivery were analysed and de-
scribed in most discriminating and eloquent
manner After a brief preface, Mr.. SpofIord
said:
among the men whom have known whose
! lives were engrOssed in public affairs President
Garfield was one of the most extensive readers.
Not that he absolutely travelled through more
books than some Others but ne used q multi
| tude Of authors by way of hints, suggestions, or
| authorities. 1t was the habit of his mind, APP
| parently very early formed, to generalise. to
seek for great leading principles. and to push
his Investigations of subject until he had COW
| cred all the ground that time permitted. before
putting his own ideas into form. To this end
he read rapidly, Selling with quick intuition
| the portions of q book which had ANYTHING to
his purpose, and throwing aside as quickly
| those which yielded nothing. His perceptye
| faculties were of the highest order: his mind
was comprehensive, and his tendency was to
take the largest view of every subject. His
| fair-mindedness made him recognize the merit
often of opposing views. and his unfailing cour-
tesy and suavity of manner made him general
| tavorite. He was never chary of asking
assistance in laying out the materials for any
| work he had to do. He made no mystery
of what he was about; concealed nothing of his
purposes or methods. drew freely upon his
| friends for suggestions, used his family secre-
| taries and librarians to look up authorities. or,
| if he found the time, he looked them up him
| self. When he had examined the field as thor
Ou@h!y as he was able. he organized his subject
in his own mind, and. if the speech was to be
! in Congress. he seldom wrote more than a few
| of its leading outlines. leaving tie substance as
well as the diction. tothe occasion. He sometimes
| memoriZed. but many of his finest utterances
| were struck out in the white heat of debate
| He had a genuine love of discussion, aud the
activity of his intellect was such as to give him
| rare advantages in eXtempofaGeOuS discourse.
| You, who have heard him speak. recall thcvivid
| force This utterance the s0lidity of his matter
the clear logic OF his reasoning. the occasional
| beauty OF his imagery or illustrations. the SYM
| pathetic and persuasive tones OF his voice. and
| the electric energy with which he marched
through his subject with the bearing of mas
! ter. His audiences. though composed. as re-
| CARDS most of his public utterances of the most
| diiicut-not to say Embellishments in Amer
lea Ga body OF lawyers. orators and politicians.
were often held spelibOund to the close. No
man who has spoken in that forum during the
| last quarter OF a century has succeeded better
| impervious organ. known as ''the ear of the
House."
The history of Garfield's mind was contn-
nous growth. from very crude beginnings until
he became one of the best equipped men i'm public
| life His early culture was so deficient that
when he began with fixed resolve to get an
| education, he had many obstacles to overcome.
| But he mastered them ALL and was an eager
student of books before he had yet learned their
true and highest uses. As he wrote of Abraham
Lincoln, SO was ii true of himself: 1.-The few
| books that came within his reach he deyoured
with the divine hunger of genius When away
| from dictionaries and cyclOpadas, he would
make notes of all the words and illusions which
he did not comprehend in the books he read.
| and look them up as soon as opportunity could
be found. His early experience as teacher
helped him. as it has helped many others. both
| to acquire and to arrange clearly his knowledge
| fQS immediate use. He wrote cOplOusiy at all
periods of his life. His early style before he
acquired that refined taste which comes from
familiarity with the classic models. and espec-
| tally from the Greek was somewhat crude and
/ declamatnry. In fact, he never quite got over
a certain eXuberance and effusion which came
| from his large, Tree, gushing nature
and ardent temperament. He strove to check
this tendency, and in sober composition
he succeeded well in doing So He was con-
scious of the defects which spoil most of our
| public speaking for any permanent effect or
place in literature. But he was conscious. too.
of the possession Of great faculties for impress
sing men, and he passiOnately loved the power
and the opportunities Of the public orator.
Given a theme of patriotic interest. and a great
sympathetic audience. and he delighted in the
exercise of his gift of Speech as a strong man
| to run race. There he would let out the whole
| volume of that sonOrOus voice, whose tones
| swayed and stirred the audience like the sound
| of trumpet. while the sledge-hammer blows of
! his powerful left arm almost his only gesture)
enforced his utterances. The upturned sea of
faces before him gaZed with intent look, almost
as absorbed as he, while the fervid orator. with
head thrown far back.-a head like that of the
| Oympan JOye--droye home the strong points
| of his argument. Then would come. ever and
anon. a volley of applause, and when he closed,
| the ringing shouts and cheers broke forth, for
the multitude idOlized Garfield.
1t will readily be gathered by those who know
the exacting nature of public station at WASH
ington that Garfield had little time for discur-
siVe reading. Yet he was never without a
quantity of books on hand. upon which he