The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-09-23

President Garfield breathed his last
at 1885 on Monday evening, Septem-
her 18th, after seyenty-nine days of
unmeasured suffering, surrounded by
his heart.broken wife and children,
the members of his cabinet and ply
sicians, whose manhood gave way and
whose tears mingled spontaneously
with the tears of those bound by
the more sacred and ~endearing ties of
consanguinity. The hustled and awe.
some scene may he family imagined.
but its full proportions it is not given
To words faithfully to portray. While
those who had, day after day, at
morning. at noon and at nightfall,
sought in the last bulletins rays Of
hope TO dispel their fears, the news
of the President death VAS not III
expected, still the dreadful announce.
ment touched those finer cords of Il
nature which thrill with emotion
when the heart ceases TO beat and the
eyes close forever at the mandate of
the angel of death.
For u second time, in the brief
period of sixteen years, our govern
ment has encountered the shock of a
President brought TO his death by the
hand of an enraged and fanatical
assassin. Its repetition to-day is no
less deep. direct and terrible, because
it is "a second occurrence.
We cannot, in our present deep
sorrow, find fitting words with which
TO speak of so momentous an event
and of a life SO promising, closing at
its meridian. Ex-Governor Thos. A.
Hendricks, of Indiana, in speaking of
the event, said This is sad, very
sad. Another good life taken away,
that of a young man, bright in hopes
and scholarly in his attachments. 1t
is very sad 1t is the most touching
and d%eplorable event that has shocked
this country since Lincoln was assas.
sinated. In some respects Gartield's
death was the sadder, the more
touching of the two. L~incoln's work
WAS not complete, and he vas partic-
ularly fitted to carry out the work
that was before him. But he could
have acquired no greater, nobler
fame. His fame was at its zenith.
Garfield is taken away in the days of
peace, with an un%completed admins.
tration still before him."
But God reigns and the government
lives, with every man, woman and
child in our vast domain a SUBJ |
dued and sorrowing mourner, to
gather what consolation he may
from those assurances derived
from Inspiration, "whom the Lord
loveth he chasteneth." Like the
stately ship on the broad ocean, with
the on-coming of u mountain wave
threatening TO engulf her, the shock
comes, the noble vessel trembles for
"a moment, but the sails fill again and
away she tends to her port of destin-
alton. Typical Of this, is the event
which it becomes u sad duty to
convey to every reader of the FREE
PRES, who like ourselves have waited
with a hope and anxiety not I'M.
mingled with despair, that God in
the dispensation of His manifold
blessings would spare to our anxious
and hoping hearts the life Of our
beloved President. But the fiat has
gone forth, and it is not our province
to murmur but to submit to the ordeal
and put our trust in the One who
dOeth all things well.
How exceedingly expressive, point.
ed and appropriate are the words of
homage which James A. Garfield
spoke iE the House of Representa-.
tiyeS of the United States, in January
1876, on the death Of Hon. Henry ii.
Stark weather, representative from
the State Of Connecticut: 81 have
sometimes thought that we cannot
know any man thoroughly wei:
while he is in perfect health. AS
the ebb.tide discloses the real lines |
"of the shore and bed of the sea, 50
feebleness, sickness and pain bring
out the real character of a man.
Who knew better than he the
sacred ministry of pain? Who
struggled more courageously to do
"his duty uncomplainingly and APP
pear to be well I"
These expressive words are a per.
feet pcn-picture of the noble bearing
Of their author, in his long and dreary
days of suffering, during which lie
bravely pushed away the unwelcome
hand that was reaching for his heart
strings. With that patience and trust
which james A. Garfield afforded 80