New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-08
TIE PRESIDENTS CHEERFUL COTRtGJ

The Presidents chances for recovery are
greatly increased by his remarkable cheerful
ness and equanimity His mental balance is
wonderful. From the moment he recovered
from the first shock of his wounds and realized
what had happened, he has not shown the least
sign of despair, or even of disbursement.
Ills first thought was not of himself but
of his wife, and almost his first words
after he carried to the White House
were loving message to be tele-
Rraphed his wife to alay her fears.
hen his symptoms were the gravest, and DR..
Bliss, in answer TO his urgent request to be told
just what his condition really was, told him he
had about one chance in hundred TO live he
replied: "Well, Doctor, we will take that
chance" Sunday morning he sought to cheer
the weary and anxious watchers by his bed by
telling them pleasant anecdote of his carly
lie. All that we hear of his manner and
conversation shows that he bears pain
and faces the imminent peril to his life
with cheerful fortitude. A few DAYS ago.
when the doctors looked grave at some
symptoms they thought bad, he said
Keep up heart; | have not lost mine"
A man who with such a serene and calm
temper can look death in the face has nature
upon his side in the struggle for life. The
wholesome and stimulating. A despairing man
invites death, but one who is without fear
drives away the King of Terrors
few days ago, during his brief season of
repose ut Long Branch, the President conversed
with friend upon the question of the power
OF the mind 10 aggravate disease or throw il
OFF. He expressed great faith in the will as a
curative agent and cited his own recent expe-
nence IN proof of his theory. just before the
illness of Mrs. Garfield he felt quite broken
down with the strain of his new duties and
began to be apprehensive that his health would
he seriously impaired. This apprehension
served to increase the unhealthy symptoms,
and thus he went on from bad TO worse until
the grave illness of his wife threw his mind off
his own condition and caused him to put forth
all the force of his will to meet the emergency.
He became as everybody knows, the faithful
nurse of the sick lady, while neglecting none
of the arduous duties of his Office The added
strain upon him, instead of breaking him down,
caused him to throw off his own bad symp-
toms, and to grow better day by day. He re-
covered his health, he thought, by main force
of Will power. In this far greater and more
pcrilous stress and strain he is no doubt SUD-
ported by the exercise of the same resolute will.
General Garfield is constitutionally a brave
man, and hopeful man. In the army he was
Il tower of strength among his men. The
greater the difficulty, the more serious the
danger, the more calm, cheerful and resolute he
became. He was never seized by panic no
matter how the courage of others might fail
When Rosecrans and his staff believed the
battle of Chickamauga hopelcssly lost, Garfield
alone refused to despair and leaving his chief
to retreat to Chattanooga, he rode toward the
sound of Thomas's guns, insisting from the
character of the firing that one wing of the army
held Its ground, and that there was chance to
retrieve the evil fortunes of the day. In the
struggles of his political career he has shown
the same high-souled sturdiness and hopeful
ness. When Maine was lost to the Republicans
last fall, and timid men were predicting disas-
ter in November, he said, with a smile, There
had to be a Bull Run before there could be
an Appomattox. Maine is our Bull Run"
He has, besides his natural cheerfulness and
his strong will, an excellent, robust constitu-
ton, not undermined by bad habits, unless the
habit of hard work can be called a bad one.
He is temperate in all things and has led a
regular healthful, moral life. He comes of a
long-lived race, and carries the head of a
statesman on the shoulders of a muscular
farmer. A sound body and peaceful mind
are the best aids his doctors could desire for
him.
The prayers of fifty millions of people will
sustain the brave President in his sharp strug-
gle with his cruel hurts. If the earnest SYM
pathy OF a whole nation has any helpful in
liuence (and who can say it has not D he has
ii, and to the fullest possible extent. No man
in this country ever before lay at deaths door
upon whom the loving thoughts of so many
people centred. May the good Providence
bring him safely through this sore trial, and
spare his life to falfl his high purposes for
the welfare of this Republic!
You keep heart. / have not lost mine Gar |
al -N'