Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-09-20
TIE DEATH OF TIE raEsIDEAr.


president James A. Garfield lies dead
Eat Long Branch; dead on the very
sthreshold of a career which promised SO
brilliantly dead in the full flush of man.
ahood andintellectual powers; wrapt away
zfrom his country at the most critical
1gjuncture.
q General GarfeId's history is too familiar
7to need recapitulation. His toilsome boy
ahood and adolescence; his sturdy pursuit
'sof education under all manner of difficult
dties his rapid advance in social station
13and public estimation his entrance into
aCongress and the army his dual services
:sas soldier and legislator his admirable ex-
doosition of financial principles his schol-
,aarship, his talent and his oratory all have
S5been recounted during the past year, until
sthere is no public man whose life is more
ssthoroughly known than that of the late
aPresident. He was man of no ordinary
sssintellectual rank. His ambition and his
andustry went side by side. Hewas never
sscontent to skim his subjects as most Con-
agrezsmen do, but he mastered all of them,
9and made them completely his own. In
Congress he was the leader of the House by
fright of his abilities, and his speeches upon
S great issues have remained models not only
1of oratorioal power, but of that lucidity
,sof statement and fullneas of comprehen-
z!sion which are required to make any ex.
doosition instructive and valuable.
{ President Garfeld's gliding principles
were steadfastly lofty and pure. He was
{ 9on the side of the Slave, and against
ssSlavery. He was on the side of the Union,
land against Rebellion. He was on the
sside of honest money, and against all the
3specious pretenses which have from time to
sitime been devised to mask Reputation.
5He was on the side of Civil Service reform,
land against the Spoils system. He was
On the side of Truth and Justice against
Fraud and Duplicity, no matter what the
circumstances, and therefore and of neces-
ssity he was representative Republican.
No man was ever more considerate of
3others. No man was ever mere amiable
and pleasant in manner. 1t may be said
.lof him indeed that he " bore without abuse
t. the grand old name of gentleman. a
sscholar, an orator, statesman, sagacious
spolitical leader, an instructive champion
ssand friend to every elevating influence and
seyery progressive tendency, he stood for
swhateyer was best and most sincere, earnest
.sand enlightened in the country. We do
;snot believe in the hypocritical old maxim
5ae mortuis MI aiSi bonum. We believe in
Stelling the truth of every man, whether
She is dead or alive. But we know too well
with what shameless and wanton license
ssscalumny and slander are permitted to be
.Ssmployed in American politics to pay any
aheed to the wretched inventions of un-
sscrupulous political foes who have sought
zto smirch his reputation as they would
sshave sought to befoul the reputation of q
8 Messiah, had he come among them.
]; Garfield was a pure man and an honor.
gsable, and they realized his nobility Of
scharacter most fully who knew him best.
HHe had been but four months in Office
5when the assassin shot him. They were
sfour months of unprecedented anxiety and
lvexation. The attempts of the Grant fac.
stion, first to control the Administration,
sand, falling that, to destroy it, demanded
5unrenlitting vigilance on the part of the
! President. At the same time the abomin-
able spoils system almost paralyzed him by
sssubjecting him for weeks together to i'm
sportunities and solicitations sufficient to
! have overthrown the mental balance of a
ssweaker man. There can be no doubt that
sthis base and exhauating ordeal sapped his
sphysical strength, however, and thus rem
5dered his system less able to resist the
sshock of Guiteau's bullet.
Had he lived, he would have put his
whole soul into his administration. He
brought to the task finer and fuller
mind than any American President since
] Jefferson, if we may except Lincoln, per-
shaps, possessed. He was the hope and
ssupport Of the party of reform. He was a
President of whom every American citizen,
North or South, could be proud, as of a
Egentleman, scholar, patriot and man.
zHe has been torn from us by means which
twill not bear thinking of. The nation
must mourn bitterly over the loss, for as.
ssuredly that loss is great. Norris it dimin-
ssished sensibly when we turn from the con-
Temptation of this noble pillar, broken and
soverthrown, and gaze upon the substitute
(which, in accordance with constitutional
provisions, will take its place.
: : - -
Z
CHINESE lAwLEssNEss.
q The in,nunity with which the Chinese