Daily Republican., 1881-07-07
Lave In the President's Family.

THURSDAY, JULY z, 1881.
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Lave In the President's Family
In the Natlon's atfliction over the ex'
nected loss of its chief Magistrate the
tenderness and genuine love that exists
in the Garfield family, has been the
theme of National comment, and may
we hope will ever be the theme OF Ma
,iopal emulation. The manner in when
1be mother and the wife of the Presl-
dent has borne up under the aifiic'ion
showed no less determined purpose to
hear the trouble and be patient than
WAS shown by the President himself
and the conduct of the children reflects
the character of the parents. Millions
of men and women to whom the Presi-
,leut was but vague symbol of power,
and General Garfield perhaps political
foe have felt their hearts throb and
their eyes fill with tears at the thought
of the fair and delicate woman, so dear
to him, whom he had lovingly fingered
over and tenderly nursed back from the
borders of the grave, fastening to him
on the flying train to hold him in her
weak arms, to help him with her pray
ers and love in his long and heroic fight
with death.
Nobody yet can have forgotten the
most impressive scene at the Inaugural
lion of James A. Garfield as President
of the United States, when he too6 the
oath which made him ruler over fifty
millions of people. He was surrounded
with the highest dignitanes of the Ma
lion. Foreign tinseled ministers glis-
tened in gold and gilt, Supreme Judges
in their flowing robes of office, Sena-
Tors. Representatives, officials OF high
and low degree stood in breathless sus-
pense AS he delivered his inaugural and
took the oath of Office. The President
saw them all, but there was one little
woman on that platform whose aged,
trembling form, white hair, sunken but
loving eyes, that was first in his mind
He needed not the applauding throng,
the congratulations of ministers and
the smiles of courtiers, but turned hur-
riedly and STOPPING reverently imprint
ID a feryent kiss of love upon the aged
vrinkled cheeks of that little white
haired woman. 1t was his mother he
had kissed. The act was greeted with
mingled sobs and cheers by waiting
thousands, and the hearts of the peo-
ME were made glad with the thought
that the United States had President
whose heart was full of tilial and pa
rental love. That little act of James
A. Garfield made him stand before the
American people the embodiment of
the nobiest traits of manhood.
There are others VINO would have left
their mother at home or shut her up III
a loft, rather than have been troubled
upon such an important occasion with
her presence. But that was not Presi-
dent Gartield's manner OF doing things.
He remembered the tenderness and love
of that mother when he was a small
boy when they were both struggling
with poverty to make ends meet, and in
his greatness when he had reached the
highest niche in the American temple
of fame and power he remembered her
with increased admiration and love. On
Tuesday the sad news of the attempted
assassination of her son, which had
been purposely kept from her, was
broken to her by her daughter. She
heard the news with kind of stunned
amazement "God help me How
could anybody be so cold hearted as tt
kill my baby % she said.
The President was a soldier, pa
triot, a representative of natlona
policy, a statesman to his own people
10 the world hey ond he was the chosel
ruler of mighty people, but TO III
aged mother he was still cher baby.
James" she often said, "has alway
been good boy" in her imagination
it did not seem long to her since sh
held him in her arms and trained hin
TO be a true, obedient son. He mlgh
command millions of people of ever
race and country, but he still obeye
the aged, trembling little woman, VIII
when she heard the news cried out
Lord help me-" The cruel bullet
the assassin had in effect also pierce
her soul. Every home in America wi
hear the agonized cry of this mcthe
with tine most profound emotion. Tf
average American, may be a politician
a Republican, a Democrat, Greer
hacker or whatever else he may choos
but at the same time he is son, hu
band, father. Whatever his polite
prejudices may be against the prime
pies of his chief ruler, he is still
brother man standing, side by si'
with himself, on one level, with Il
same feelings, hopes and affections.
The Presidential Succession.
The attempt to asSassinate the Pres
dent has revealed several weak plac