The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-09-01


unprecedented disturbance throughout the ma
ton, the end of which is not yet and cannot be
foreseen. Tho question OF his punishment
depends Upon his ;meptal condition. The
death OF lis victim Is the greatest calamity
which could botall him, fot 1t i. yorS doubtful
the country to make a finding Of insanity: He
has enough method III bis fcisned tnadloss to
know this aid his late expressions 6n the
nriS1nt %an are Of e o that The
assault, were it not to terminate fatally; eight
his punishment If his sanity could be estab-
lishel. Behind the bars Is certainly the soft
est place he can find in the country, and he
realizes this; for tho nero suggestion of it led
him to withhold an elaborate petition which he.
had prepared TO offor the authorities in apply
ing for bail. He acts very like d sane man in
tho face Of bangor, either real or fancied.
GARFIELD AT CHICAGO.
NOMINATED by THE PEOPLE.
Gen. Garfield was the most commanding
figure of the Chicago convention. No ono
who was there can ever forget the almost
unconscious thrill which his first appearance
caused, sndwhich leepened into excited ex-
pectancy, and finally to eager enthusiasm, as
no became more and more the representative
Of the popular sentiment and the
popular hope. Ho made no bid. for
applause; no attempt 10 attract attention: :. :,
Probably, no moro quiet or less obtruslve
man 6guretlintthe convention. He came as
delegate ,from~ the great State of OHIO; and
quietly took his seat snoar Tho middle, rather
to the right, OF the deiegatess hall, Mr.: Obnk-
ling occupying 4 seat down the isle 'jtist In
front, Gen Logan being far to the left and
other nationally prominent men being scat
tered about in various quarters Of the hall.
Mr.. Garfield Walked deliberately; and yet d.
rect]y with swift stride to his seat Ho was
seldom there moro than few t1intites before
the opening of tho proceedings and never came
after the chairman had called the meeting to
tho business he had before him and not for the
purpose of catching the certain applause of
tho vast crowd about him. He ever took his
seat promptly, and notwithstanding tho GAL
leries wero ringing with com oiued shout that
must have stirred the depths of old Lake
Michigan. he seemed at all times entirely un-
moved. One could see he would not for 4 mo-
ment permit himself to comprehend the mean
ing Of the applause. Long before the cheering
that greeted his coming had died away. he
would assume his seat and be either engaged
in reading letters or kilograms or conversing
with those who sought him out. He never at
titudinized so as to catch the throng. He was
an avowed advocate of Mr. Sherman, who was.
with the masses, the least popular Of all the
candidates before the convention Neither his
manner nor the cause he assnmed-as was the
case with Mr.. Conkling in his championship Of
less degree with Mr.. Hale in his advocacy Of
Mr.. Blaine-neither of these facts drew forth
one word Of the greeting from the myriad OF
threats. 1t was the splendid character Of the
individual that sllone forth, that Compelled the
homage that was rendered, a free-will offering.
viction fastened itself upon tile minds Of few
that Mr.. Garfield was the coming hlan. He
went to Chicago a mere delegate, aud; althotigh
lie was at the head OF his delegation. yet he did
not attempt to place himself prominently be-
fore tie convention. He spoke but once or
were 20 manifestly from the heart, and his
pleading so Enthusiastically in the interest Of the
right-so entirely for the good of the party and
the country-so patriotic as well as zealohsly
partizan, that he carried: though unintehtion-
ally on his part, the conviction to the
man for president This conviction took shape
III the minds of but very few, but al WERE
prepared for the move when it came. Not
withstanding he had not been a candidate;
there was nothing strange-soundihg or pre-
posterons in the proposition to make James 4.
truly said that he was nominated
rather by the gallery than by the con-
vention. The masses gathered in the exposi-
ton building at Chicago were the power be-
hind the throne. They had made Mr.. Garfield
so popular among themselves and with the
convention, that when it became apparent that
General Grant could not add to his strength
and that the opposition could not unite on
Blaine, Elmunds, Sherman or Washburn;
there was no course left but to turn to General
Garfield and lay the Offering at his feet.
That he had any hope of receiving the nomi
nation when he went TO Chicago no careful OBJ
server OF his demeaner can believe, for he
worked so faithfully in the Sherman interest
that he left no gaps down and no doubt of his
sincerity in the cause. Even when his name
began to be seriously used as candidate, he
arose to make objection, and was only prevent
cd from doing so by those surrounding him.
From that time until the great rush was over
and he found himself the standard bearer of the
great Republican party, he sat quietly in his
seat sea as cool an observer as any man in the
hail. the In e dss' d hs sa n When 'ss ri
vas c.e1 h. took his departure with de-
meanor that was calculated to increase the
confidence previously felt in him. He re-
ceiyed the congratulations Of his friends with
warm return Of their hand-shakes, but passed
self, after tue manner of the man who is pre-
pared for all surprises, whether they tend to
his elevation or his injury
The three great epochs of Gen. Garfe!d's
history in the Chicago convention were his
magnificent championship of the rights of the
the rules; las splendid speech nominal
ing Sherman for the presidency, and
tho final glorious scene Of his
Triumphant nomination. Gen. Garfield did not
go 20 Chicago lis 4 brawler or factional con-
tcstant. He took little show in his strength
that preceded the meeting and organization of
the convention. He was rarely on his feet
except for some serious purpose; to elucidate
some importaD principle or to champion some
great idea. He neither gave nor accepted
challenges to hints OF debate and treated his
associates with courtesy and consideration
in which there was no trace of hidden
sarcasm. But he was quick and bold to speak
and act III tho maintenance of the right and
the defense of the oppressed. When the bully,
Conkling, tried to disfranchise the West Vir-
ginia delegates for obeying the instructions of
their constituents, it was Garfield who faced
him in the finest impromptu speech of tho con-
vention and carried the body with him to the
utter discontinue of the third termers. That
speech placed Garfield upon pedestal before
the eyes of the whole convention from which
lie was never lowered until the nomination was
laid at his feet
AS chairman of tho committee on rules Gar
field had more than aav other to do with the
long struggle that ended in the abrosation of
the unit rule aud rovolutioniZed the practice
of Republican national conventions forever
In committee aud convention he did battle
couraGcously and wisely for the principle of
popular representation against the un-Ropub-
lican shadow OF the southern States rights idea
which the third termers tried to impose upon
the body. He framed tho report
finally adopted, and by his skillful manage
ment and courteous but persistent champion
ship made district representation rule of that
aud all future Republican national conven-
tons. The adoption Of that report was turn
ing point. not only in that convention but in
the history of the Republican party. 1t was
Gen. Garfield's rare good fortune to have his
name connected, in the most prominent way,
with one of the most important and felicitous
events in the history Of his party.
Gen. Garfeld's second prominent appear
anco before tile convention was in his speech
nominating SecretarySherman for president,
the most thoughtful and statesmanlike effort
Of tie whole meeting, as his defonse of the
West Virginia delegates was the best impromp-
tn speech. Coming just after Conkling's dra-
matte effort the characters, motives and attri-
butes of the two men were placed in strong
contrast. and Gen. Garfield was not the
one one to suffer by the comparison
did and ,judicious;. scholarly, straight
forward and high toned, free from the spirit
of affectation and partisanship, and Informed
with the noblest spirit OF devotion to IDEAS