Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-03-11
shc President nnd His Friends and
Neighb0rs.

assume the duties OF his high station
his friends and neighbors assembled TO
bid him farewell. General Tinker, an
old friend, thus addressed him in their
behalf:
| GENERAL GARFIELD: have been deputied
by your friends and neighbors here assembled
| TO say for them few words 70 you on the eve
| where you viii soon take the most sacred oath,
| and thereby solemnly swear you Will faithfu-
" execute your great Office, and WILL to the
| best of your ability, preserve, protect and do
iend the Constitution OF the United states.
Aud when you shall have enJoined upon you
fesponsIbities resp tha, might we'll % at times %appa
the stoutost heart, you will be entitled TO take
the scat first hallowcd by Washington, and
Lincoln; seat long sought for and aspircd
unto by that noble patriot and incorruptibe
statesman OF Kentucky, whose bewitching
tcsy, made him the idol of his party and tho
idol OF all who came within the magic circle OF
bis presence; n scat which the great orator OF
Massachusetts, thought not unworthy OF his
ambition; an orator whose astonishing elo-
quence was an epoch In the American Senate;
orators OF antiquity; whose chaste and splen.
did rhetoric, faultlcsslogic; princely micn ana
air OF solemn dignity would have Done honor
to tho orntory OF old Rome where the orntQIy
OF Rome did honor to mankind" These gift
ed men were not destined to reach the top
most grade of the staircase Of civic honore, TO
occupy the supreme step, where sir. you now
stand MS the central figure of the Nation, the
conserved OF all observers" Why these
aited station is a problem which, on this
occasion. will not undertake to solve;
yet, In passing, 1 will venture to ask
late that noble preccpt, that the first sta
tion In the Republic is neither to be sought
after nor declineds Sir, you will enter upon
tho duties of your Office under the happiest
auRuries. The time and manner of your NOM
nation were indeed fortunate, both for your
country and yourself viii barely mention,
aud without comment, the sore disapppint-
ment which the friends Of the great soldier
suffered In his failure to receive the nomina-
tion which, unasked and unsought was be
slowed On you. To have been selected by the
Convention before which that true lover OF his
country, that merciful and generous COM
mandcr, who, by his wnrincss in success by
his calmncss in danger and by his stubborn
resolution In all adversity, has won the i'm
mortality OF renown, was II candidate, IS nm
honor OF which any citizen might justly lie
proud. few of our politicians acknowledge
an inability to comprehend FIRST your sudden
and .weltnigh sidereal rise; that flight so
rapid and lofty would, as they assumed to pre-
dict, terminate in exhaustion, disaster and
defeat. But during the campaign which re-
suited suit n your election your conduct was SO
envy even have ceased to murmur at your
elevation; that since you entered the lists for
the highest Of civil prizes, and while multi
tudes OF all races and colors thronged the
portals and passage ways of your private
mansion, you addressed them such words of
MlsuOul tuht HS III uuny Iht cases
hitherto, of being source of weakness,
1t has been source of respect to you
and your friends. The people, irrespective
OF party, are to-day as greedy to catch every
word of your public utterances as on the day
of your nomination; and 1t is their rare prlvi-
lege to declare that while the great struggle
Tor politicai supremacy, now happily ended,
was in progress, you spoke no word or sem
tence your wisest and best friend would wish
to be recalled. The great party that placed
you bcioi the people MS worthy of the highest
of eatthly honors knew 1t named statesman
who had iound his proper place in society, and
who ielt sure he wns competent to MI It; who
knew you were easy even to inforinulity
where your own dignity was concerned; that
you were punctllious only for your country;
of itsclt-leit to be defended by your Victories
In war, and your pre-eminent Congressional
services in peace. You readily took your
place at tie head of your party with the quiet
dignity OF n man ennobled by nature. Your
serenity, modesty and scll-command were
proof, even against the most sudden surprises
OF passion. The work. you are about to under
take is of incalculablc moment 1t will sift
and expose every principle and sensation of
your heart; will fully display the vgor and
genius or your craftsmanship: Will cvince
whether you really possess the great qualities
oil ndclity. Justice clemcncy and sclt-deniat:
will require every energy and employ every
faculty you possess: will demand to be sup
ported from above, and almost instructed by
Immediate inspiration.
Sir, many OF us present VIII remember that
only score years ago you were young md
unknown, but to-day your name is heard alike
i'll the palaces OF the rich and in the hamlcts
OF the poor; and this broad land is to-day
full! of the sound of the footsteps of your
fame. would not venture for myself. nor in
behalf of these. your friends, present, to sug.
Yest even, any rules of conduct which should
in the least influence your Official action. You
might and probably would, regard advice of
that cha actor obtrusive and impertinent;
yet hope you Will pardon me while humbly
remind you that one of the wiscst of men has
declared, mo man is fit TO govern great soci-
eties who hesitates about disobliging a few
n n
many whom he will never see" We have
reason to eope from your conduct in the past
that you will, when called to do battle on a
larger and National field, display those great
qualities of states smanship that will constitute
the pride of your countIymen: that as our
Chief Magistrate you will not excite hopes
where you ought to create despair: that you
will not hover between two principles, which
ruins political strength by lowering political
ton that your enemies need not fear
You and your friends cannot trust you.
There are two beautiful words, says Sidney
Smith, in the English language-yes and no.
You must pronounce them boldly and en-
phatically, and stick to them to death. am
not here to Halter you: burst not do 1t, for
am your personal and political friend. Those
who, In the common course of the world"
observes great author. will call themselves
your friends, or whom, according to common
notions of friendship, you may think such.
will never tell YOU your tsults, much less your
weaknesses" But, on the contrary, more de-
srous TO make you their friend than prove
themselves yours, they will fiatter both, and,
in truth. not be sorry for either. VIII you al
low me to say that many rulers would have
placed their names in the hierarchy of great
men had they not been wanting in that which
is higher than political courage; courage
which will not shrink from the responsibility
OF doing and from the responsibility of not
doing. We confidently believe you will dem
onstrate on the National field that calm and
steady prudence and high courage which no
calamity can ruttie or dscompOse; that you
will demonstrate, in your official course as
our CHIEF Magistrate, 10 the country and to
the world at large. that patriotism which has
been SO tcrsely described In that noble pas
sage by Cicero. in which he asserts that "thc
Love we owe our country is even hoicr and
,aore profound than that we owe our nearest
kinsmln, and that he can have no claim to tine
die in its behalf" We feel assured that, as
''hll the chairs of Justice with worthy mem"
with men who, under all circumstances, will
keep clean their erminc. and administer just
ice, pure and unpollutcd; with men in whose
placid equity and medating wisdom we can
trust in the worst Of times. Yet above and
high over all, we implore You to use your
honor, dignity, and erudition of that supreme
tribunal once honored and presided over by
Marshall
The moment is at hand when we must part,
part Tor period OF years, and with many of
| us. with frosted heads. 1t is II parting final and
foreyermore. Your going away, though it be
on EARTH tllls us with sadno's. We shall miss
your cordial greetings, hearty handshakes,
lONlnp SOcIdl cOulphnlOnsnlp, ana personal
counsel In private and public affairs. We
honor. you; we believe in you. We know that
the glitter and pomp Of power. the vanities of
empty greatness, which attend ON and sur
round rulers, will never make your forget that
"God only is great will never make you in
sensible to the fact that great characters, like
great pictures, are simplest, and nothing Is
high because in II high place. and that nothing
Is low because in n low place.
We must now bid you farewell. 1t has been
truly said, that In this brief life of ours II Is
sad TO do almost any thing for the last time.
Farewell, God bless you! God bless our cOun-
tryl
THE GENERALS REPLY.
Fellow Citizens and Neghbors of Lake County;
thank You for the cordial and kindly greet
ing and farewell. You have come from your
homes, than which no happier are known In
this country, from this beautiful lakeside full
of all that makes country life happy, TO give
ne your blessing and farewell. You do not
know how much leave behind me of friend
ship and confidence and homelike happiness,
but know am indebted 10 this whole peo-
pie for acis of kindness. of nelghborly friend
ship. OF political confidence, OF public sup
NhuN NAxt hat. a.