The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-02-28

was in II an inheritance Of courage, Of man
lines, OF imperiShRble love Of liberty, 0
undying adherence to principle. GaraelC
was proud ofhis blood; and, with Is mucl
! satisfaction % II he were q British noble
man reading his stately ancestral record ii
Burke's Peerage, he spoke Of himself n
ninth in descent Of those who would mo-
. endure the oppression Of the Stuarts, and
seventh In descent from the brave French
Protestants who refused to submit to ty
ranny even from the Grand Monaroue.
General Garfield delighted to dwell or
these traits, and, during his oaly visit h
England, he busted himself In discoyerinr
every trace Of his toreiathers in parisb
registries and on ancient army rolls. Sit
ting with o friend in the gallery OF The
House Of Commons one night after q lons
days labor in this field Of research, he said
with evident elation that In every war h
which for three centuries patriots 'of Eng.
lESh blood had struck sturdy blows fo,
constitutional government and human In.
erty, his family had been represented
They were at Marston Moor, at Naseby
and at Preston; they were ut Bunker HiIf
at Saratoga, and at Monmouth, and In his
own person had battled for the same great
Union Of the States.
Losing bis father before he was two years
ole, the early life Of Garfield was one 81
privation,. but his poverty has been made
indelicately and uniustly prominent. Thou.
sands OF readers have imagined him as the
ragged, starving child, whose reality too
often greets the eye in the squalid sections
OF our large cities General Gar6elds In.
lancy and youth had none OF their destitu.
tions, none OF their pitilul features appeal.
ing 70 the tender heart aud TO The omen
hand OF charity. He was poor how in the
same sense in which Henry Civ was n
poor boy; in which Andrew jackson was n
poor boy in which Daniel Webster was a
poor boy in the sense in which a large
majority Of the eminent men OF AmeSica In
all generations have been poor bows Be.
fore great multitude OF men, In a public
speech, Mr.. Webster bore this testimony.
did not happen to me TO be born IN n
log cabin, but my elder brothers and sisters
were born in u log cabin raised amid tbe
snow drifts Of New Hampshire, nt neriod
SO early that when the smoke rose first from
It's rude chimney and curled over the fro.
zen hills there was no similar evidence of a
white mans habitation between It and tho
settlements on the rivers of Canada, Ia
remains still exist. make il an annual
visit. l carry my children TO it TO teach
them the hardships endured by the gener.
ations which have gone before them. l
love 70 dwell on the tender recollections
the kindred ties, the early affections, and
the touching narratives and incidents which
mingle with all / know OF this primitive
family ahode."s
Witha requisite change Of scene the same
words would aptly portray the early DAYS Of
Garfield, The poverty Of the frontier.
where all are engaged in q common struggle.
and where common sympathy and hearty
cooperation tighten tie burdens Of eoc6
IS very different poverty, different in
KIND, different in influence and effect from
that conscious and humiliating indirence
which is every day forced to contrast Itself
with neighboring wealth on which il feels
sense Of grinding dependence. The nov.
erty ot the frontier Is indeed no poverty
4 Il Is but the beginning Of wealth, and h9s
the boundless possibilities Oft of The T fr,nrs mus
always opening before it. No man ever
grew up in the agricultural regions Of the
West where house.raising, or even corn.
hasGing, is matter OF common interest and
helptu!ness, with any other feeling than
that OF broad.minded, generous indepen.
dence., This honorable Independence
marked the youth Of Garfield as it marks
the youth OF millions OF the best blood and
brain now training for the future citizen.
snip and future government OF the republic.
Garneld was born heir to land, to the title
OF ireeholder which has been the natent
and passport Of self-rRspect with the ANGLO.
saxon race ever since Hengist and Horsa
landed on the shores OF England. His adj.
venture on the canai-an alternative he.
tween that and the deck OF lake Erie
scnooner-was farmer boys device for
earning money, Just as the New England
iad begins possibly great career by sailing
before the mast OF coasting vessel or on a
merchantman bound 10 the farther India or
to the China Seas. "
NO manly man feels anything OF shame
IN looking back to early struggles with nd.
verse circumstances, and no man feels n
worthler pride than when he has conquered
the obstacles to his progress. But no one
OF noble mould desires 10 be looked mon
as having occupied menial position. "A
navlng been reprcssed by feeling OF in.
leflofity, or as having suffered the evils OF
poverty until relief was found ut the hand
OF chdrtty.. General Gartietd's youth pre-.
sented no hardships which family love and
family energy did not overcome, subjected
MN TO no privations which lie did not
cheeriully accept, and left no memories
save those which were recalled with delight,
and transmitted with profit and with pride.
Garheid's early opportunities for securing
an education were extremely limited. and
yet were sufficient to develop in him nm
intense desire to learn. He could read at
threo years oil age, and each winter he had
the advantage Of the district school. lie
read all'the books TO be found within the
circle Of his acquaintance, some Of them he
got by heart. While yet in childhood he
was a constant reader Of the Bible, and be.
came familiar with its literature, The die.
nifty and earnestness OF his speech in his
mature life gave evidence OF this early
training. At eighteen years Of age he was
able 70 teach school, and thencGforward his
ambition was to obtaip college education.
70 this end he bent al his efforts, working
in the harvest field, at the carpenters bench
and, in the winter season, teaching The
common schools Of the neivhborhood.
While thus laboliously occupied he iound
time to prosecute bis studies, and was so
successful that at twenty-five years Of age
he was able to enter the junior class at
Williams College, then under the presi.
dency OF the venerable and honored Mark
Hopkins, who, in the fullness Of his pow
ers, survives the eminent pupil TO whom
ne was Of inestlmable service.
The history:ot Garfeld's life to this pc
riodi, presents no novel feature. He had
undoubtedly shown perseverance,. selt.re.'
lance, Self.sacrifiCe and ambition-ouali.
ties which, be it said for the honor oi our
country, are everywhereto be found among
the young mon ot America. But from his
graduation at Williams Oh Rasd, to The hour
OF his tragical death, GarReld's iife was
eminent and exceptional. Slowly working
through his educational period, receiving
his diploma when twenty-iour years Of
age. he seemed Mt one hound IL pnrinr inIn