The daily gazette., 1882-02-28
SECOND EDITION
MEMORIAL SERVICES.

MEMORIAL SERVICES.
TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF JAMEs A,
GARFIBLD.
WAsHINaToN, Feb. 27.-The gal
leries and floor of the House were
densely packed to-day with what
would have been brilliant assembly
had not the ladies, who filed the GAL
leries, almost without exception worn
dark bonnets and dresses as most
suitable on the occasion. The spec
taele was, interesting and imposing,
all the greas officers of the government
being formally announced to the
Speaker of the House, as they success
sively entered-the Senate of the
United States, the Supreme Court Of
the United etates, the President and
bis Cabinet and finally the Honorable
James G. Blaine.
Mr.. Blaine looked pale as he walked
down the aisle, and was dressed in
deep black, as was the President also.
Each in turn entered on the arm Of
Senator Sherman.
DELIvERY OF THE GRAFTON.
Mr.. Blaine is debater rather than
an orator. In debate few equal him
in readiness and force. For an ora
tion such as this to day he has not the
best voice, and as he read from a
manuscript this again was q sacrifice
of effect. But he had deeply inter.
ested audience, and in spite Of the
disadvantages from which he suffered
held their interest from beginning to
end.
Those-of whom there were few
here-whO were ungenerous enough to
anticipate that Mr.. Blaine would stoop
to use the solemn occasion indirectly
TO serve his own ends or views or per-
sonal griefs were disappointed, as they
deserved to be. There was not an
unfit sentence or thought in the whole
oration, nor anything which could be
by any strain construed into hint or
suggestion of ''polilics" or his own
| personality. he spoke of Garfield
and no one else. Once or twice he
touched on delicate or perhaps dan
gerous ground, but this was unavoida-
BILE and he did it delicately and well,
TUE EFFEcT.
Ifhe did not greatly move the SYM
pathy of his audience that was per-
haps partly because there remained
nothing new or striking to tell them
Of General Garfield's career or per-
souality, and partly because Wash
ington audience, long famiilar with
the counuy's prominent men, is per
haps too familiar to be easily moved
to enthusiasm. Gin New York OF
Boston or Chicago Mr.. Blaine's effort
would have produced far greater eff
feet. He'could have deeply stirred al
audience there" said an old Washing
tonian.
! NR. BLAINE'S A SPLENDID PERoRA-
TIoN.
Great in life, he was surprising Rrea
In death. For no cause, in the very
frenzy Of wantonness and wickedness, b.
the red hand Of murder, he was thrust
from the full tide Of this worlds inter
est--from its hopes, its aspirations, Its
victories-who the visible presence Of
death, and he did not quail. Not alone
for the one short moment, In which,
stunned and dazed, be coald give up
life, hardly aware of its REIMBURSEMENT,
but through days of deadly languor,
through weeks Of agony that was moi
less agony because silently borne, with
clear sight and calm courage, he looked
into his open grave. What blight and
ruin met bis anguished eyes, whose lips
may teIl-what brilliant, broken plans
what baffled, high ambitions; what sun
dering of strong, warm, manhood't 4
friendships; what bitter rending Of
sweet household ties Behind him 8
proud expectant nation, great host of
sustaining friends, cherished and
happy mother, wearing the full, rich
honors of her early toll and tears; the
wife of his youth, whose whole life lay
In his; the little boys not yet emerged
from childhood's day of frolic; the fair,
young daughter; the sturdy sons ju I
} springing into closest companion ship,
claiming every day and every day re
wardiDg fathers love and care; and in
his heart the eager, rejoicing power to
meet all demand. Before him sola-
tion and great darknessl And his soul
W rs not shaken. His couLtrymen were
thrilled with instant, profoand and uni
versal sympathy. Masterful in his NOR
tai weakness, he became the centre of q
nations love, enshrined in the prayers
of = world.
AS the end drew near, his early
craving for the sea returned. The
stately mansion of power had been
to him the wearisome hospital OF
pain and he begged to be taken
from its prison walls, from it's op-
pressive sitting air, from its homless
ness and its hopelessness. Gently,
silently, the love Of great people 9
bore the pale sufferer to the longed-
for healing of the sea, to live or to
die, as God should will within slgl
. of its heavlng pillows, within sound
, of its manifold voices, With wan,
. fevered face tenderly lifted to the
cooling breeze, he looked out visit
fully upon the oceans changing won
ders, on Its fair sails, whitening in
, the morning light, on its restless
} waves, rolling shoreward to break
} and die beneath the MONDAY sun
} on the red clouds of evening, arch
= ing low to the horizon; on the serene
and shining pathway OF the stars Lei
us think that his dying eyes read 9
mystic meaning which only the rapi
and parting soul may know.n Lei
us believe that in the silence Of the
receding world he heard the grea
waves breaking on further shore
and felt already upon his wasted
l k,o.w, Al. huontE ackRo onv,