Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-03-03


did he give his case away. or fail in the
Judgment of competent and impartial
listeners to gain the mastery.
these characteristics, which marked
GARFIELD as great debater, did not,
however, make him great parlia-
mentary leader. a parliamentary
leader, as that term IS understood
wherever free representative govern.
ment exists, is necessary and very
strictly the organ of his party. For an
achievement of that kind Garfield wits
squallhed-disqualifie by the texture
Of his mind, by the honesty of his
heart, by his conscience, and by every
instinct and aspiration of his nature
The three most distinguished ia.
mentary leaders hitherto developed in
this country are Mr. Clay, Mr.. Douglas,
Mr.. Ihaddens Stevens. Each was
man OF consummate ability, of great
earnestness, of intense personality,
differing widely, each from each other,
and yet with a signal trait in common
tine power to command.
FROM these three great men Garfield
differed radically, differed in the quail
" OF rs mind, IN temperament, in the
form and phase of ambition. He could
not do what they did, but he could do
what they could not, and in the breadth
OF his Congressional work he left that
which will longer exert a potential in
nuence among men, and which, meas
uted by the severe test of posthumous
criticism, viii secure a more enduring
and more enviable fame.
Gartield's nomination to the Presi-
dency. while not predicted or anticipa-
ted, was not a surprise to the country.
His prominence in Congress, his solid
qualities, his wide reputation, strength
ened by his then recent election as
Senator from Ohio, kept him in the
public eye as man occupying the very
highest rank among those entitled to be
called statesmen.
One aspect of his candidacy was I'M
/ precedented. Never before in the his
tory of partisan country, had success
tul presidential candidate spoken freely
on passing events and current issues.
10 attempt anything of the kind
seemed novel, rash, and even desper-
ate. The older class of voters recalled
the unfortunate Alabama letter, in
which Mr.. Clay was supposed to have
signed his political death warrant.
They remembered also the hot-tem-
pered efusion by which General Scott
lost large share of his popularity be-
tore his nomination, and the unfortu-
nate speeches which rapidly consumed
the remainder. The younger voters
had seen Mr.. Greeley in a series of Wig.
orous and original addresses, preparing
the pathway for his own defeat. I'm
mindful of these warnings, unheeding
the advice of friends, Garfield spoke
to large crowds as he journied to and
from New York in August, to great
multitude in that city, to delegations
and Occupations of every kind that
called at Mentor during the summer
and autumn. With innumerable
critics, watchful and eager to catch a
phrase that might be turned into odium
and ridicule, or a sentence that might
be distorted to his own or his party's in
jury. Garfield did not trip or halt in
any of MS seventy speeches. This seems
all the more remarkable when it is re-
membered that he did not write what
he said, and yet spoke with such losi-
cal consecutivenes of thought and such
admirable precision of phrase as to
defy the accident of misreport and the
malignity of misrepresentation.
In the beginning of his Presidential
life Garfeld's experience did not yield
him pleasure or satisfaction. The du-
ties that engross SO large a portion OF
the Presidents time were distasteful to
him, and were unfavorably contrasted
with his legislative work. 'Inave been
dealing all these years with IDEAS" he
impatiently exclaimed one day, 'sand
here l am dealing only with persons.
have been heretofore treating of the
fundamental principles Of government
and here l am considering all day
whether A or B shall be appointed to
this or that Office" He was earnestly |
seeking some practical way of correct
ing the evils arising from the distribu- |
ton Of overgrown and unwieldy patron
age-evils always appreciated and often |
discussed by him, but whose magnitude |
had been more deeply impressed up
on his mind since his accession to the |
Presidency. Had be lived, compre-
hensive improvement in the mode OF |
appointment and i'll the tenure III Office |
would have been propo> Cd by him, and |
with the aid Of congress, 10 doubt per.
fected.
But while many o: the Executive du.
ties We're not grateful TO him, he was
asslduous aud conscientious in their
discharge. From the very outset he
exhibited administrative talent of a high
order. He grasped the helm of office
with the hand of Il master. In this 10.
spect indeed he constantly surprised
many who were most intimately asso.
ciated with him in the government, and
especially those who feared he might
be lacking in the executive faculty.
His disposition Of business was orderly
and rapid. His power of analysis. and
his skill in classification, enabled him
to dispatch vast mass of detail with
singular promptness and ease. His
Cabinet meetings were admirably con-
Quoted. His clear presentation of
official subjects. his we'll considered sug-
gestion of topics on which discussion
was invited, his quick decision when
all had been heard, combined to show
thoroughness Of mental training as
rare as his natural ability and his facile
adaptation to new and enlarged field
of labor.
With perfect comprehension of all
the inheritances of the war, with
cool calculation of the obstacles in his
way, impelled always by a generous
enthusiasm. Garfield conceived that
much might be done by his admins
tration towards restoring harmony be-
tween the different sections of the
Union. He was anxious to 90 south
and speak to the people. As early as
April he had Intellectually endeavored
to arrange for a trip to Nashville, ;
whittier he had been cordially invited, I
and he was again disappointed few {
weeks later to find that he could not go
to South Carolina to attend the centen-
NAL celebration of the victory of the
Cowpens. But for the autumn he def
nitely counted on being present at {
three memorable assemblies III the s
south, the celebration at Yorktown, !
the opening of the Cotton Exposition |
at Atlanta. and the meeting of the 9
Army of the Cumberland at Chatta- (
nooga. He was already turning over 1
in his mind his address for each occa- I
;ion, and the three taken together, he '
said to a friend, gave him the exact I
scope and verge which he needed. At !
Yorktown he would have before !
him the associations of a hundred !
years that bound the south and north :
~, he conro1 - |