St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-03-11

President was content in his mind, justified,
IN his conscience, lmmovable in his conclu-
| SiOnS.
| The religious element in his character wa,
| deep and earnest. In his early youth he es-
poused the faith of the Disciples Il sect of
| that great Baptist communion, which in diff
| fercnt ecclesiastical establishments is 80 nu-
| merous and so influential throughout all
parts of the United States; but the broaden
ing tendency OF his mind and his active spirit
of inquiry were early apparent, and carried
him beyond the dogmaS of sect and the re-
straintS of association In selecting college
in which to continue his education, he reject
ed bethany, though presided over by Alexan-
der Campbell, the greatest preacher OF his
church. His reasons were characteristic:
first. that bethany leaned too heavily toward
slavery; and second, that being himself
| Disciple and the son OF Disciple parents. he
had little acquaintance with people of other
beliefs, and he thought it would make him
more liberal, quoting his own words both in
religious and general views, TO 90 into a new
circle and be under new influences. The lib
eral tendency which he anticipated as the re
suit of wider culture was fully realized He
was enancipated from mere sectarian belief,
and with eager interest pushed his investiSa-
tions in the direction OF modern progressive
thought He followed with quickening step
in the paths of exploration and speculation
so fearlessly trodden by Darwin, by Huxley,
by Tyndall, and by other living scientists OF
the radical and advanced type His own
church, binding its disciples byno formulated
creed, but accepting the Old and New Tesla
ments as the word of God. with unbiased lib
crafty of private Interpretation, favored, if it
did not stimulate, the spirit of investigation.
Its members profess with sincerity and pro-
TESS truly to tie of one mind and one faith with
those who Immediately followed the Master
and were first called Christians at Antioch.
But however high Garfield reasoned of free
fate, free will. toreknoWiedSc ABSOLUTE, he
was never separated from the Church of the
Disciples in his affections and in As aSpira
lions. For him it held the ark OF the cove
nant. To him it was the gate OF Heaven
The browning characteristic of Gen. Gar
fields religious opinions, and indeed of all his
opinions. was his liberaity. In all things he
had charity. Tolerance was of his nature.
He respected in others the qualities which he
possessed himself, sincerity OF conviction and
quiry was not SO much what man believes,
but does he believe it? The lines n his
friendship and his confidence encircled men
of every creed, and men OF no creed, and, to
the end of his life, on his ever lengtlenng
list of friends were to be found the names of
pious Catholic priest and OF an honest
On the morning of Saturday, July T. the Pres
ident was contented and happy man; not
in the ordinary degree, but joyfully, almost
bovishly, happy. On his way to the railroad
station, to which lie drove slowlyin conscious
enjoyment of the beautiful morning, with an
I'M wonted sense of leisure and keen anticipa-
full and gratulatorv vein. He felt that after
four months of trial his administration was
strong in its grasp of affairs. strong in popu-
lar favor and deserved to grow stronger;
that the grave difficulties confronting him at
his Inauguration had been safely passed that
the trouble lay behind him and not before
him; that he was soon to meet the wife whom
he loved. now recovering from an illness
which had but lately disquieted and almost
unnerved him; that he was going to his Alma
Mater to renew the most cherished associa-
ton of his young manhood, and to exchange
greeting with those whose deep ening interest
had followed every step of his upward prog
Ia
lege until he had attained the loftiest eleva-
ton in the gift of his countrymen.
Much OF happiness can ever come from the
honors of triumphs of this world. On that
quiet July morning James A. Garfield may
have well been happy man. No foreboding
of evil haunted him. Not the slightest pre-
ribe fate was upon him in an instant. One
moment he stood erect. strong, confident in
the years stretching peacefully out before
him: the next he lay wounded, bleeding,
helpleSs-doomed to many weeks of torture,
to silence and the grave. Great in life, he
was unsurpassingly great in death. For no
and wiclledness, by the red hand of muir
der, he was thrust from the full tide of the
worlds interest; from its hopes its aspira-
tions, its victories, into the visible presence of
death, and he did not quail. Not alone for
the one short moment in which, stunned and
dazed he could give up life hardly aware of
deadly languor, through weeks Of agony that
was not less agony because silently borne,
with clear sight and calm courage he looked
into his open grave What blight and ruin
met his anguished eyes? whose lips may tell
what brilliant, broken plans; what batf1ed,
high ambitions; what sundering of strong,
warm manhood's friendships; what bitter
rending of sweet household ties?
Behind him proud, expectant nation, q
great host OF sustaining friends, cherished
and happy mother wearing the full, rich hon
ors OF her early tolls and tears, the wife of his
youth, whose whole life lay I'm his; the little
boys not yet merged from childhood's dag of
frfHin fni, I,,,,r has
sons just springing into closest companion
ship, claiming every day, and every day re-
warding, Il fathers love and care, and in his
heart the eager, rejoicing power to meet all
demands; bet. re him desolation and great
darkness-and his soul was not shaken, and
his countrymen were thrilled with instant,
full in his mortal weakness, he became the
center of Il nations love, enshrine1 in the
prayers of world. But all the love and all
the sympathy could not share with him his
suffering. He trod the wine press alone.
With unfalterng front he faced death. With
unfailing tenderness he took leave OF lite
Above the demOniac hiss OF the aSSassln'S
bullet he heard the voice of God With sim
pie resignation he bowed to the Divine
decree.
AS the end drew near his early craving for
the sea returned. The stately mansion of
power had been to him the wearisome hospi-
tai of pain, and he begged to be taken from
his prison walls from its oppressive, sitting
air, from its homeleSsness and its hopeless
ness Gently, silently, the lo"e of great
people bore the pale SuHeref 20 tne ionSeu- 1Or
healing of the sea. to live or to die, US God
should will within sight of it's heaving pillows,
within the sound of its manifold voice. With
wan, fevered face tenderly lifted to the cool
ing breeze, he looked out wisfully upon the
oceans changing wonders-on its far sails
whitening in the morning light, on its restless
waves rolling shoreward to break and die be-
meath the monday sun, ON the red clouds Of
evening arching low to the horizon, on the
serene and shining pathway of the stars. Let
us think that his dying eyes read mystic
meaning which Only the rant and parting
soul may know. Let US believe that in the
silence of the receding world he heard the
great waves breaking on a further shore, and
felt already upon his wasted brow the breath
of the eternal morning.
General Meigs, in an article on fire.
proof buildings, speaks of bricks as the
only really firenrnnf material auailahle