Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-03-09

/ ceptional. Hourly working through his edu
catlonal period, receiving his diploma whei
| n years OF age. he see ned at one bound t(
spring into conspicuous and brilliant succes IS
| within six years he was successfully Presi
| dent of a College, State Senator of Ohio Ma.
! jor General of the Armyof the United states
and Representative Elect to the Nationa
Congress com lination of honors SO varied
| so elevated, within period so brief and to
man 50 young Is without precedanto or parable
! in the history of the country.
Garfleld's army life was beg gun with no 9th
err military knowledge than such as he had
/ hastily gained from books in the few months
preceding his march to the field. He knew
| just enaugh of military science MS he ex.
pressed it himself. to measure the extent O.
his ignorance. Major General Buell.. com
manding the Department of the Ohio, an ex-
perienced and able soldier of the regular
army, published an order of thanks and con
graduation on the brilliant result of the Big
SANDY campaign, which would have turned
the mead OF a less cool and sensible man than
Garfield. Buell. declared that his services had
called into action the highest qualities of q
soldier, and President Lincoln Supplemented
these words of praise by the more sub stantial
reward of brigadier- generals commission
to bear date from the day of his decisive vic
tory over Marshall: The subsequent military
career of Garfield fully sustained its brilliant
beginning. With his new commission he was
assigned TO the command of a brigade in the
Army of the Ohio, and took part in the second
and decisive days fight in the great battle OF
Shiloh. The remainder of the year 1862 was
net especially eventful to Garfield, as it was
not to the armies with which he was serving
Ills practical sense was called into exercise in
completing the task assigned him by General
i:ueil, of constructing bridges and re- estab-
fishing lines OF railroad communication for
the army his occupation in this useful but not
brilliant fed was varied by service on court
martlalS OF Importance, in which department
of duty he won a valuable reputation, at
tracing the notice and securing the approval
OF the able and eminent Judge Advocate
Early in 1863 Garfield was assigned to the
highly important and responsible post OF
head OF the Army of the Cumberland. Per-
maps in great military campaign no subor-
dinate officer requires sounder Judgment and
quicker knowledge of men than the chief OF
staff to the commanding general. An indis-
erect man in such Il position can sow more
discord, breed more jealousy and disseminate
more strife than any other officer in the en-
tire organization. When Gen. Garfield as
suncd his new duties he foand various
troubles already well developed and serious
| ly affecting the value and efficiency of the
Army of the Cumberland. The energy, the
impartiality and the tact with which he
sought TO alay these disSenSions and TO dis
charge the duties of his new and trying posi-
tion,will always remain one of the most strik-
ing proofs OF his great versatility. HIS militia
~ duties closed on the memorable field of
Chickamauga, a field which. however disas-
trous to the Union arms. gave to him the oc-
casiOn of winning impnri-hable laureiS. The
very rare diSuctiOn was accorded to him of Il
great promotion for his bravery on field
that was lost. President Lincoln appointed
him a Major General in the army of the United
States for gallant and IneritOriOuS cOduct in
the battle of Chickanausa. The Army OF the
Cumberland was reorganiZed under the com
mand of Gen. Thomas, who promptly offered
Garfield one of its divisions. He was extreme
ly DESTROYS to accept the position, but was
embarrassed by the ract that he had year
before been elected to Congress, and the time
when he must take his seat was drawing near.
He pre- erred to remain in the military service
and had within his own breast the largest
confidence OF success in the wider field which
his new rank opened up to him. Balancing
the arguments on the one side and the other.
DESTROYS above all things to do his p Itriotic
duty he was considerably influenced by the
advice OF President Lincoln and Secretary
Stanton. both of whom assured him that he
would ut that time be of especial value i'll the
House of Representatives.. He resigned his
commission of Major General on the 9TH day
of December, 1853, and took his seat in the
House of Representatives on the 1th. He had
served two years and four m rnthS il the ar
my, and had just completed his sd year.
The Thirty eighth Congress is pre-eminent
ly entitled in history to the designation of
was fragrant, and every me mber was chosen
upon the issues involved in the continuance
OF the Struggle The Thirty-seventh Congress
had, indeed, legislated to a large extent on
war measures, but it was chosen before any
one believed that secession of the States
would be actually attempted. The magnitude
of the work which fell upon its successor was
unprecedented, both in respect to the vast
sums of money raised for the support of the
army and navy and of the new and eNtraor
binary powers of legislation which it was
forced TO exercise. Only twenty four states
q.
on its roll Among these were many distn
"uished party leaders on both sides, veterans
in the public service, with established reputa-
tons for ability, and with that skill which
comes only from parliamentary experience.
Into this aSsemblaGo of men Garfield entered
without special preparation. and it might al,
most be said unexpectedly. The question of
taking command or Il division OF troops un-
der Gen. Thomas or taking his seat in Con-
gross was kept open till the last moment, so
late, indeed, that the resignation OF his mill
tary commission and his appearance in the
House were almost cotemporaneous. He
Wore the uniform of q Major-General of the
United states army on Saturday, and on Mon
day in civilians dress he answered to the
roll call as a Repre- sentative in Congress from
test of Il mans ability in any department of
public life more severe than service in the
House o. Repre- patativeS. TIL re is no place
where 20 little Difference is paid to reputation
previously acquired or to emiuence when
outside. No place where so little conSidera-
ton is shown for the feelings ut the failure of
beginners. What man gains in the House
he gains by sheer force of his own character,
and if he loses and falls back, he must expect
no mercy and will receive no sympathy. 1t is
a field in waich the survival OF the strongest
is the rule and where no pretense can de-
serve and 10 g!amor misiead The real man
is discovered. His worth is impartiaily
weighed; his rank is irreversibly decided.
was the youngest nemb IT in the House when
he entered, and was bnt seven years from his
his seat sixty days before his ability was rec
ognized and his place conceded. He stepped
to the front with the confidence of one who
belonged there. The House WAS crowded with
strong men of both parties. Nineteen OF
them have since been transferred to the Sen
ate ana many of them have served with dis
tinction in the gubernatOriaI chairs OF their
respective States and on foreign missions of
great consequence, but among them all none
grew rapidly, so firmly, as Garfield.
AS said by Trevelyan of his parliamentary
hero, Garfield succeeded because all the
world in concert could not have kept him in
the back ground, and because when in the
front he played his part with prompt in
trepidity and commanding ease that were but
the outward symptoms of the immense re-
serves of energy on which it was in his pow
er to draw. Indeed, the apparently reserved
force which Garfield possessed was one OF his
great characteristics. He never did so well
but that it seemed he could easily have done
better. lie never expended so m Ich strength
but that he seemed to be holding additional
power at call. This is one of the happiest and
rarest distinctions of effective 6ebater,
and often count for as much in persuading an
assembly rs the eloquent and elaborate arSu-
ment. The great measure OF GariiclUS fame
was filed by his service in the House of Rep
resentatives. His military life, illustrated by
honorable performance and rich il pro Mise,
was, as he himself felt, prematurely termina-
ted and necessarily incomplete. Speculation
"a to what he might have done in field