Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-03-02

in that momenti What famous scenes
in which the man of whom he was about
to speak moved with the other giants OF
the Nations yesterday He saw again
in his musing silence the mans face
half revealed Quietly his voice broke
the silence as he commenced the orator
ical triumph of his life, opening with an
allusion to the fact that this was the
second time that the two Houses were
gathered to do honor to the memory of a
murdered President. The speaker pass
ed on to consideration of the ancestry
of Garfield, and those hereditary quail
ties that he derived from a pure and
noble stock.
The first part of the Grafton was some
what routine in its narration of Gar
fields life up to the time of his entrance
into Congress, but even these events
were told with such embellishments of
style, and resource of anecdOte, and
wealth of reflection, that it was follow
ed with attention. With refinement of
modesty, the speaker never alluded to
himself, even when speaking of the fate
full I'd of July. Here his description,
especially the reference to Gartield's
bright and boyish flow of spirits, was
very happy. Perhaps the audience lis
tened with the most intense interest,
not unmiXed with nameleSs fear that
he might in some measure destroy the
excellence of his effort by an unfortu-
nate allusion to the late Presidents enc
mics when he spoke of the opposition to
his policy. If the rest of his Oration
were dignifed, this was sublime. What
he did say in vindication of Garfield's
course was said firmly and manfully,
with regard for the occasion and respect
for himself. 1t was with satisfaction
and in perfect sympathy that the large
portion of the audience listened to his
conclusion of this passage:
"More than this need not be said; less
than this coald not be said. Justice To
the dead, the highest obligation that de-
wolves upon the living, demands the de-
claration that in all the bearings of the
subject, actual or possible, the President
was content in his mind, justified in his
conscience, immovable in his cOnclu-
sions."
The conclusion to the oration, the pic
ture of the dying President listening to
the mysterious voices of the sea, is as
artistic, as sympathetically and tenderly
beautiful as any of the death-bed scenes
which Charles Dickens, the master of
this style of composition. ever wrote.
With eyes in which the tear-drops
glistened, with trembling lips and bated
breath, with hearts strongly touched,
the audience hear this closing passage
with wan, fevered face tenderly lifted
to the cooling breeze, he looked but
wistfully upon the oceans changing
wonders; 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 arching low to
the horizon; on the serene and shining
pathway of the stars. Let US think
that his dying eyes read a mystic mean
ing which only the rapt 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" u
No heed for the half-subdued clapping
of hands that succeeded when the
speaker bowed and sank into his chair.
By the rapt expression on all that throng
of faces, the orator might have known
that his words had sunk deep inte the
hearts of the people. No one in the
audience was more attentive than the
President. During the reference to the
Conkling faction he seemed intensely
interested and greatly. relieved at the
wise treatment of the case. Indeed, this
was true of the entire audience. A pain
full silence was general throughout the
House, and when the speaker passed to
another branch of his subject all seemed
greatly relieved, as was evidenced, by the
renewed fiuttering of fans and the crush
of dresses as the ladies stirred and
gaZed about. When the orator reached
his concluding sentences the President
was observed to lean his head upon his
hand, and at its conclusion brushed
away tear and clapped his hands sever
al times. $50 :s ssHi a'.'i4 -.
When Mr.. Blaine had finished, having
spoken about one hour and ten minutes,
the Chaplain of The Senate announced
the benediction. and the Senate and the
invited guests Of the House filed out in
the order they had. entered. After this
was done the House passed a resolution
voting the thanks of Congress to Mr..
Blaine, and adjourned for the day.