Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-28
GARFIELD.
HIS CAREER AND CHARACTER.
Mr.. BIaIne's EuI0gy on the Dead
President-An Eloquent and Im-
PTessIve Tribute 10 the Murdered
Executive.
GARFIELD.

an hour the galleries of the House filed
with those fortunate enough to hold tickets
to the Garfield memorial services. The
House was called to order at
u o'clock and prayer was offered
By the Chaplain. The Speaker announced
that the House was ready to perform its
part in the ceremonies.
At 1910 the members of the Senate en-
tered, followed by the Judges Of the Su-
preme Court. The President arrived few
minutes later. Prayer was offered by Chap
lain Power. President pro TEN. Davis intro
duced Mr.. Blaine. Mr.. Blaine, in a loud,
clear voice, read his Grafton, as follows:
Mr.. PREsIDEST-For the second time in this
generation the great departments of the Gov
ernment of the United States are assembled
in the Hall Of Representatives to do honor to
the memory OF murdered President Lincoln
fell at the close OF mighty struggle in which
the passions OF men had been d. eply stirred
The trsgical termination of his great life added
tut another 10 the lengthe9ed succession or
horrors which had marked so manv lintels
with the blood of the first born Gar6eli was
slain in a day OF peace, when brother had been
recnnciled to brother, and when anger and hate
had been banished from the lend whoever
shall hereafter draw the portrait Of murder. if
he will show IL as it has been exhibited where
such example was last to have been looked for,
let him not give it the grim visage Of Moloch,
i
with settled hate. Let him draw. rather, a de
| cOrOus smooth-faced. bloOdless demon; not so
much an example Of human nature in its de-
pravity and in its paroXysms or crime, as an
| Internal being. iend in the ordinary display
/ and development Of his character"
From the landing of the Pilgrims at Ply
i mouth till the uprising against Charles First.
about twenty thousand emigrants came from
| old England to New England AS they came
in pursuit Of intellectual freedom and eccesi-
astical independent rather than for worldly
nd mi ma Iv
ceased when the contest for religious liberty
began in earnest at home. The man who struck
his most effective blow for freedom OF con
science by sailing for the colonies IN l62O would
have been accounted deserter to leave after
| 1910. The opportunity had then come on the
soil OF England for that great contest which
IS ahlished the authority of Parliament, gave
religious freedom to the people, sent Charles
10 the block, and committed to The hands Of
| oliver Cromwell the supreme executive au-
thority OF England. The English emigration
was never renewed. and from these twenty
thousand men, with small emigration from
Scotland and from France. are descended the
vast number who have New England blood in
their veins
Ia 1915 the revocation Of the edict Of Nsntz
by Louis XIV. scattered TO other countries four
hundred thousand PrOtestants. who were
among the most intelligent and enterprising
OF French subjects merchants OF capital.
skilled manufe cturers, and hsndicraftsmen.
superior at the time to all others in Europe.
A considerable number of these Huguenot
French came to America; few lanued in
New ENGLAND and became honoraby prOmi-
nent in its history. Their names Rave in large
part become anglicised. or have disappeared,
but their blood is traceable in many Of the
most reputable families, and their fame is per
petuated in honorable memorials and useful
institutions.
Prom these two sources, the English Puritan
and the French HuguenOt. came the late Presi-
dent-his father, Abram Garfield, being de-
| scenied firm the one, aud his mother, Eliza
BallOu, from the other.
was goOd stock on both sides-nOne better.
none braver, none tfuer. There was in 1t an
| inheritance of courage. of manlineSS, of i'm
| perishable love Of liberty, of undying adher-
| ence to principle. Garfield was proud OF his
/ blood; snd with as much satisfaction if he
were a British noblemsn leading his stately
| ancestral record in Burke's Peeraga, he spoke
of himself As ninth in descent from those who
would not endure the oppression OF the stu
arts and seventh in descent from the brave
French PrOtestsnts who refused TO submit 10
tyranny even from the Grand MOnsrque.
Losing his father before he was two years
old. the early life of Garfielt was one Of priva-
tion, but its poverty has been made lndellcately
and urfu-tIy prominent. thousands OF Tea7 erS
have imagined him Is the ragged, starving
child, whose reality too often greetS the eye In
the sQualid sections Of cur large cities General
Garheld's infancy and youth had none OF their
destirutiOn. none OF their pitiful features ap-
pealing to the tender heart and to the open
hand OF charity. He was poor boy iu the
same sense in which Henry Clay was poor
boy: in which Andrew jackson was a poor
boy: in which Daniel Webster was poor boy;
in the sense in which a large msj1rity OF the
eminent men OF America IN all generations
have heen poor boys Before a great multi
tude Of men, in public speech. Mr.. Webster
bore this testimony:
1T did not happen TO me to be born IN a log
cabin. but my elder brothers and sisters were
born in a log cabin raised amid the snOwdrifts
OF New Hampshire, at q period so early that
when the smoke rose first from its rude Chin
ney and curled over the frozen hills there was
no similar evidence of a white mans habitation
between It and the settlements on the rivers of
Canada. It's remains still exist. make to it
an annual visit. / carry my children to IL TO
teach them the hardships endured by the gen
eratiOns which have gone before them love
to dwell on the tender recOllectiOns. the kin
dred ties, the early aff-cti ms, and the touching
narratives and incidents which mingle with ali
/ know OF this primitive family abode
With the requisite change OF scene the same
words would aptly portray the early days or
Garfield, The poverty of the frontier, where
all are engaged in a common struggle, and
where a common sympathy and hearty coop
GRAFTON tighten the burdens OF each: Is very
different poverty, different in kind different in
influence and effect from that conscious and
humiating indigence which Is every day
forced to contrast itself with nelR hbOriDg
wealth on which IL feels a sense Of grinding de-
pendence. The poverty of the frontier is in
deed no poverty. IL is but the beginning OF
wealth. and has the bOundless possibilities Of
the future always opening before It, No man
ever grew up in the agricultural regions OF the
West where a hOuse-r raising, or even a corn
huskiug, is matter OF common interest and
brOad-minded, generous independence. This
honorable indepeDdence marked the youth
Of Garfield as it marks the youth of millions of
the best blood and brain now training for the
future citizenship and future government of
the republic Garfield was born heir 10 land,
to the title Of freeholdeF which has been the
patent and passport OF self-respect with the
AnglO-SaXOn race ever since Henglst and HorSa
landed on the shores of England His adven-
ture on the canal-sn alternative between that
and the deck of a Lake Erie schoOner-was
farmer boys device for earning money. just ss
the Eew England lad begins possibly great
career by sailing before the mast on a coaSting
vessel or on q merchantmen bound to the far
ther India or to the China seas
GsIheld's early opportunities for securing
an education we're extremely limited. and yet
were suff lent 10 develop in him an intense de-
sire to learn. He could read at three years of
age, and ea' winter he had the advantage OF
the district school He read all the books to
be found within the circle Of his acquaintance;
some or them he got by heart While yet in
childhood he was a constant student of the
Bible. and became familiar with its literature.
The dignity and earnestness of his speech in
his maturer life gave evidence of this early
training. At eighteen years or age ne was
able TO teach school, and thenceforward his
ambition was TO obtain college education
To this end he bent all his efforts, working in
the harvest field, at the carpenters bench, and,
10 the winter season. teaching the common
schools OF the neighborhood. While thus
laboriOusly occupied he found time TO prose
cute his stu0ies, and was so successful that at
twenty-five years Of age he was able TO enter
the junior class at Williams College, then
under the presidency OF the venerable and
hOuOred Marx Hopkins, who, in the fulness Of
his mowers survives the eminent pupil to
whom he was of inestimabe service.
The history OF Garheid'S life TO this period
presents no novel features he had undOuot-
edIv shown perseverance,, self reliance, self
sacrifice and ambitiOn-qualtles which, De 4
said for the honor of our country. are every
where to he found among the young men or
America BIT from his graduation at Williams
onward. to the hour of his tragical death,
Garfield's career was eminent and exceptional
Slowly working through his educational period,
receiving his diploma when twentyf I ur years
OF age ne seemed at one bound TO spring INTO
conspicuous and brilliant success Within SIX
wears he was successfully President or col
lege, state Senator OF Ohio. Major General OF
the Army OF the aited States, and Repre-
sentative elect to the National Congress. A
combination of hOnors so varied. so elevated,
within a period so brief and TO a man so young, |
is without precedent or parallel in the history
OF the country.
There is no test of a mans ability in any
department of public life more severe than |
service in the House OF Representatives; there
is no place where so little Difference is paid TO |
reputation previously acquired, or 60 eminence |
Won outside; no place where 50 little cOnsi tera-
tion Is shown for the feelings or the failures OF
beginners What a man gains in the House he
gains by sheer force OF his own character, and |
IN he loses and falls back he must expect no |
mercy and will receive no sympathy lt is |
feld in which the survival Of the strongest is |
the recognized RUE. and where no pretense |
can deceive and no glamour an mlSiead Inc
real man is discovered, his worth is imparilallY
weighed his rank is irreversiOy decreed-
With possibly a single exception GarneId |
81 oacfu haF in he House when