The Evening critic., 1882-02-27

ment I'm every section Of the Union, and
generous belief that the benefits ana bnriens
OF government would he common to all Hin.
self n conspicuous illustration OF what ability
and ambition may do under republican Ia
stitutlons, he loved his country with passion
OF patriotic devotion, and every waking
thought was given 20 her Advancement He
was an American In nll his aspirations, and no
looked 70 tho destiny and Influence " the
United States with tho philosOphic cpmposure
OF jefferson and the demonstratiye confidence
of John Adams.
The Political Events Preceding the
Assassination.
Tho political events which disturbed the
Presidents serenity FOR many wceks before
that fateful day In July form an important
chapter In his career, and, In his own lndg.
risht which are yJtally essential 10 tbe eonstl.
tutional administration OF the Federal GOV.
ornmcnt. IL would be out OF place here AMI
now TO speak the language OF controversy but
the evenis.refcrred 10, however they may con-
tinue to be source OF contention with others,
have become, SO far as Garfield is concerned,
as much n matter Of history rs his heroiam Mt
Chickamauga or his ilusrlous service In the
House. Detail is not needed, and personal an.
agonism shnll not be rekindlcd by any word
uttered to-day.
The motives OF those opposing him are not
to be here adversely interpreted nor their
course harshly characterized. but OF the dca1
President this Is to be said, and said because
his own speech Is forever silcnccd aud he can
be no more heard except through the fidelity
and tho love Of surviving friendsi From the
much deplorcd, the President was never for
one moment actuated by any motive OF gain %
himself or of loss to others. Least OF all mon
did he harbor revenge, rarely did he even
show resentment, and malice was not in.hls
nature. He was congenially employed only In
the exchange Of good offices and the doing OF
kindly deeds.
There was not an hour, from the beginning
of the trouble till the fatal shot entered his
body, when tho President would not gladly,
for the sake OF restoring. harmony, have re-
traced any step he had taken II such rctracing
had merely involved consequences personal TO
himself. The pride OF consistency, or any
suit from surrendering his position, had not
n feathers weight with him. No man was
ever less subject to such influences from
within or from without. But after most
anxious deliberation and the coolest survey OF
all the circumstances he solemnly believed
that the true prerogatives of the Executive
were involved in the issue which had boon
raised, and that he would be unfaithful to
his supreme obligation II he failed TO main
tain, in all their vigor the CONSTITUTIONAL ghts
and dignities OF his great of1lce. He believed
this In all the convictions of conscience when
In sound and vigorous health, and he believed
IL in his suffering and prostration in the last
conscious thought which his wearied mind
bestowed on the transitory struggles Of life.
More than thisneed not be said. Less than
this could not be said. Justice to the dead, the
highest obligation that devolves upon the
| living, demands the declaration that In all the
bearings of the subject, actual or possible, the
President was content in his mind, justified In
| his conscience, fmmovable in his conclusions.
The Religious Element.
| The religious element In Garfeld's charac-
was deep and earnest. In his early youth he
| espoused the faith of the Disciples, n sect of
| that great Baptist Communion, which in diff
| fcrent ecclesiastical establishments is so
| numerous 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 ana the re-
| straints of association. In selecting college
| I'm which TO continue his education he rejected
| Bethany, though presided over by Alexander
| 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 ac:
| quaintance with people OF other beliefs and
| he thought 1t would make him more liberal,
quoting his own words, both in his religious
and general views, to go into new circle and
| he under new Influences
The liberal tendency which he anticipated
as the result of wider culture was fully real
tartan belief and with eager interest pushed
| his Investigations in the direction of modern
| progressive thought. He followed with quick.
saeP o e Sf pv
| by Huxley, by Tyndall, and by other living
| scientists of the radical and advanced type
| His own church. binding Its disciples by no
formulated creed, but accepting the Old and
| New Testaments as the word of God with un.
biased liberality of private Interpretation,
| favored, II 1t did not stimulate, the spirit OF
| investigation. Its members profess with sin.
| cerity, and profess only, TO be of one mind and
one faith with those who immediately followed
| the Master, and who were first called Chris
| tians at Antioch.
But however high Garfield reasoned OF
"hxed fate, free Will, foreknowledge abso
| Lutte" he was never separated from the Church
| OF the Disciples in his affections and his asso
Citations. For him 1t held the ark of the cove
nant. To him it was the gate of Heaven. The
world Of religious belief is full of solecisms
| and contradictions. philosophic observer
declares that men by the thousand will die II
defense of creed whose doctrines they do no
comprehend and whose tenets they JHabitually
violate. 1t is equally true that men by the
| thousand Will cling to church organizations
with instructive and undying fidelity .wher
their belief in maturer years is radically diff
ferent from that which inspired them as neo
phytes.
But after this range OF speculation, and thi
latitude of doubt, Garfield came back alwayl
with freshness and delight to the simpler in
stincts OF religious faith, which, earliest i'm
| planted, longest survive. Not may week
before his assassination, walking on the bank
of the Potomac with a friend, and conversln
on those topics OF personal religion, concern
| ing which noble natures have an unconquel
| able reserve he said that he found the Lord
prayer and the simple petitions learned In In
fancy infinitely restful to him, not merely 4
| their stated repetition, but In their casua
and frequent recall as he went about the dali
duties OF life,. Certain texts OF Scripture ha
a very strong hold on his memory and hi
years ago, an eminent Scotch preacher VIII
prefaced his sermon with reading tn
| eighth chapter OF the Epistle to tn
Romans, which book had been the subject G
careful study with Garfield during all his II
ligious life. He was greatly impressed by tn
elocution OF the preacher and declared that
had impaired new and deeper meaning to til
majestic utterances OF St. Paul. He referre
often In after years to that memora BILE service
and dwelt with exaltation OF feeling upon til
| radiant promise and the assured hope wilt
| which the great apostle OF the Gentiles wa
| "persuaded that neither death, nor life, no
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nc
| things n ha afoh
nor depth, nor any other creature, shall b
be able to separate us from the love OF Goo
which is In Christ Jesus our Lord"
The crowning characteristic of Gen. GA
fields religious opinions, as, indeed, CT all h
opinions, was his liberallty. In all things h
had charity. Tolerance was of his nature. II
/ respected In others the qualities which he po
sessed himself-sincerity of conviction au
frankness OF expression. With him the 4
quiry was not so much what a man believe
but does he believe II ? The lines OF his frlen
/ ship and his confidence encircled mep OF ever
: creed, and men OF no creed, and 20 the end
his life, on his eyer-lengthening list OF friend
/ were 10 be found the names OF pious Cathol
priest and OF an honest-minded and generou
, hearted free-thinker.
| That FatefuI July Day.
On the morning OF Saturday, July 2, Il
President was a contentod and happy man
, not In an ordiUlry degree, but joyfully,
most boyishly happy. on his way To the ra
road station, 10 which he drove slowly, In co
scious enjoyment OF the beautiful mOrnln
= with an unwonted sense OF leisure and a ked
4 anticipation OF pleasure, his talk was all
= the grateful and gratulatory vein. Ho I,
that after four months OF trial his Administi
I tion was strong in Its grasp Of anal