The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1882-03-04
Blaine's Grafton.

Last Monday ex Secretary Blaine de-
livered in the House of Representa-
tives, at Washington, an eloquent ora
tion on the late President Garfield. He
closed as follows:
Great in life, he was surprisingly
great in death. For no cause, in the
very frenzy of wantonness and wicked
ness, by the red hand of murder, he
was thrust from the full tide Of this
worlds interest, from its hopes, its as
pirations, its victories, into the visible
presence of death-and he did not
quail. Not alone for the one short mo-
ment in which, stunned and dazed, he
could give up life. hardly aware of it's
re, ,nquishment, but through days of
deadly languor, through weeks of ago
ny, that was not less agony because
silently borne, with clear sight and
calm courage, he looked into his opep
grave.
What blight and ruin met his an
'dguished eyes, whose lips may tell
what brilliant, broken plans, what
baff1ed, high ambitions2 wlIatsundering
of strong, warm, maphood's friend
ships, what bitteG rending of sweet
household tiesd Behind him proud,
expectant nation, a great host Of sps-
tanning friends. a cherished and happy
mother, wearing the full, rich honors
of her early toll and tears the wife of
his youth, whose early life lay in his !;
the little boys not yet emerged from
childheod's day of frolic; the fair,
young daughter the stBIdy sons just
sprlnging into closest companionship,
claiming every day and every day t9-
warding fathers love and care; and
in his heart the eager, rejoicing power
to meet all demand. Before him, desc
lation and great darkness And his
soul was not shaken. His countrymen
were thrilled with instant, profound
and universal sympathy. Masterful in
his mortal weakness, he became the
centre Of a nationss love, enshrined in
the prayers of world. But all the
love and all the sympathy could not
share with him his suffering He Grod
the wine press alone. With unfaltep-
ing front he faced death. With unfail-
ing tenderness he took leave of lie.
Above the demoniac hiss of the assas
sins bullet he heard the Voice of God.
With simple resignation he bowed to
the Divine decree.
AS the end drew near, his early crav-
ing for the sea returned. The stately
mansion of power had been to him the
wearisome hospital of pain, and he
begged to be taken from it's prison
walls, from it's oppressive. sitting air,
from its homeleSsnsss and it's helpless
ness. Gently, silently, the love 90
great people bore the pale sufferer to
the longed-for healing of the sea, to
live or die, as God should will, within
sight of it's heaving pillows, within
sound of it's manifold voices. With
wan, feversd face, tenderIy lifted to the
cooling breeze, he looked out wistfully
upon the oceans changing wonders
Dn Its far sails, whitening in the morn
ing light; on the restless waves, roll
ing shOreward to break and die beneath
the MONDAY sun on the red clouds of
svening, arching low to the horizon
On the serene and shining pathway
Df the stars. Let us think that his
dying eyes read a mystic Gneaning
which only the rapt and parting soul
may know. Let US believe thai in the
silence of the receding world he heard
The great waves breaking on further
shore, and felt already upon his wasted
brow the breath of the eternal morn
ng. o