The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-03-02

eedented. Never before in the 'hisforyj
sf partisan soHtests Ia fslis country had I
] Successful presidential candidate
sr0keh freely on passing events and cur /
rent issues To attempt ANYTHING of the /
kind seemed novea, rash and even des-
pefate- The older class ofyoters recall
ed the unfortanate Alabama letter, il
which Mr. Clay was supposed to have
signed his political death-warrant |
They remember also the hot-tempered |
winch Gen. Scott lost farget
share OF hls popularity before his nomi- |
patton, and the unfortunate speeches |
whlch rapidly consumed the remainder. |
The younger voters had seen Mr. Gree
ley IN a series of vigorous and original
addresses, preparing the pathway for his
0wn defeat Gnmindful of these warn
ings, unheeding the advice of friends,
Garfield spoke in large crowds as he
journeyed to and from New York
in August, TO a great multitude
and Populations of every kind that
called at Mentor during the summer
and autumn. With innumerable critics
watchfuf and eager to catch a phrase
that might be turned into ridicule or
odIum, or a sentence that might be dis
torted to his own or his party's injury,
Garfield did not trip or halt in any one
OF his seventy speeches. This seems all
the more remarkable when il Is remem-
bered that be did not write what he
said, and yet spoke with such logical
consecutivcness OF thought and such ad-
mirable precision OF phrase as 20 defy
the accident of Alisfeport and the ma
Lightly, of Misrepresentation In the
beginning of his .-+
/ PRESIDENTIAL LIFE
Gariield's experience did not yield him
pleasure or satisfaction. The duties
that engross so large q portion of the
Presidents time were distasteful to him
and were unfavorably contrasted with
his legislative work. 81 have been
dealing all these years with IDEAS" he
ippaliently exclaimed one day, land
here j amp, dealing with only persons !;
II have been "a iheretofare treating
of the Fundamental pa inciples of
government, and here l am con-
sidering all day whether A or B shall be
appointed to this. or that Office" He
was earnestly seeking some practical
way of correcting the evils arising from
the distribution of an over-grown and
unwieldly patronage, evils always ap-
| preciated and often discussed by him,
but whose magnitude had been more
deeply impressed upon his mind since
his accession to the presidency. Had he
! lived, comprehensive improvement in
the mode of appointment and in the
tenure Of Office would have been pro-
posed by him, and with the aid of con-
gress, no doubt perfected. But while
many of the executive duties were not
| grateful to him, he was assiduous and
Conscientious IN their discharge. From
| the very outset he exhibited administra
| tive talent of high order, he grasped
the helm of Office with the hand OF a
master. In this respect indeed he con-
| stantly surprised many who were most
intimately associated with him in the
| government, and especially those who
had feared that he might be lacking in
the executive faculty. His dis
position of business was orderly
and rapid HIS power of anal.
\ enabled him to dispatch a vast mass of
details with singular promptness and
ease. His cabinet meetings were sd.
mirably conducted His clear presenta-
ton of official subjects, bis ga.
| WE'LL CONSIDERED
suggestions of topics on which discus.
sion was invited; his quick decisions,
when all had been heard, combined to
show thoroughness of mental training
| as rare as his natural ability and his
faeile adaptation to new and enlarged
field Of labor. With perfect comprehen,
| sion Of all the inheritances of the war
with cool calculation of the obstacles
| in his way, impelled always by a
generous enthusiasm, Garfield conceived
that much might be done by his admin
istration toward restoring harmony be,
tween the different sections of the I'm
ion. He was anxious TO go south and
| speak to the peoples As early as April
he had Intellectually en2eavored to ar
range for trip to Nashville, whittier he
had been cordially invited. lAnd.he was
again disappointed, few weeks, later,
to find that he could not go to South
Carolina, to attend the Centennial cele-
bration of the victory of b.. Cow
pens. But for the autumn he
definitely counted on being present al
three memorable assemblies in the
South-the celebration at Yorktown,
the opening of the cotton exposition al
| Atlanta, and the meeting of the army OF
the Cumberland at Chattanooga. He
was already turning over in his mind
his addresses for each occasion, and the
three taken together, he said to . friend
I gave him the exact scope and verge
which he needed. At Yorktown he
| would have before him the associations
of 100 years, that bound the South ana
4 North in the sacred memory of a com
mon danger and a common victory. A
Atlanta he would present the material
interests and the industry development
which appealed to the thrift and indie
pendence'of every household, and which
should unite the two sections by the in
stinct ofself interest and self defense
At Chattanooga he would p.
REVIVE MEMORIES OF THE WAR
only to show that, after all its disaste
and all its suffering the country wa
stronger and greater, the Union rendered
indisSoluble and the future through tn
agony and blood of one generation mad
brighter and better for all. Garfield's am
bItion for the success of his admiuistra
ton was high. With strong caution anC
conservatism in his nature, he was in NJ
danger of attempting rash experiment
or of resorting to the empiricism o
craftsmanship, but he believed that re
newed and closer attention should b.
given to questions affecting the materia
interests and commercial prospects o
fifty millions of people. He believed
that our continental relations, extensive
and undeveloped as they are, involved
responsibility, and could be cultivated
into profitable friendship or be aban
dOned to harmful indifference or lastinS
enmity. He believed, with equal conf
/ tA1ab al CSSCuI1A1 W
new era of national progress must be {
feeling of contentment in every section
of the Union, and a generous belief tina
the benefits and burdens of the govern
ment would be uncommon to all. Him
self conspicuous illustration of what
ability and ambition may do under Re
publican institutions, he loved hii
country with a passion of patriotic
devotion, and every waking thought
| was given to her advance
ment. He was an American in all
his aspirations and he looked TO the des
tiny and influence of the United States
with the philosophic composure of JEFF
| ferson, and the demonstrative confidence
of John Adams. The political events
which disturbed the presidents serenity
for many weeks before the fateful day
in July form an important chapter in
his career, and in his own judgment
involved questions of principal and OF
| right which are vitality essential to the
constitutional administration of the
| Federal government. 1t would be out of
| place here and now to speak the Ian
guage of controversy, but the events
referred to, however, they may continue
| to be source of contention with others,
have become, so far as Garfield is con-
cerned, as much a matter of history as
his heroism at Chickamauga, or his IL
lustrious services in the house. Detail
is not needful, and personal antagonism
shall not be rekindled by any word ut
tered to-day. The motives of those op-
posing him are not to be here adversely
Interpreted nor their cause harshIy
characterized, but of the dead president
this is TO be said, and said because his
own speech is forever sile need and Ihe
can be no more heard except through
the
FIDELITY AND THE LOVE
of surviving friends: From the begin
ming to the end of the controversy he So
much deplored, the President was never
for one moment actuated by any motive
of gain to himself or of loss to others.
Least of all men did he harbor revenge,
rarely did he even shoW resentment, and