West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-03-08

Army of the Cumberland at Chat
tanooga. He was already turning
over in his mind his address for
each occasion, and the three taken
together, he said to friend, gave
him the exact scope and verge
which he needed. At Yorktown
he would, have before him the asso-
Citations of a hundred years that
bound the South and the North in
the sacred memory ola common
danger and a common victory, At
Atlanta he would present the mate
rial interests and the industrial
development which appealed to the
thrift and independence of every
household, and which should unite
the two sections by the instinct of
self-interest and self-defense At
Chattanooga he would revive mem
cries of the war only to show that
after all its disaster and all its suf-
fering, the country was stronger
and greater, the Union rendered
indissoluble, and the future,
through the agony and blood of one
generation, made brighter and bet
ter for all.
Garfeld's ambition for the sue
cess of his administration was
high. With strong caution and
conservatism in his nature, he was
in no danger of attempting rash
experiments, or of resorting to the
empiricism of craftsmanship. But
he believed that renewed and clos
er attention, should be given to
questions affecting the material in
terests and commercial prospects of
fifty millions of people. He believ-
ed that our continental relations
extensive and undeveloped as they
are, involved responsibility, and
could be cultivated into profitable
friendship, or be abandoned to
harmful Indifference or lasting en-
nifty. He believed with equal con-
fidence that an essential forerun-
ner to a new era of National pro-
gress must be feeling of content
ment in every section Of the Union,
and generous belief that the ben
efits and burdens of government
would be common to all. Himself
a conspicuous illustration of what
ability and ambition may do under
republican institutions, he loved
his country with passion of patri-
otto devotion, and every waking
thought was given to her advance
ment. He was an American in all
his aspirations, and he looked to
the destiny and influence of the
United States with the philosophic
composure of Jefferson and the de-
monstrative confidence of John
Adams.
The political events which dis
turbed the Presidents serenity for
many weeks before that Hateful day
in July, form an important chap
ter in his career, and in his own
Judgment, involved questions of
principle and of right which are
vitality essential to the constitutions
al administration of the Federal
Government. 1t would be out of
place here and now to speak of the
language of controversy; but the
events referred to, however they
may continue to be the source of
contention with others, have be-
come, so far as Garfield is concerned,
as much matter of history as his
heroism at Chickamauga, or his H.
lustrious service in the House. De-
tail is not needful, and personal an
tagonism shall not be rekindled by
any word uttered to-day. The mo-
tives of those opposing him are not
to be here adversely interpreted
nor their course harshly character
lied. But of the dead President
this is to be said, and said because
his own speech is forever silenced,
and he can be no more heard except
through the fidelity and love of
surviving friends: From the begin
ming to the end Of the controversy
so much deplored, the President
was never once actuated by any
motive of gain to himself or loss to
others. Least of all men did he
harbor revenge, rarely did he even
show resentment, and malice was
not in his nature. He was congen-
tally employed onlyin the exchange