The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-03-01

the entire organization. When General Garfield
assumed his new duties lie found variOSs trou-
bles already well developed and seriously sir citing
the value ald efficiency of the Army Oi thr Cum-
berland. The energy. the imPartiality. and the
tact with which he sought To allay thes aissen-
sions aud TO discharge the duties of his neE aud
trying position will always remain one OF the
most striking proofs Of his great versatility his
military duties closed on the memorable HELD OF
Chickamauga, a field which however disastrous
to the Union arms gave 20 him the occasion OF
winning imperishable laurels The very rare e,iS
iinction was accorded him of a great promotion
for his bravery on a field that was lost President
Lincoln appointed him a Major General IN the
Army Of the United States for gallant aud meri
torious conduct in the battle OF Chickamauga
The Army OF the Cumberland was reOrgaDized
under the command OF General Thomas. who
promptly offered Garfield one of its Divisions
He was extremely desirOus to accept the position
but was embarrassed by the fact that he had. a
year before, been elected 10 Congress, aud the
time when he mu I take his seat was drawing
near. He preferred 10 remain in the military
service and had within his own breast the largest
cOnideuce OF success in the wider field which his
new rank opened 20 him. Balancing the argu-
ments on the one side and the other, anxious TO
determine what was for the best. desiTOus above
all things do his patriotic duty, he was decisive
ly influenced by the advice OF President Lincoln
and Secretary Stanton, both of whom assured him
that he could. al that time be OF especial value
in the House of Representatives. He resigned his
commission OF Major General on the 9TH day OF
December 1873. aud tooE his seat in the House of
Representatives on the 18th. He mad served two
years and four months in the Army, and had just
com, leted ms thirty-SecOnd year.
The Thirty eighth Congress Is pre- eminently
entitled in history 70 the designation of the War
Congress. IL was elected while the War was
nsgraut, and every member was chosen upon the
issues iavOlved in the continuance of the strug-
gle. The Thirty-seventh Congress mad, indeed,
lesislated to large extent on War measures, but
ii was chosen before any one believed that seces-
sipn OF the States would be actually attempted.
The magnitude of the work which fell upon It's
successor was unprecedented, both III respect 70
the vast sums of money rated for the support OF
the Army and Navy, and OF the new and extraOr-
dinary powers IL legislation which II was forced
TO exercise Only twenty-iour States were rep
resented, and lS2 members were upon its roll.
Among these were many distinguished party
leaders on both sides veterans in the public ser
vice, with established repuatloEs for ability, and
with that skill which comes only from parliamen-
tary experience. Into this assemblage of men Gar
field entered without special preparation, and
It might almost be said unexpectedly. The gues-
tiOn of taking command OF division of troops
under General Thomas, or taking his seat in Con-
gTeSs kept open ill the last moment. so late.
indeed, that the resignation OF his military COM
mission and his appearance IN the House We're
almost cOntem poraneOUS. He wore the uniform
Of Major General of the United states Aarmy on
Saturday, and Oh Monday IN civilians dress he
Congress from the State of Ohio
He was especially fortunate in the constituency
which elected him. Descended almost entirely
from New England stock, the men OF the Ash
tabula District were intensely radical on all ones
tiOuS relating To human rights Well educated,
tnTfiy. thoroughly intelligent in affairs acutely
discerning of character, not quick To bestOw con
fience. and slow 10 withdraw it, they were AT
once the most hopeful and most exacting of sup
pDTters Their tenacious trust III men IN whom
they have once conf led is illustrated by the un-
parslleied fact that Elisha Whittlesey, JOhHa X.
Giddlngs. and James A. Garfield represented the
There is no test of man ability in any depart
ment OF public life mOIe severe than service In
the House OF Representatives: there is no place
where SO little deference Is paid to reputation
previously acquired, OF TO emiuence won outside;
no place where so little consideration is shown
for the feelings or the failures OF beginning.
What a man gaics in the House he gains by sheer
fuTce Of his Owu character, and If he loses and
falls back he must expect no mercy, and Will re-
ceive no sympathy. IL Is field in which the sur
viva Of the strongest is the recognized rule, and
where no pTetense can deceive and no glamour
can mislead. The real man is discovered, his
woIh is Impartially weighed, his rank irreyer
si6ly decTeed.
With possibly single exception, Garfield was
the youngest member in the House when he en-
tered. and was but seven years from his College
graduation. lie had not been in his seat sixty
days before his ability was recognized aud his
place conceded. He stepped 10 the front with the
confidence 0f one who belonged there. The
House was crowded with strong men OF both par
ties nj leteen of them have since been transferred
tO the Senate, and many OF them have served
with distinction IN the GubernatOrial chairs OF
their respective States and on foreign missions OF
great consequence; but among them ali, none
grew SO rapidly. none so firmly, as Garfield. A.
is said by Trevelyan of his Parliamentary hero,
Garfield succeeded because all the world
in concert could not have kept him ia the back
ground, ana because when once in the front he
played his part with prompt intTepidity and a
symptoms CT the immense reserves of energy, on
which itwas in.his power To draw" Indeed, the
apparently reserved force which Garfield possessed
was one of his great characteristics. He never did
50 well but that it seemed he could easily have
done better. He never expended so much
strength but that Re seemed 10 be holding aG
ditiOnal power at call. This is one Of the happies
and rsrest distinctions of au effective debater
and often counts for as much in persuading al
assembly as the eloquent and elaborate argu
ment.
The great measure'of Garfelds fame was filled
by his service in the House of Representatives
His military life, illusu at II by honorable per
f0rmance. and rich IN Promise, was, as he him
self felt, prematurely terminated. and necesSa
rily incOnDlete Speculation as to what he
might have dCne in a field where the great prize
are so few, can not be prOhtable. 1t Is suncienl
to say that as a soldier he did his duty bravely
he did it intelligenily; he won an enviable fame
and he retired fIom the service without blot OF
breath against him. As II lawyer, though ad
mlraby equipped for the profession, he can
The few efforts he made at the Bar were disiin
guiShed by the same high order of talent which
/ he exhibited m every field where he was pat ia
the test, and if man may be accepted as cOm
| petent Judge of his own capacities and adapta
tions, the law was the profession TO which Gar
| field should have devoted himself. But fate or
dained otherwise. and his reputation in history
viii rest largely upon his service in the House o
Representatives. That Service was exceptionally
|
| the House. an honor enjoyed by not more thar
six other Representative of the more mat D 90
who have been elected from the organization o
the Government 10 this hour.
As n parliamentary orator. as a debator on al
/ issue sQuarely joined, where the position haC
| been chosen and the ground laid out, GARFIELD
must be assigned very high rank More, per
4 haps, than any man with whom he was aSsOcia
led in public life, he gave careful and systematic
| study 10 public questions aud he came To ever
discussion In which he took part, with elaborate
| and complete preparation. He was steady anC
talent or genius can supply the place or achiev'
| the result of labor viii find no announcement II
| Garhelds life. In preliminary work he was apt
| rapid and skillful. he possessed in high de
gree the power of readily absorbing ideas au'
facts, and like Doctor Johnson had the art of get
by reading apparently so quick and cur
sorry that 10 seemed like mere glanc
| AZ the table of contents He
pre-eminently falr and candid mai
unworthy methods, avoided personal allusions
rarely appealed to prejudice. did not seek TO In
| flame passion. He had a quicker eye for tn
strODg point OF his adversary than for his wea
point and on his own side he so marshsled hi
weighty arguments as to make bis hearers forge
any possible lack in the complete strength OF hl
position. He had a habit of stating his oDpoa
eni's side with such amplitude OF fairness al
such hbeFality Of concession that his follower
often complained thai he WAS giving his cas-
away. But never in his prolonged parucipatio
in the proceedings of the House did he give nj
case away or fail, in the judgment of competeI
and impartial listeners, TO gain the mastery.
These characteristics. which marked Garner
as a great debater, did not, however, make him
great parliamentary leader. A parliaTnentar
, free representative government exists,
, | necessarily and very strictly the organ