Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-28
REsEMBLANcEs 10 sEwARp AND wERsrER.

American political life. lie. perhaps. mol
: nearly resembled Mr.. Seward in HE suprem
} faith in the all-conguering power of y primo
pie He had love OF learning and patisu
industry of investigating, to which job
| Quincy Adams owed his prominence au5 hi
Presidency. He had some of those posde,
Gus elements Of mind which distipguisae
Mr.. Webster and which, indeed, in all 81
pablie life have left the great Massachusest
Senator without peer.
In English Parliamentary history, as in OK
own, the leaders in the House of Common
present points of essential difference from
Garfield, but some Of his methods recall thos,
best features in the strong, Independent
course OF Sir Robert Peel, and the resem
biance is disceverable in that most promisire
OF modern conservatists-who died too early
for his country and his fame-Lord George
Bentinek. He had all of Burke's love 20,
the sublime and beautiful, with possibly
! something of his superabundance, and in his
faith, IN his magnanimity, in bis power Of
statement, in his subtle analysis, in his fault.
less logic, in his love of literature, in his wealth
and world of illustration, resembled that
great English statesman of to-day, who. con.
fronted with obstacles that would daunt any
but the dauntless, reviled by those whose
| supposed rights he is forced to invade.
still labors with serene courage for the ameli.
Grafton Of Ireland and for the honor of the
| English name.
Garheld's nomination to the Presidency,
| while not predicted or anticipated, was not a
surprise to the country. His prominence in
Congress, his solid qualities, his wide reputa-
ton. strengthened by his then recent election
as Senator from Ohio, kept him in the public
eye as a man occupying the very highest
range among those entitled to be called states
men. 1t was no mere chance that brought
him to this high honor "We must" saws
Mr.. Emerson. reckon success a constitu-
tional trait. II Eric is in robust health and
has slept well, and is at the top of his condi.
tioD, and three years old at his departure
from Greenwood, he viii steer west and his
ships will reach Newfoundland. But take
Eric and put in stronger and bolder man,
and the ships will sail six hundred, one thou.
sand, fifteen hundred miles further, and
reach Labrador and New England. There ia
no chance in the result.
GARFIELD as A CANDIDATE
| As candidate, Garfield steadily grew in
popular favor. He was met with storm OF
detraction at the very hour of his nomination,
and it continued with increasing volume and
momentum till the close of his victorious
campaign. No might nor greatness in NOR.
atty can escape censure. Calumny the
whitest virtue strikes. What King SO strong
: can tie the gall up in the slanderous tongue :
| Under it all Garfield was calm and strong
and confident. He never lost his self
possession. He did no unwise act he spoke
no hasty or il-considered word Indeed,
nothing il his whole life is more remarkable
or more creditable than his bearing through
those five full months of vituperation. A
prolonged agony of trial it was to sensitive
man and constant and cruel draft upon the
powers of moral endurance. The great mass
of these unjust imputations passed unnoticed
and, with the general debris of the campaign
fell ioto oblivion. But in few instance;
the iron entered his soul, and he died witt
the injury unforgotten, if mot uDforgiyen.
One aspect of Garfeld's candidacy wal
unprecedented. Never before in the history
of partisan contests in this country has sue
cessful Presidential candidate spoke freely OF
passing events and current issues. To at
tempt anything Of the kind seemed novel
rash and even desperate. The older class O.
voters recalled the unfortunate Alabams
letter, in which Mr.. Clay was supposed tt
have signed bis political death " arrant
They remembered, also, the hot-temperec
effusion by which General Scott lost large
share of his popularity before his nomination
and the unfortunate speeches which possibly
consumed its remainder. The younger voters
had seen Mr.. Greeley in a series of vigorous
ard original addresses, preparing pathway
fer his own defeat.
Unnindful Of these warnings, unheedine
the advice of his friends, Garfield spoke f
large crowds as he journeyed to and from
New York in August. to great multitude il
that city, to delegations and deputations O
every kind that called at Mentor during tn,
summer and autumn, with watchfulness anC
eagerness to catch a phrase that might b,
turned into odium or ridicule, or q sentenc,
that might be distorted to his own or hi
parsy's Injury. Garfield did not trip or hal
in any one of his seventy speeches. Thi
seems all the more remarkable when it is re
membered that be did not write what hesai5
and yet he spoke with such logical consecu
tiveness of thought, and such admirable pre-
cision of phrase, as to defy the accident o
nnisreport and tie malignity Of misrepresen
tation.
GARFIELD AS PRESIDENT.
In the beginning of his Presidential life
Garfelds experience did not yield him pleas
ure or satisfaction The duties that engros
SO large a portion of the Presidents time
we're distasteful to him. and were unfavora
bly, contrasted with his legislative work. 'c
have been dealing all these years with ideas,
he impatiently exclaimed one day, "and her
l am dealing only with persons. I have beel
heretofore treating of the fundamental prin
ciples of government and here 1 am con
sidering all day whether A or B shall be ap
pointed to this or that Office"
He was honestly seeking some practice
way of correcting the evils arising from th
distribution of the overgrown and unwield
patronage. 1t was always appreciated an,
often discussed by hin, but its msgnitud
had been more deeply impressed upon hi
mind since his accession to the Presidency
Had he lived, comprehensive improvement
in the mode of appointment and in the tenur
of Office would have been proposed by him
and with the aid of Congress, no doubt
would have been perfected.
But while our executive duties were no
grateful to him, he was assiduous and cor
scientious in their discharge. From the yer,
outset he exhibited administrative talent o
high order. He srasped the helm of ofic
with the hand of master. In this respect
indeed, he constantly surprised many VIII
were intimately associated with him in th
Government, and especially those VIII
feared that he might be lacking il
executive faculty. His dispatch o