Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-03-02

would be unfaithful to his suprem 9
obligation if he failed to maintain, in
all their vigor, the constitutional rights
and dignities of his great Office. He
believed this in all the convictions OF
conscience when in sound and vigorous
health, and he believed it in his suffer
ing and prostration in the last conscious
thought which his wearied mind be.
slowed on the transitory struggles OF
life.
More than this need not be said. Less
than this could not be said. Justice to
the dead, the highest obligation that
devolves upon the living, demands the
declaration that in all the bearing of the
subject, actual or possible, the Presi
dent was content in his mind, justified
in his conscience, immovable in his
conclusions.
The religious element in Garfield Is
character was deep and earnest. In
his early youth he espo.sed the faith
of the Disciples, sect of the great
Baptist Communion, which in different
ecclesiastical establishments is so nu-
merous and so influential throughout
all parts of the United States. 3ut the
broadening tendency of his mind and
his active spirit of inquiry were early
apparent and carried him beyond the
dogmas of sect and the restraints of as
ISOLATION. In selecting college in
which to continue his education, he re-
jected Bethany, though presided over
by Alexander Campbell, the greatest
preacher of his church. His reasons
were characteristic: first, tn at Bethany
leaned too heavily toward slavery; and
second, that being himself Disciple
and the son of Disciple parents, he
had little acquaintance with people OF
other beliefs and he thought it would
make him more liberal, quoting his
own words, both in his religious and
general views, to go into a new circle
and be under new influences.
The liberal tendency which he an
ticipated as the result of wider culture
was fully realized. He was emancipat-
ed from mere sectarian belief, and with
eager interest pushed his investigations
in the direction of modern thought.
He followed with quickening step in
the paths of exploration and specula-
ton 50 fearlessly trodden by Darwin.
by Huxley, by Tyndall, and by other
living scientists of the radical and adj
vanced type. His own church, binding
its disciples by no formulated creed,
but accepting the ed and new testa-
ments as the word of God with unbiased
liberty of private Interpretation, fa-
vored, if it did not stimulate, the spirit
of investigation. Its members profess
with sincerity, and profess only, to be
Of one mind and one faith with those
who Immediately followed the Master,
and who were first called christians at
Antioch.
But however high Garfield reasoned
of "fixed fate, free will, fore-knowl-
edge absolute" he was never separated
from the Church of the Disciples in
his Affections and in his associations.
For him it held the ark of the cove
nant. To him it was the gate of heaven.
The world of religious belief is full of
solecisms and contradictions. A phil
osophic observer declares that men by
the thousand will die in defense of a
creed whose doctrines they do not COM
prehend and whose tenets they hab-
itually violate. 1t is equally true that
men by the thousand will cling to
church organizations with instructive
and undying fidelity when their belief
in maturer years is radically different
from that which inspired them as
neophytes.
But after this range of speculation,
and this latitude of doubt, Garfield
came back always with freshness and
delight to the simpler instincts OF relig-
ious faith, which, earliest implanted,
longest survive. Not many weeks be-
fore his assassination, walking on the
banks of the Potomac with friend,
and conversing on those topics of per-
sonal religion, concerning which noble
natures have an unconquerable reserve,
he said that he found the Lords Prayer
and the simple petitions learned in in
fancy infinitely restful to him, not
merely in their stated repetition, but in
their casual and frequent recall as he
went about the daily duties of life. Ger
tain texts OF scriptures had very
strong hold on his memory and on his
heart. He heard, while IN Edinburgh
some years ago, an eminent Scotch
preacher who prefaced his sermon with
reading the eighth chapter of the Epis.
tie to the Romans, which book had
been the subject of careful study with
Garfield during all his religious life
He was greatly Impressed by the clocu'
ton of the preacher and declared that
it had impaired a new and deeper
meaning to the majestic utterances OF
Saint Paul. He referred often in afte1
years to that memorable service, and
dwelt with exaltation of feeling upor
the radiant promise and the assured
hope with which the great apostle OIL
the Gentiles was persuaded that Meth
er death, nor life, nor angels, nor prin
cipalities, nor powers, nor things pres
ent, nor things to come, nor height
nor depth, nor any other creature, shall
be able to separate us from the love o
God, which is in Christ Jesus on,
Lord"
The browning Characteristic OF Gen
eral Gartield's religious opinions, as, in
deed of all his opinions, was his liber
atty. In all things re had charity
| Tolerance was of his nature. He re