Daily globe., 1882-01-30
GARFIELD.
Letters Written by Him at Various Periods
of His Life.

congressional district have Just published
some very interesting letters from the
late President Garfield.
The editor of the Geauga Republican,
MIR. j. 0. Converse, was on terms Of inti-
macy with President Garfield for many
years, and always firm advocate of his
political claims. The letters which Mr..
Converse publishes in the last issue of his
paper show the feeling Of the great man
for his friends.
Just after the election of 1880 President
Garfield wrote:
given me SO much satisfaction as the
great vote Of the Nineteenth District,
which exceeded my most sanguine expec-
tatiOns. No man could receive higher com.
pliment."
In the same strain Is the following:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. c.,
March 80, 1SS1.-DEAR FRIEND: have only
time to thank you for your kind letter of the
10th, ana to tell you how gratifying it is to
know that my friends of the Nineteenth Dis
trict stand around me with their affectiOnate
support. This is almost the first personal
letter have been able to write, and it must be
-
letter. AS ever, your friend,
j. A. GARFIELD.
]. o. Converse, Chardon.
The following letter to Mr.. Lyman W.
Hall, now of st. Paul, Mimi, but for
many years the editor of Gen. Garfield s
home organ, the Ravenna Democrat, has
just 'been made public in that paper,
which is now edited by Mr.. Halsey P.
Hall, son of the former editor It is very
interesting in and of itself, but especially
SO as it refers to the only dark time of
Garfeld's career-the campaign of 1874.
The publication of the letter was called
forth by personal attack upon Mr.. Hall
by correspondent of the Cleveland
Herald, who claimed that Mr.. Hall was
hostile to Gen. Garfield in his early career;
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. %, 1876. 6.-Lyman
W. Hall-My Dear Friend: It seems as
though a century Of events had transpired
since I first received letter from you. 1 can
hardly believe that it was less than eighteen
years ago that was honored and made happy
by the fact that you called me "Dear Friend. !"
But of all the kind and fatherly words which
you have spoken and written during these
years, none have been more gratefully received
than those of the oath inst. What man in
public or In private life has ever before ha d
VIC 1tlOuubuIR "a SuCA u 1dGuCI duu SuCu u SOus
for 80 many years of sunshine and storm, as
have had in yourself and Halsey?
In the darkest hours of assault and detrac
tion the light of your friendship has shone
through the gloom like fixed star that knows
no eclipse. and has cheered me more than any
words of mine can tell you. And now when
the day seems to be breaking upon the long
night, give you both my morning thanks
from full heart.
Tn oil T hovo ovor Of cd r., do In r,,,b1go
or in private, have placed ny reliance upon
honest hard work, and an unfinching adher-
ence to my convictions. To know that my
purposes and efforts are recognized by men
like you and Halsey, is better than the ap-
plause OF thousands.
am sure you will be glad to know that
more than 500 letters have come to me within
country, approving of my speech in the house
and my article in the Atlantic.
It Is clear that we must fight the same
fierce and arrogant spirit of the rebellion
which made itself SO offensive before the war,
and believe our NOrthland will rise In indig-
nant rebuke at their insolence.
In regard to my own future am not SO clear
as to the path of duty. have for long time
felt that ought to 90 to work for my wife
three years ago but for the storm that broke
upon me. But I would not finch
from fight that was made to
destroy my good name; and so, by the help of
the noblest friends that ever blessed man
with their love, fought it out until the vic
tory was won, and then thought could go
out with no dishonor. l do not now feel
quite SO certain of my duty as did before
this new fight came on. Certainly do not
think ought to be candidate again, unless
I am called to it by the general voice of the
district. / cannot consent to wade through
the pastiness of another such campaign as
had in 1874. OF that I shall be glad to hear
more. In the meantime let me thank you
again for your precious letter.
My dear friend Starkweather, of Connecti-
cut, died this morning, and am hurrying to
With heart full of love to yourself and
HalseY, am, as ever, your friend.
j. A. GARFIELD.
NoTE.-The speech alluded to in the foregoing
WAS Gen. GarfeId's great and exhaustive speech on
"Amnesty," and his article In the Atlantic was
mastery and statesmanike discussion of the "Cur-
rency Conflict"
To the general reader, however, the fol-
lowing letter, written while Garfield was
student at Williams college. and direct
ed to Miss Barbara Fisk, afterwards Mrs.
A. D. Downing, Of Chardon, O., is the
most romantic and interesting, perhaps,
of any that have ever been made public
from his gifted pen. It shows the man
as he was before he learned the art of
statecraft. 1t seems that Miss Fisk was
student with him at Chester academy;and
afterwards at Hiram. They were riding
together from Hiram to Garrettsville on
Dec. 81, 1853, as members of party of
old Chester students. and agreed that one
year from that time they would each
write to the other Miss Fisk is described
to me by Judge Garfield, of Chardon, as
having been young lady of wonderful
promise and sprightliness. She and the
general were evidently strong friends
WILLIAMS COLLEGE, Massachusetts, New
Years. Eve, Dec. 81, 1874-Sister Mine, Dear
Barbara: I knew not where you are this chill
ling winter night, but know where you were
one year ago tonight, and remember the
promise then made to write to each other the
history of ourselves one year from then. I
hope that you remember it, and are now writ.
ing to me. Can it be that year has passed
since we rode gleefully along over the snowy
hills, and were rich in the joys of the hour?
Thus swiftly flows the river of life.
"Et labtur ct labetur in omne volubilis
avum."
have just returned from Vermont, where
have been teaching penmanship, to stay one
day and write these letters, and think of the
past, and live for a few quiet hours among dear
friends that are absent and scenes that are
past. do not dare to trust myself often TO
contemplate the scenes and friends Of "au]d