The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-03-04

sions
The religious element in Ii= character was
deep and earnest In his early youth he e.
poused the faith q the Disciples n sect of
thGa great Baptist com munion, which in diff
fernt ecclesiastical establishments is 80 nu-
merous and so influential throughout ali
parts of the Unitcl States; but the broaden-
ing tendency OF his nind and his active spirit
OF inquiry were early apparent, and carried
him beyond the dogrnae OF sect and the re-
straints of association. IN selecting college
in which to continue his education, nc reject
ed Bethany. though presided over by AeNan-
der Campbell, the greatest preacher a. his
church His reasons were characteristic:
iirst that Bethany leaned too heavily toward
slavery; ana second, that being himself
Disci pie 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
religious and general views, to 20 into IA new
circle and BE- under new influences. The lib
eral tendency which he anticipated as the re
suit of wider culture was fully realized. lie
was ctnuncipated from mere sectnrian belief,
and with eager interest pushed his tnvestiga-
ttous in the direction OF mo Tern progressive
thought lie followed with quickoning step
in the paths OF exploration and speculation
so fearIessly troddcn by Darwin by Huxley.
by ryndall, aud by other living scientists of
the radical aud advanced type. His own
church, binding it, disciples by no formulated
creed, but accepting the cd and New Testa-
mcnts rs the word OF God, with unbiased lib-
crafty of private Interpretation, favored, 1t 1t
did not stimulate, the spirit of investigation.
It's members profess with sincerity and pro
fess truly to be of one mind aud one faith with
those who Immediately followed the Master
and were first called Christians at Antioch.
But however high Garfield reasoned of free
fate, free will. forcknowledge absolute" he
was never separated from the Church of the
Disciples I'm his affections aud i'm his aspira.
tions. For him it held the ark OF the cove
nant To him it was the gate OF Heaven.
The GROWING characteristic of gen Gar
held's religious opinions ana indeed OF all his
opinions, was his liberality In all things he
hal charity. Tolerance was of his nature.
He respected in others the qualities which he
possessed himself, sincerity OF conviction and
trankness of expression. With him the in
quify was not so much what "A man believes,
but does he believe it, The lines OF his
friendship and his confidence euclrcled men
OF every creed, and men of no creed, and, to
the end of his life, on his ever lcngthcning
list of friends were to be found the names of
pious Catholic priest and of an honest
minded and generous hearted free thinker.
ON the morning OF saturday, July :, the Pres
ldent was cOntented and happy man; not
in the ordinary degree, but jOytullY, almost
boyishly, happy On his way to the railroad
station to which he drove slowlyin conscious
enjoyment Of the beautiful morning with an
I'M Tonted sense OF leisure and keen anticipa-
ton of peasul e, his talk was all in the grate-
full and gratulatOrV vein. He felt that after
four months OF trial his administration was
strong in IT'S grasp of affairs, strong in popu-
lar favor, and deserved to grow stronger;
that the grave difficulties confronting MIN at
his inauguration had been safely passed that
the trouble lay behind him and not before
him; that he wils soon to meet the wife whom
he loved, now recovering from an illness
which had but lately disIuieted and almost
unnsrved him; that he was going to his Alma
Mater to renew the most cherished associa-
ton OF his young manhood, and to exchange
greeting with those whose deep sning interest
had followed every step of his upward prog
ress from the day he entered upon his col
lege until he had attained the loftiest elcva-
ton in the gift of his countlymen.
Much OF happiness can ever come from the
honors OF triumphs of this world. On that
quiet July morning James A. Garfield may
have well been happy man. No foreboding
OF evil haunted him. Not the slightest pre-
montion of danger clouded his sky. His ter
rible fate was upon him in an instant. one
moment he stood erect. strong, confident in
him; the next he lay wounded, bleeding,
he!pless-d )omed to many weeks OF torture,
to silence and the grave; Great in life, he
was unsurpassingly great in death. For no
cause, in the very frenzy of wantonness
and wicl<edness, by the red hand of muir
der he was thrust from the full tide of the
worlds interest; from its hopes, its aspira.
tons, its Victories into the visible presence of
death, aud he did not quail. Not alone for
the one short moment in which, stunned and
dazed, he could give up life, hardly aware of
its REIMBURSEMENT, but through days OF
deadly languor, through weeks of agony that
was not less agony becaus. silently borne,
with clear sight and calm courage he looked
into his open grave. What blight and ruin
met his anguished eyes? whose lips may tell
what brilliant, broken plans; what baflled,
high ambitions: what sunderin2 of strong,
warm manhood's friendships; what bitter
rending of sweet household ties?
Behind him proud, eXpectant nation, Il
great host of sustaining friends a cherished
and happy mother wearing the full, rich hon
ors OF her early tolls and tears, the wife of his
youth, whose whole life lay in his the little
boys not yet merged from childhood's day OF
trolic; the fair young daughter, the sturdy
sons just springing into closest companion
ship, claiming every day, ana every day re-
warding, father's love and care, and in his
heart the eager, rejoicing power to meet all
demands; before him desolation and great
darkness-and his soul was not shaken, and
his countrymen were thrilled with instant,
D AZ
full in his mortal weakness, he became the
center of "A nations love, enshrined in the
prayers of a world. But all the love and all
the sympathy could not share with him his
suffering. He trod the wine press alone.
With nnfaltering front he faced death. With
/ untailing tenderness he took leave of life.
Above the demoniac hiss OF the HSsassin's
bullet he heard the voice of God. With sim
pie resignation he bowed to the Divine
As the end drew near his early craving for
the sea returned. The stately mansion of
power had been to him the wearisome hOspi-
tai OF pain, and he begged to be taken from.
his prison walls from its oppressive sitting
air, from its homelessness and its hopeless
ness Gently, silently, the love OF great
people bore the pale sufferer to the longed for
| healing of the sea- to live or to die, as God
| should will within sight of its heaving pillows,
within the sound of its manifold voice. With
wah, teVered face tendery lifted to the cool
| ing breeze, he looked out wisfully upon the
oceans changing wonders-on its far sails
whitening in the morning light on its restless
waves rolling shoreward to break and die be-
meath the monday sun, on the red clouds OF
evening arching low to the horizon, on the
serene and shining pathway of the stars. Let
us think that his dying eyes read a mystic
meaning which only the rapt and parting
| soul may know. Let us believe that in the
| silence of the receding world he heard tho
| great waves breaking on further shore, and
| felt already upon his wasted brow the breath
| of the eternal morning.
| eS
General Meigs, in an article oa fire.
proof buildings, speaks of bricks as the
only really fireproof material available
| at reasonable commercial cost To he