Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-06-06

showed it, not By restively wriggling out
of it, or auerously complaining of it; but
by overflowingi it, thus ,"making that and
the action fine" A State Senator at 2S, he
proved that he was fit for more BY being
faithful there. His country In the throes
OF war; neither academic shades nor legis-
lative halls could hold him, he marched to
the front. Unschoolsa IN the arts Of war;
he learned the manual of arms in the face
Of the enemy; and. thoropghness marking
him as a soldier as 1t marked him in every
thing else, victory rewarded his brave
leadership, and at 3S he was a major-gen-
eral. Quenching the arders of his spirit,
and obedient to bis superiors, Ut the re-
quest of President Lincoln he quilted the
army to enter the National Legislature in
again called by the imperial voice OF the
people to become the ruler Of the Ameri-
can republic From first 90 last he was
man of blapleless life OF tender heart, and |
of courage inyincible. He himself said.
There is nothing in the world that men
more admire than q man Of strong cour-
age. one who dares look the devil in the
face, and tell him to his face that he is
devil" and what he said he did, as he |
looked the devil of political corruption in |
the face, and told it that it was Il devil that |
by Gods grace he, as ruler OF the State, |
would cast out And the answer on the |
second day OF July 1881, was bullet from
Lincoln died, stricken by the fangs Of
the dying snake of slavery and rebellion.
Garfield showed the way IN his life TO the
publication of our national politics. and
his death sounded the knell of the iniqui-
tous spoils system. 1t is long dying, but
the nation has said it, ard it must go. The
fiat has gone forth, and let every moral
teacher, every true citizen sound IT on
until the public mind has been disabused
of the idea that to be politician one must
cease to be a man, must lay aside honor
and truth; that ambition of public service
has to be bought with base compliances,
or that any freeman's privilege, as
sovereign elector or, servant legislator
| or ruler, can be had for any mercenary
| consideration; and that he who attempts
| it will be blasted with the white heat of
| the popular indignation. II that be
treason, let D-D-D-Dakota make the most
| OF it. Multitudes seek to enter the govern
ment, not by the fair front door where it
receives those whom it would honor, but
| by the obscure and dishonored doors in
| tine rear; let these and all others learn that
| this is no paternal government providing
| snug places for a favored class, but gov
eminent of the people. where he who
rules serves, and is accountable to bis
masters for his loyalty and honor.
But tnis brings me to consider for q
little the fact that this is not personal
/ "
to it. Constitutional limitations surround
most of the offices of the republic and
command the return of officers and legis-
lators, and frequent intervals, to their
constituencies to give an account OF their
stewardship, and submit themselves to the
ordeal of an election. Precedent ana
tradition have placed an i'm passable barrier
in the way of more than one reelection to
the highest Office; and when the mighty
legions lie had led, and the multitudes OF
grateful people in the nation he had so
contributed 10 save. would have pressed
the laurel wreath upon the head of the
mightiest soldier of his, or any other age;
the ghost Of thet precedent walked, the
dead hand of that tradition was reached
out of the grave of the past, snatching it
from their hands, placed it upon the brow
of Garfield.
Ours is a government of the people and
by the people. When Garfield, standing
on the steps of the Treasury in New York.
in the presence of tumultuous mass of
people in the passion of their angry grief
at the assassination of that great chieftan,
Abraham Lincoln, Gained the storm by
uttering those words which are upon his
monument before us God reisns and
the government at Washington lives" He
did more he set forth in word the genius
and stability OF the government, that Is
| dependent on the life of no man, not even
OF the greatest. III monarchies the. change
wrought by the death Of king is attended
by danger not only to the dynasty, but
also to the form of government. It'is the
time for revolutions, schemes, plots and in
surrections In our own land, admins
, trations change policies are reversed, greai
maiorities are overthrown; and while
there may be excitement, even rancor be
! fore. the government moves on in II,
stately way without jostle :ur jar. When
in one instance the result was SO indie
terminate that for a long time, almost ur
: to the time for the inauguration, each SCI
up rival claim, and loud threats were ut
, tered; and while many not partisan really
doubted the issue, and to this day question
, | whether he was really elected, still, 81
i | flexible, and at the same time so stable Il
our system, that Rutherford b. Haye
/ held his title finally on as incontestabl'
, grounds as any man ever occupied th
, position. Great men have sometimes beer
, succeeded by small, and even byuuworth,
!, ones, but the great, majestic manhood o
the nation has steadied the Ship OF Stat
, until another constitutional change o.
!. pilot could take place.
= General Geriield told a story once of tn,
I, time when in II the majority in the popu
!, lar House was overthrown, with come
!, quent change of officers, The smalle
= subordinate officers had all been displaced
= but TWO OF the chief clerks regarded them
!, selves as so necessary that they did no
fear the loss of their places, one day, u
a their great surprise they were discharged
a After the first feeling of chagrin had ex
y pended itself they retired to Il neighborinl
= hosiery to refresh themselves and avail
u the upshot, which they did not doub
:, would be their recall. After while the.
70 returned to witness the discontinue of til
- House of Representatives that had al
% tempted to run without them Their fec
T. ings, or something else, had so oyercom
y them that they were fain to lean on eacl
20 other as they reeled up toward the Cap!to
4, Hating, the other one unsteadily pointe'
~ to the statue of Liberty OIL the dome 0
II the building, saying: ''She totters sh
70 totters." Sometimes man becomes S
~. intoxicated with egotism as to imagin
II that the stability of things depends o
~ him; but 90 he up, or go he down, sh
= does not totler, but stands in the ssrengt
and virtue of the people. Our countr
- was nobly served by the great ones VIII
in the hour of our dire distress. led fort
eT the armies of the Union and carved the
40 names upon the muster roll of fame an
lie now sleep in well,remem bered graves wit
le costliest marbles dressed but as bra'
" hearts were stilled and sleep in unknow
IL graves in the Wilderness, or in unnamt
u ones in the national cemeteries.
How they went forth to die,
e- Pale, earnest thousands from the dizzy mill
MS Aud sunburnt thousands from the harve
&C. hills,
10 Quick, eager thousands from the city street
n And storm-tried thousands from the fishel
M heetS
of How they went forth to dlel
o. Needing, yet shrinking not from the hot brea
as OF the fre-angel ia the front Of death,
nj Seeing Hfar. yet meeting without fear
- The fever-nngel lurking in the rear
ed How they went forth to diei
Iwaa Nanxf In an