The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-09
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BLAINE'S HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO
GARFIELD.

GAEtExEAO.
TAMES G. BLAINE retired from the Cabinet
~ Of President Arthur in December, 1881, and
Immediately began the preparation Of the memo
rial eulogy Of President James a. Garfield. Mr..
Blaine had been invited by Congress to deliver
a memorial address in the hall Of the House Of
Representatives, and, if convenient, to him, upon
Washington's Birthday in 1882.
Upon the appointed day in February a verv
great company was gathered in the Hall Of the
House Of Representatives. The weather was
especially propitious. The early flowers were
poisoning upon the lawns IN front Of the Capl-
tol, the sky was tinted with the perfect deep blue,
unrelieved BY any clouds, Of an ideal day in
June.
There were seated in conspicuous places in
specially arranged chairs in front of the clerks
desk several men who had gained distinction
even before Mr.. Blaine's name was a familiar
one. President Arthur had the place of honor,
and his manner was that of a man who possessed
great dignity without any hint of self conscious
ness.
But, after all, the two invited guests upon
whom the eyes of those who we're in the galleries
and of many of the members of Congress were
most steadily fixed we're General Hancock, who
had been defeated for the Presidency by General
Garfield in the November Of the preceding year.
and General Sheridan. General Hancock's man
ner, the perfect serenity and soldierly Composure
which characterized him, his splendidly poised
head, his erect carriage and the courtesy with
which he steadfastly regarded Mr.. Blaine all
tended to Justify that inspiration of Daniel
Dougherty when he called him Hancock the
Superb" This was at the time that Mr.. Dough
erty placed General Hancocks name before the
Democratic National Convention of 1880.
It was almost the last appearance in public of
General Hancock. Certainly he was little seen
in Washington after this ceremonial visit in which
he, as the guest of distinguished honor, paid his
tribute to the memory Of Garfield.
It was observed from the gallery that Mr..
Blaine placed a thick manuscript before him on
the Speakers desk and that each sheet Of heavy
paper was black bordered. 1t was the first time
that Mr. R1a1na had stood at that decl< since the
day when his service as Speaker of the House of
Representatives ended. Those who were col
leagues Of Mr.. Blaine in the House of Representa-
tives and who were that day among those who
were gathered to hear the eulogy spoke after.
ward Of the unaCcustomed quality of the voice
with which Mr.. Blaine read his manuscript. Fur
ther1nore, they could not recall an instance in
his entire career when he had read any speech
from manuscript.
His voice, accustomed as he had been to the
acoustic peculiarities of the House, was under
perfect control. But it was as gentle, almost as
soothing, as a lullaby. He had learned the art
Of sending his voice careering over a great space
with perfect intonation and articulation. The
fiery and imprisoned Blaine who had so often
startled or thrilled the members Of the House OF
Representatives was a statesman Of the past and
this man Of noble presence and of pressive
solennlty OF manner was a new Blaine, not till
that monent~discovere by any of his old asso-
ciates.
The closing paragraph Of the eulogy has be
come an American classic. So thoroughly is the
thought, solemn pathetic, tragic, yet breathing
the hope Of immortality, infused into the verbal
expression that the whole utterance is now re-
garded by the ablest critics as partakinq of some
Of the sublinler aspects of poetry.
Mr.. Blame himself was greatly interested and
even somewhat astonished tina. his peroration
should have commanded such universal recogni.
ton in the English speaking world. He was
quoted atterward by one Of his friends as having
SAID: The closing sentences Of my Garfield ad-
dress are exactly in the form in which they were
first written. They came directly from nv heart
and mind to the paper. ! wrote those passages
having IN mind my recollection Of those sad DAYS
by the sea where Garfield looked out into the
Great Unknown. Other parts Of the address in
vowed great labor, intense thought and the ut
most care IN preparation. This passage stands
as ! hrst thought it and as l first put It on paper
MY first purpose was to dictate the Grafton.
out l speedily discovered that to do that would
De to impair both the literary value Of the
address and probably to cloud the thought @, to
involve dlttuseness. Therefore abandoned die.
'auon and l wrote every word Of that address"
tCOpVrIpht 1919 nv z I ESrorj- ~ -. /.