Chapter I: Preface

Dean Swift describes the tomb as a place where savage enmity can rend the heart no more. Here, in the ominous shadow of the cypress, the faults and foibles of life are forgotten, and the imagination builds a shining pathway to the stars. Ascending this with rapid flight, the great dead is transfigured as he rises; the clouds close around him, and, in the twinkling of an eye, he is set afar on the heights with Miltiades and Alexander.

The tendency to the deification of men is strongest when a sudden eclipse falls athwart the disk of a great life at noontide. The pall of gloom sweeps swiftly across the landscape, and the beholder, feeling the chill of the darkness, mistakes it for the death of nature. So it was three hundred years ago when the silent Prince of Orange, the founder of Dutch independence, was smitten down in Delft. So it was when the peerless Lincoln fell. So it is when Garfield dies by the bullet of an assassin.

No doubt this man is glorified by his shameful and causeless death. The contrast between his life and his death is indeed the very irony of fate. On the popular imagination he is borne away to Washington and Lincoln. He is canonized—the American people will have it so.

In due season fervor will subside. The keen indignation and poignant sorrow of this great and sensitive citizenship will at length give place to other emotions. The murdered Garfield will then pass through an ordeal more trying than any of his life. He will be coolly measured and his stature ascertained by those inexorable laws which determine the rank and place of both living and dead. No doubt he will suffer loss; but there is of James A. Garfield a residuum of greatness—

Which shall tire
Torture and Time, and breathe though he expire;
Something unearthly which we deem not of,
Like the remembered tone of a mute lyre,—

And this residuum of greatness, whatever it shall be, will constitute the Garfield of the future—the Garfield of history.

For the present there will be—there can but be—a blending of the real and the ideal. The glamour of the apotheosis will dazzle the vision of those who witnessed it. It is enough, therefore, that the narrative of to-day shall be such as befits the universal sentiment. The biographer of the future may weigh with more critical exactitude the weakness against the greatness, and poise in a more delicate balance the evil against the good.

The following pages embody an effort to present, in fair proportion, THE LIFE AND WORK OF JAMES A. GARFIELD. Such sources of information as are at present accessible have been faithfully consulted; and it is sincerely hoped that the outline here given of the personal and public career of the illustrious dead, will be found true to the life. As far as practicable in the following pages, the purposes and character of President Garfield will be determined from his own words. His apothegms and sayings, not a few, and his public papers and speeches have alike contributed their wealth to the better parts of the volume. The story of the President’s wounding and death has been gathered from the abundant sources—official and semi-official—of the journals and magazines of the day. It is hoped that the narrative, as a whole, will not be found deficient in interest, or unworthy of the subject.

This preface would be incomplete if failure should be made to mention the invaluable and extensive service rendered the author in the preparation of the work, by Messrs. AUGUSTUS L. MASON, NATHANIEL P. CONREY, and LEONARD BARNEY, to whose industry and discriminating taste much of whatever merit the book contains, must be accredited. And with this acknowledgment should be coupled a like recognition of the spirit of THE PUBLISHERS, who, with their accustomed liberality, have spared no pains to illustrate the work in a manner befitting the subject. May all who read these pages find in them as full a measure of profit as the author has found of pleasure in their preparation.

J. C. R.

INDIANA ASBURY UNIVERSITY, _November, 1881_.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

BIRTH AND ANCESTRY.

PAGES

“Unto us a child is born.”—A lowly home in the wilderness.—Law
of heredity.—The New England stock.—The Garfields.—The
Ballous.—Trend of the boy mind.—The father’s death.—Story of
the cause.—The widow’s struggle.—Life in the Garfield
cabin.—Earliest labor.—First lessons.—The Garfield
family.—Boyhood traits.—The growing stalk. 11–27

CHAPTER II.

THE STRUGGLE OF BOYHOOD.

A Western boy of twelve.—Workland and dreamland.—A carpenter in
embryo.—Summer day and winter day.—The door of bookland
opens.—What he saw.—A doubtful farmer.—Possibly something
else.—A giant of sixteen.—The stage of brigandage.—Pirate or
President?—Meanwhile a wood-chopper.—The sea-vision
again.—The great deep takes the form of a canal.—Venus:
otherwise, the _Evening Star_.—The glory of the
tow-path.—Navigation and pugilism.—Diving for pearls.—Leaves
the sea.—The goblin that shakes us all.—Politics, religion,
and grammar.—Off to school.—A place called Chester.—Builds a
barn.—And then teaches a school.—More school.—Joins
church.—Credo.—Possible sweetheart.—Learns elocution.—Hiram
rises to view.—An academic course of study.—What about
college?—Bethany, maybe.—Decides against it.—Why.—Knocks at
the door of Williams. 28–58

CHAPTER III.

THE MORNING OF POWER.

College life.—A Junior at Williams.—Favorite books.—College
traditions.—A brain of many powers.—“Mountain Day.”—Essays in
literature.—The Williams _Quarterly_.—Poems: _Memory_,
_Autumn_, _Charge of the Tight Brigade_.—A writing-master at
intervals.—Free Kansas.—A metaphysician.—Steps out with
honor.—Mark Hopkins.—Becomes a professor at Hiram.—And then a
college president.—His methods and manners.—Success as an
educator.—Lectures and preaches.—A union for life.—The chosen
mate.—Incipient politics.—First nomination for office.—State
senator from Portage and Summit.—Hints at leadership.—Rises
in influence.—The approaching conflict.—Ohio makes ready for
battle.—Independence Day at Ravenna.—Sound of the
tocsin.—Vanguard, to right and left the front unfold! 59–87

CHAPTER IV.

A SOLDIER OF THE UNION.

A West Point soldier.—George H. Thomas.—The Union
volunteer.—Garfield appointed Lieutenant-Colonel.—And then
Colonel.—The Forty-second Ohio.—Studies war.—Ordered to the
front.—Kentucky, who shall have her?—Marshall says,
_I_.—Garfield objects.—Don Carlos Buell.—Expedition to
Catlettsburg.—Pluck to the backbone, Sir.—Will attack
Paintville.—A man called Jordan.—The region and the
people.—Harry Brown, Esq.—Capture of Paintville.—Battle of
Middle Creek.—A big victory on a small scale.—Address to the
soldiers.—Big Sandy on the rampage.—Garfield takes a turn at
the wheel.—Proclamation to the people of the
Valley.—Concerning Pound Gap.—A proposed muster rudely broken
up.—Exit Humphrey Marshall.—General Orders No. 40.—Comments
on the campaign. 88–114

CHAPTER V.

HERO AND GENERAL.

Brigadier-General Garfield.—Reports to Buell.—A new field of
activity.—At Pittsburg Landing.—Stands up for Africa.—Sits on
court-martial.—Again the goblin shakes us.—But we report at
Washington.—Tries Fitz-John Porter.—Assigned to Hunter’s
command.—Appointed chief of staff to Rosecrans.—The
commanding general.—Duties of chief of staff.—Personal sketch
of Garfield.—Rosecrans dislikes him.—And then likes
him.—Sheridan’s ten-pins.—Garfield issues circular on prison
pens.—Helps Vallandigham across the border.—Opposes negro
insurrection.—Stands by Lincoln.—Organizes army
police.—Favors in advance.—The Tullahoma
campaign.—Rosecrans’s advance on Chattanooga.—The
capture.—Position of Bragg.—The big game begun.—Situation and
preliminaries.—The battle of Chickamauga.—Garfield’s
part.—Praise and promotion.—We are elected to Congress.—And
accept. 115–166

CHAPTER VI.

IN THE ASCENDANT.

The constituency of Garfield.—The old Western Reserve.—Joshua
R. Giddings.—Character of Congress.—Garfield enters the Cave
of the Winds.—On Military Committee.—Opposes the bounty
system.—Favors the draft.—Advocates confiscation.—Demolishes
A. Long, Esq.—The Wade-Davis Manifesto.—A strange
renomination.—Advocates the Thirteenth Amendment.—Beards
Stanton.—The assassination of Lincoln.—Scene in New
York.—Speech on the Lincoln anniversary.—The temperance
question.—Defends Milligan and Company.—Advocates a Bureau of
Education.—Chairman of Committee on Military Affairs.—The
visit to Europe.—Oration on Decoration Day. 167–210

CHAPTER VII.

LEADER AND STATESMAN.

Opposes his constituents on the money question.—Garfield on the
Ninth Census.—Speaks on Statistics.—Reports on Black
Friday.—Speaks on Civil Service.—Defends the prerogatives of
the House.—An authority on Revenue and Expenditure.—Speaks
against the McGarraghan Claim.—Advocates an Educational
Fund.—Opposes inflation of currency.—Discusses the railway
problem.—An oration on the Elements of Success.—Literary
views and habits.—Oration on the Life and Character of
Thomas.—Speech on the Future of the Republic. 211–253

CHAPTER VIII.

THE NOONTIDE.

The era of slander.—The Credit Mobilier of America.—Reviewed
and answered by Garfield.—The so-called Salary Grab.—Trouble
in the Western Reserve.—Garfield’s defense and
vindication.—The DeGollyer pavement matter.—Triumphant answer
to charges.—Democratic ascendancy of 1874.—The “Confederate
Congress.”—Garfield speaks on the Pension Bill.—Demolishes
Lamar.—Speech on the acceptance of the Winthrop and Adams
statues.—Opposes the Electoral Commission.—Favors Specie
Payments.—Proposed for Speaker.—Opposes the Bland Silver
Bill.—Speech on the Judicial Appropriation Bill.—The payment
of United States marshals.—Appropriation Bill again.—Elected
to the Senate. 254–307

CHAPTER IX.

GREAT QUESTIONS AND GREAT ANSWERS.

Questions of American statesmanship.—Garfield tested.—Speeches
on STATES RIGHTS AND NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY: No Nullification;
Force Bill; Equipoise of Government; Fourteenth
Amendment.—Speeches on FINANCE AND MONEY: The Industrial
Revolution; Gold and Silver; Currency; Banks; Paper Money;
Resumption Act.—Speeches on REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES: Free
Trade and Tariff; Public Expenditures; War Expenses.—Speeches
on CHARACTER AND TENDENCY OF AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS: Future of
the Republic; Government and Science; Revolution in Congress;
Voluntary powers of government; Free consent the basis of our
laws.—A general estimate of Garfield’s genius. 308–402

CHAPTER X.

THE CLIMAX OF 1880.

American political parties.—The Third Term question.—The Grant
movement.—Leaders of the Stalwarts.—The political
“Machine.”—Contrast of Garfield and Conkling.—Gathering of
the clans.—Grant and Anti-Grant.—The Unit Rule.—A truce.—Hoar
for Chairman.—Skirmishes.—Blaine’s
forces.—Adjournments.—Gloomy Friday.—Rule VIII.—Putting in
nomination.—Speeches of Frye, Conkling, and Garfield.—The
balloting.—Garfield and Arthur nominated. 403–442