Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1881 — Page 6

*ad Summit. Ho did not resign his Presidency, because he looked upon a few months in the .Legislature as an episode not likely to change the course of his life. But the war came to alter his plans. During the winter of 1861 hr was active in the .passage of measures for arming the State militia, and his eloquence and energy made him a conspicuous leader of the Lnion party. Early in the summer of IHtJI he was elected Colonel ol' an infantry regiment (the Fortysecond ) raised in Northern Ohio, many of tho soldiers of which bud been students at Hiram. He took the field in Eastern Kentucky, wgs soon put in command of a brigade, and, by making one of the hardest marches ever made by r> emits, surprised and routed the rebel lorces, under Humphrey Marshal), at Pikoton. From Eastern Kentucky Gen. Garfield was transferred to Ixmisvilie, and from that place hastened to join the army of Gen. lluell, which he reached with his brigade in time to participate in tho second day’s fighting at Pittsburgh Landing. Ho took part m tho siege of Corinth and in the onerations along the Memphis and Charleston railroad. In January, 1863, lie was appointed Chief ' of Staff of tie Armv of the Cumberland and bore a prominent share in ail the campaigns in Middle Tennessee in the spring and summer of that year. His last conspicuous military service was at the battle of Chickainauga. For his conduct in that battle lie was promoted to a Major Generalship. It is said that he wrote all "the orders given to the army that day and Ihbmitted them to Gen. Rosecrans for approval, save one. The one he did not write was the fatal order to Gen. Wood, winch was so worded as not to correctly convey the meaning of the commanding General, and which caused tho destruction of the right wing of tho armv. ELECTED TO CONGRESS. The Congressional district in which Garfield lived was the one long made famous by Joshua R. Giddings. The old anti-slavery champion grew careless of the arts of polities toward the end of his career, and came to look upon a nomination and re-election as a matter of course. His overconfidence was taken advantage of iip 1858 by an ambitious lawyer named Hutchins to carry a convention against him. The friends of Giddings never forgave Hutchins, and cant about for a means of defeating him. Tho old man himself was comfortably quartered in his Consulate at Montreal and did not care to make a fight to get back to Congress. So his supporters made use of the popularity of Garfield and nominated him while he was in the field without asking his consent. That was in 1862. When he heard of the nomination, Garfield reflected that it would be fifteen months before the Congress would meet to which he would be elected, and believing, as did every ono else, that the war could not possibly last a year longer, concluded to accept- He often expressed regret that he did not help fight the par through, and said he ntver would have left the army to go to Congress had he foreseen that the struggle wouid continue beyond the year 1863. lie continued his military service up to the time Congress met.

He was renominated in 1864, without opposition, but in 1866 Mr. Hutchins, whom lie had supplanted, made an effort to defeat him. Hutchins canvassed the district thoroughly, bnt the convention uominated Garfield by acclamation. lie had no opposition thereafter in his own party. In 1872 the Liberals and Democrats united to beat him, but his majority was laf-ger than ever. In 1874 the Greenbackers and Democrats combined and put up a popular soldier against him, but they made no impression on the result. The Ashtabula district, as it is generally called, is tho most faithful to its representatives of any in the North. It has had bnt five members in half a century. When James G. Blaine went to the Senate in 1877 the mantle of Republican leadership in the House was, by common consent, placed upon Garfield. In January, 1880, Gen. Garfield was elected to the Senate to the seat vacated by Allen G. Thurman on the- 4th of March, 1881. He received the unanimous vote of the Republican caucus, an honor never before given to any man of any party in the Stato of Ohio. NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENT. The cwcnmstances of Gen. Garfield’s nomination lor the Presidency at Chicago are thus told by one of his many biographers : There were some indications as the thirtieth ballot progressed on Tuesday, June 8, that the lesser candidates were giving way. The next ballot demonstrated that the Grant lines could not be broken, and the Blaine lines wore at this time waveiing. It was apparent the convention was on the edge of a break. The next ballot, which was finished by halfpast 12, was without exciting event. The close of the thirty-fourth was marked with some excitement growing out of a break to Garfield, Wisconsin casting lor him sixteen votes. Tins was the beginning of the end. To make up this number, Washbnrne, Blaine and Sherman were drawn uj>on. When the result was declared, Gon. Garfield arose and addressed the Chair. The Chairman inquired for what purpose the gentleman rose. “ To a question of order.” said Garfield. “ The gentleman will state it,” said the chair. “I challenge,” said Mr. Garfield, “the correctness of the announcement that contains votes for me. No man has a right, without the consent of the person voted for, to have his name announced and voted for in this convention. Such consent I have not given.” This was overruled by the Chairman amidst laughter against Garfield, who had made the point on the vote cast for him by Wisconsin. Then the thirty-fifth ballot was taken. It was apparent that the Blaine men had broken up. The ballot resulted as follows : Grant, 313 ; Blaine, 257 ; Sherman. !)9 ; Edmunds, 11 : Windom, 3 ; Washbnrne, 23 ; Garfield, 50. The thirty-sixth ballot was taken amidst breathless excitement It proved to be the last. It resulted : Grant, 306 : Blaine, 42 ; Sherman, 3; Washbtime, 6; Garfield, 390. ELECTED AND INAUGURATED. The campaign that followed the nomination of Garficid at Chicago and Hancock at Cincin-

nati was hotly contested. The first doubtful butte, Maine, was carried by a fusion of Democrats and Greenbackers Sept 13, against the Republican candidates ; and it was believed for a time that the election of Hancock was assured. But the Republicans rallied splendidly in Ohio and Indiana, and carried both those States Oct 12. Thenceforth no doubt was en tertained of the. ultimate triumph ol' the Republican candidate. The olection Nov. 2 resulted in the choice of 211 Garfield and Arthur electors, and 155 Hancock and English electors. The Electoral Colleges voted accordingly Dec. 5. Gen. Garfiel! was declared elected by the two houses of Congress, sitting in joint convention, Feb. 9, and was inaugurated March 4. Ills DOMESTIC LIFE. Gen. Garfield had five children living, and had lost two, who died in iufancy. The two } older boys. Harry and Janies, were until lately at school in New Hampshire, and both entered Williams College a few days ago. Mary, or Molly as everybody calls her, is a 'handsome, rosy-cheeked girl of about 12. The two younger boys are named Irwin and Abram. Tne General’s mother is still living, and has long been a member of his family. She is an intelligent, energetic old lady, with a clear head and a strong will, who keeps well posted iu the news of the day, and is very,proud of her son’s career, thongu more liberal of criticism than of praise. His wife, who has been spoken of above, was in truth a companion of his joys and a sharer of his sorrows. In person Gen. Garfield was six feet high, broad-shouldered and strongly built. He had an unusually-large head, that seemed to be three-fourths- -dorehead, light-brown liair and beard, winch was fast turning gray, large, light-blue eyes, a ■ prominent nose and full cheeks. He dressed plainly, was fond of broad-brimme<rsioueh hats and stout boots, ate heartily, cared nothing for luxurious living, was thoroughly temperate in all respects save in that of brain-work, and devoted to his wife and children and very fond of his country home. Among men lie was genial, approaeha ble, companionable and a remarkably entertaining talker.

Charge of the Light Brigade.

After we had mounted for the famous charge, and just before commencing our advance, Col. Shewell, commanding the English Hussars, happened rest his eyes on one of his men with a pipe in his mouth, which so excited his military ire, that he hallooed to him he was d sgracing his regiment by smoking in the presence of the enemy, a grave view of the question which certainly I (his commanding officer) did not, or at least up to that time, reciprocate, inasmuch as I at this very moment was enjoying a remarkably good cigar. The question thin rose in my mind, “Am I to set this bad example? (in the Colonel’s opinion) or should I throw away a cigar?”—no such common article in those days, be it remembered. Well, the cigar carried the day, and it lasted mo till we got to the guns. With shame do I say it. There was one, I believe, who, when he started on this advance, was insensible to the desperate undertaking in which he was about to be engaged. So we went on. “Right flank, keep up. Close in to your center. ” The smoke, the noise, the cheers, the groans, the “ ping, ping,” whizzing past one’s head, the whirr of the fragments of shells, the well-known “ slush ” of that unwelcome intruder on one’s ears—what a sublime confusion it was ! One incident struck me forcibly about this time—the bearing of riderless horses in such circumstances. I was, of course, riding by myself, and clear of the line, and for that reason was a marked object for the poor dumo brutes. They consequently made dashes at me, some advancing with me a considerable distance ; at one time as many as five on my right and two on my left cringing on me, and positively squeezing me as the round shot came bounding by them. I remarked their eyes, betokening as keen a sense of the perils around them as we human beings experienced (and that is saying a good deal). The bearing of the horse I was riding, in contrast to these, was remarkable. He had been struck, but showed no signs of fear, thus evincing the confidence of duimb animals in the superior being.— Jxu'd Gc<rrg< Paget.

The Opium Habit.

The use of opium has been greatly increased in this country within the past few years. The Catholic World gives some statistics of the trade in Albany, N. Y., which show that twenty-five years ago that city, with a population of 57,000, consumed annually 350 pounds of opium and 375 ounces of morphia. Now, with a population of 91,000, the quantity of opium sold is 3,500 pounds, and 5,500 ources of morphia. The deductions are that, while the city has increased 39 per cent., the sale of the drug has increased 900 per cent. In Bavaria medical men are shorter lived than any other class. Out of every 100 individuals, 53 Protestant clergymen, 41 professors, 39 lawyers or magistrates, 34 Catholic priests, but only 26 doctors reach the age of 50.

THE NEW PRESIDENT.

BiOKiuphical Sketch of I hcolcr V. Arthur. Cheater A. Arthur was born at Fairfield, Franklin county, Vermont, Oct. 5,1830. So say his biographers, and so says the official record, although other and unofficial authorities have located his birthplace on the other side of the Canada line. His father, William Arthur, was an itinerant Baptist preacher, born in County Antrim, Ireland, and educated at Belfast College. The young licentiate came at once to here married and began his work, which, in a busy life ending Oct. 27, 1875, led him to many pnlpits in Vermont and New York and to some in Canada, the town of Fairfield, Yt., being among theai. The early days of Chester A. Arthur’s tuition were passed under the tutelage of bis father From his home studies he went to tho wider field of instructional Schenectady, N. Y., iu the grammar school of which place he was prepared for entering Union College. At 15 years of age, therefore, in 1845, he entered Union, and, aftor a regular course, graduated high in his class. Like rnanv another ambitious but impecunious student, young Arthur taught school in the vacations of college specially provided for that purpose. It is a coincidence that in these days of sturdy struggle the young student from Union College and a young student (Garfield) from Williams both taught school in North Pownal, Vt. With #SOO in his pocket, the frugal savings of a school-master’s scanty pay, Arthur went to’ New York city and entered the law-office of Hon. Erastus D. Culver, and was in 1852 admitted to the practice of law. But clients did not then flock to his standard, and, with a young legal friend in like circumstances and frame of mind, two briefless young lawyers roamed the Western States for three months, seeking a place to locate. In the end, not satr isfit-d with the advice of Greeley, tho young men returned to New York and pooled their i - sues in the firm name of Arthur A Gardnt r. About this time Mr. Arthur made a happy matrimonial alliance, marrying the only daughter of Lieut. Herndon, U. S. N.—the brave Herndon who went down with the Aspinwall steamship Central American, which he commanded. Mrs. Arthur died in January, 1880, leaving two children, a son now in Lis 16th and a daughter in her 10th year. Tho career of the young lawyer was made more successful by tho interest ho took in politics and tho militia. He was at the front in caucuses and conventions, and on military parades. His earlier political instincts were with the Whigs, but wiih tho decadence of that party he joined the multitude of American youth (at the North) in advancing tho standard of the itepubliean party. He was, indeed, a delegate to tho Saratoga Convention that organized the Republican party m the State of New York, and was a delegate iu succeeding State conventions, year after year, until he had attained tho Chairmanship of the State Committee and the nomination to tho Vice Presidency. Gov. Morgan, in organizing his military staff in 1861, named Mr. Arthur as Engineer in Chief. He had just before this held the position of Judge Advocate of the Second Brigade, New York city. A little later, Gen. Arthur was appointed Inspector General on the Governor's staff, and so continued during the first year of the great civil war—a year busy with ttio organization and inspection of volunteers for the field. On Jan. 27, 1862, Gov. Morgan advanced Gen. Arthur to the more important post of Quartermaster General, which position he held until the expiration of Morgan’s term of office at the end of that year. In July, 1862, Gen. Arthur was invited to lie present at a meeting of Governors in the city of New York, held for the purpose of discussing measures wnereby the Union armies could ae keDt with full ranks, and it is said he was the only person present who was net a Governor, in tue same year he was on the staff of Maj. Gen. Hunt, in tho Army of the Potomac, as inspector of New York troops iu the field. With the end of Gov. Morgan’s term of office, as already stated, Gen. Arthur’s military career ended, and he returned to the law. Business of a most lucrative character now poured in upon him. Much of this work consisted in tho collection of war claims and the drafting of hills for legislation. Iu consequence, a great deal of his time was spent at Albany or in Washington, where liis successes won him a renown hardly second to that of any other lobbyist. Ho held for a short time the position of counsel to the Board of Tax Commissioners m New York city, at SIO,OOO a year, and in November, 1871, was appointed by President Grant to bo Collector of the Port of New York. On the 28th of January, 1879, John Sberaian, Secretary of the Treasury, addressed a communication to President Hayes setting forth the necessity for a change in the Now York Colleotorship, saying that the Treasury Department stood ready to submit proof that “gross abuses of administration have continued and increased during his [Arthur’s] incumbency.” The removal of Arthur and the appointment of Gen. Merritt as Collector of the Port followed. The history of that memorable struggle at Chicago, which led up to the nomination of Garfield in June, 1880, is fresh in the minds of the people. After Garfield had lieen nominated, on the sixth day, the convention took a recess, with the tacit understanding that Now York might, if it would, name a candidate for the Vice Presidency. The New York delegation. therefore, spent the intervening hour iu caucus, with closed do< rs. Mr. Levi I*. Morton, now Minister to Franco, declined to be considered as a candidate. Vice President Wheeler, Lieut. Gov. Hoskins and ex-Gov. Woodford were presented withont favorable response. The sense of the caucus was so largely in favor of Arthur that, after half an hour’s talk, all other names being withdrawn, it was determined to present his alone. When the convention reassembled, late in the afternoon of Tuesday, June 8, the nomination of Arthur was made in short order.

Familiar Quotations. j Grave Judges, and others learned in the law, have contributed their quota, as in duty bound, to the common stock of popular sayings. It is Francis Bacon who speaks of matters that “come home to men’s business and bosoms,” who lays down the axiom that “ Knowledge is power,” and who utters that solemn warning to euamored Benedicts, “He that hath a wife and children hath given hostages to fortune.” We have the high authority of the renowned Sir Edward Coke for declaring that “Corporations have no souls,” and that “A man’s house is his castle.” The expression, “An accident of an accident,” is borrowed from Lord Thurlow. “The greatest happiness of the greatest number in Bentham, lmt as an acknowledged translation from the learned jurist Beccaria. To Leviathan Hobbes we owe the sage maxim, “Words are wise men’s counters, but the money of fools.” It is John Solden who suggests that by throwing a straw into the air you may see the way of the wind, and to his contemporary .Oxenstern is due the discovery, “ With how little wisdom the world is governed.” Mackintosh first used the phrase “ A wise and masterly inactivity.” “The schoolmaster is abroad,” is from a. speech by Lord Brougham. It does not mean that the teacher is “abroad” in the sense of being absent, as many seem to interpret tile phrase, but that he is “ abroad ” in the sense of being everywhere at work. In the familiar phrase, “A delusion, a mockery and a snare” there is a certain biblical ring, which lias sometimes led to its being quoted as from one or other of the Hebrew prophets ; the words are, in fact, an extract from the judgment of Lord Henman at the trial of O’Connell. Chambers' Journal. Conversational Talent. A talent for conversation has an extraordinary value for common everyday uses of life. Let any one who has this gift enter in a social circle anywhere. How every one’s face brightens at his entrance! How soon he sets all the little wheels in motion, encouraging the timid, calling ‘out unostentatiously the resources of the reserved and sliy, subsidizing the facile, and making everybody glad and happy ! , To converse well is not to engross tho conversation. It is not to do all the talking. It is not necessary to talk with very great brilliancy. A man may talk with such surpassing power and splendor as to awe the rest of the company into silence or excite tlieir envy, and so produce a chill, where liis aim should be to produce warmth and sunshine. He should seek the art of making others feel quite at home with him, so that, no matter how great may lie liis attainments or reputation, or how small may be theirs, they find it insensibly just as natural and pleasant talking to him as hearing him talk. The talent for conversation, indeed, more than anything else in life, requires tact and discretion; it requires one to have more varied knowledge, and to have it at instant and absolute disposal, so that he can use as much or as little as the occasion demands. It requires the ability to pass instantly and with ease from the playful to the serious, from books to men, from mere phrases of courtesy to tho expressions of sentiment and passion.— Prof. Jiart.

Sheet Iron Hoofing. Sheet iron roofing is now claimed to possess advantages, about equally, over both slate and tin. As -compared with the first named, sheet iron, it is asserted, can be made more thoroughly stormproof, as the material admits of being fitted more closely and deftly to irregularities of the roof than do slates, nor is it, liable, like the latter, to be cracked by frost or injured by the falling upon it of heavy objects—being free also from the liability of cracking and splitting, which, in the event of a fire, often impairs the lire-protective qualities of a slate roof, and is specially manifested when cold water is thrown upon them when highly heated. In respect to tin roofs, it is urged that iron has all their advantages, and in addition are made of heavier sheet; the method of making the seams generally adopted in iron roofing also dispenses with the troublesome necessity ol' soldering, as in tin, and the seams of the. latter are so small and narrow that, as soon as contraction of the metal breaks the solder, the seams will leak. It rains twice as often in Western as in Eastern Europe.