Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 September 1881 — WARFIELD’S OBSEQUIES. [ARTICLE]

WARFIELD’S OBSEQUIES.

Services In Wneli trig ton Over the Re' mains. Religious services over the body of President Garfield were held in the rotunda of tho Capitol in Washington, on Friday afternoon, Bept. 23. The services were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Power, of the Vermont Avenue Christian Church, and were attended by about 1,800 people. including President Arthur, tho diplomatic body, the Supreme Court Judges, the Cabinet offioers, several Senators and Congressmen, tho members of the household of tho late President, Dr. Boynton, Col. Bockwell, Cyrus W. Field, Gen. Swaim and W. W. Corcoran. Mrs. Garfield was not present The services were plain, simple and earnest The ceremonies were opened with the hymn, “Asleep in Jesus,” beautifully rendered by a volunteer choir. The Bev. Dr. Bankin then ascended the platform at th«f head of tbe catafalque, and read, in a clear, distinct voice, a few seleotions of Scripture. Tho Bev. Isaao Errett then offered prayer. He spoke in a low tcroo and with much evidenoo of deep feeling. Tho Bev. F. D. Power, of the Vermont Avenue Christian Church, of which President Garfield was a member, delivered a fooling address. He said: ..... “ The cloud so long pending over the nation has at last burst npou our heads. We sit halfcrushed amid the ruin it has wrought A million prayers, and hopes, and tears, as far as human roason sees, were vain. Our loved one has passed from us. But there is relief. We look away from the body. Wo forego for a time the tilings that aro seen. Wo remember with joy his faith in tho Son of God, whose gospel he sometimes himself preached, and which he always truly loved. And wo see a light and blue sky through the cloud , structure and beauty instead of ruin ; glory, honor, immortality, spiritual and eternal life iu plaoe of decay and death. The chief glorv of this man, as we think of him now. was his discipleship in the sohool of Christ His attainments as » scholar and a statesman will be the theme of our orators and historians, and they lie tlio most worthy men to speak praiseworthily. But it is as a Christian that we love to think of him now. It was this which made his lifo to man an invaluable boon, bis deatli to us an unspeakable loss, his eternity to himself an inheritance incorruptible, undofllod, and that fadetb not away. He was no sectarian. His religion was as broad as tho religion of Christ. Ho waH a simple . Christian, bound by no sectarian ties, and wholly in fellowship with ail pure spirits. Ho was a ChristologiHt rather than a theologist. Ho had great roverenco for family and relations. His example as a son, husband and father is a giory to his nation. His power over human hearts was deep and strong. He won moil to him. He had no enemies. The hand that struck him w»s not the hand of his enemy, but the enemy of the people, the enemy of the country, the enemy of Qod. He sought to do right, manward and Godward. He was a grander man than we knew. He wrought even in his pain a hotter work lor the nation than wo can now estimate. Ho fell at the hoiglit of Ins achievements, not from any fault of his. But wo may in some sense reverently apply to him tho words spoken of his dear Lord : ‘He was wounded for oar transgression, he was buried for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him.' As the nations remembor the Macedonian as Alexander the Great, and the Grecian as Aristides the Just, may not this son of America be known as Garlield tho Good. Our President rests. He had joy in the glory of work, and he loved to talk of the leisure that did not come to him. Now he has it. This is the clay, precious because of tho service it rendered. Hois free. The spirit, absent from the body, is present with tho Lord. On the heights whence came his help he finds repose. What rest lias been his for tnese four days! Brave spirit, which cried in its body, < I am tired!' Ho is whero the wicliod cease from troubling and the weary aro at rest. The patient soul, which groaned under the burden of suffering flesh, ‘O, this pain!’ it now in a world without pain. Spring comes, the Howers bloom, the buds put forth, the birdß sing. Autumn rolls round, the birds have long since hushed their voices, the nowers tauea ana laiien awav, the forest foliage assumes a sickly hue. So earthly things pass away, and what is true remains with God. The pageant moves. The splendor of arms and banners glitter in tho sunlight. Tho music of instruments and oratory swells upon the air. The cheers and praises of men resound. But spring and summer puss by, and autumn sees a nation of sad eyes and heaver hearts, and what is triie remaius of Goa. ‘The eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the ever.asling arms.’ At the conclusion of Dr. Power’s address, tho Bev. J. G. Butler offered prayer, which brought the ceremonies to a close, and at 4 o’clock p. m. the casket was lifted out and placed on the> shoulders of eight of tho marines, who walked on either side with hands upon the casket. Upon tlio cufliu lay tho wreath from the Queen and the sprays of Cyphus palms. Tlio officers of the army and military escort followed into the station. The clergymen, some of the physicians and the relatives of tho family alighted and went at once to tho train. Ex-Presidents Hayes and Grant walked arm in arm, After them came President Arthur, leaning upon Mr. Blaine, with bowed head and dejected carriage. The members of the Cabinet and their wives followed two and two. At this time a company of colored cadets marched and countermarched before the entrance to the station, led by a drum corps with muffled drums. The members of tho diplomatic corps stopped a moment before the gate, and then drove on without entering. Chief Justice Waite and his associates of the Supreme Court entered the depot. Tlio gates were closed. Piesently President Aitliur, accompanied by Secretary Blaine, Si cretary Hunt and ex-Pre»ident Grant, returned to the sidewalk. President Arthur and Gen. Grant entered a carriage together, and drovo off. Their faces were troubled, and showed plainly the depth of thoir feeling. The Knights Templar arrived at the station after all tho others had entered and marchi <i to a position beside the funeral train. Just before tiie head of the procession reached the depot, two cars of the draped train had been disconnected and run some distance from tlie station. Mrs. Garfield, with Harry and Mollie, Gen. Swaim, his wife, ana Mrs. Bockwell, entered the cars at this point. They were then run back into the depot. By this means they avoided the crowd which surrounded the station. As the funeral procession readied the depot the sun was veiled in a heavy black cloud. When, at 5 o’clock, the train started, the cloud had risen overhead, and drops of rain like tears fell lightly, aud the sun broke through tho lower margin of the cloud-bank, turning it to silver, while, iu the east, a beautiful rainbow si retched across tho sky. The train left the depot in Washington at 6:15 o’clock, passing out of the city amid the tolling of Lolls, in the presence of many thousand silent people. Immense crowds assembled at the various stations, and in most places the civio and military bodies contributed floral tributes. Fifty thousand persons stood with uncovered heads as tho train entered the depot at Baltimore. The luneral party.reached Harrisburg at 9:18 and tho Congressional comnuttco at 9:32, neither train stopping, although an imnn uso asst mb age was ranged along the tracks. A national salute vriis fired and all the church bells tolled. The train proceeded on its journey as far aa Altoour, Pa., without interruption. A little beyond that (Miiiit a freight-train was wrecked and was lying across the track. It required several hours to remove the wreck, and the funeral party suffered a painful delay in consequence of tins mishap. _