Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1882 — The Garfield Letters “Making the Hair Stand.” [ARTICLE]

The Garfield Letters “Making the Hair Stand.”

The following lettei in the Wash ington Post of Friday morning last* preceded by an editorial reference, it is said “raised hair all around.” The editorial says: ”We admit to our columns to-day a very bitter attack oh Gen. Garfield by a man who be--1 juged to the same party, was a member of - the same convention, and doubtless voted for the late president at the election following it. There is a species of savageness about it which suggests disappointed hopes, or possible unrecognized laims, but as the Post is a pretty liberal paper and has said a good many kind things about Garfield, living and dead, it can afford better, perhape, than its contemporary, the Republican, to admit the blizzard in question. The name of the author is in our possession and at the. service of the president’s political, administrators if they desire to take issue with his declarations, either of fact or opinion.” f > the E iitcr of the Post: I read with great interest the ’’Garfield Case letter in your paper.to-day. 1 will TAKE AN OATH it is genuine, for I saw the original in Mr. Chase’s house in 1867, when he resided on the""corner of Sixth and E Streets. What became of it and how it turns up now I do not know. To one w ho knew Garfield well, this Witer is no surprise. He was a m aoherous.a cowardly, a hypocritical man.selfish to the extreme and Dot caring what happened so it did not

happen to himself. Go . Rosecrans was, and is, worth to this country a thousand Garllelds. When the fight- i ing that Garfield was craving for came on, he took good care to keep out of danger. It Is true, as the New York Tribune published some time ago, that at Ohickamauga he was behind a tree, but it is not true that a white dove lit in the tree above him, for there are no white doves in that part of the world and never have been. There are a few domestic pigeons, but they are not in the habit of lighting in trees or coming near t he roar of battle. It is high time, for the sake of our national common sense, the truth of history and justice a ike to the living and the dead, that six this euse over Garfield should end. Millions of better and greater men have lived and died. The writer of this, article was a delegate to tin- Chicago convention, ut no time voied there for Garfield. IsatwHiina few feet of him and spoke to him after hi? nomination. He was whipering like a spanked baby and water was in his eyes. He was nothing but a proses sional office seeker and professional politician, a failure as a preacher ami a lawyer. He learned to string words together as a child does beads, find that was his stock in trade. No cne can point to an original thought he ever uttered. He betrayed John Sherman at Chicago as treacherously as Brutus did Crosar, or Judas did Christ. While making bis speech nominating Sherman, twice a -clear, cultivated voice from ihe gallery t all ed out “Nominate Garfield.” I have it from tilnutnoriry of ore who became aftelwards a member of GarflelV cabinet, that this voice whs that of a hired “claquer” from McYirber’s then ter stationed there for the purpose, to carry out a scheme the Garfield ring had concocted long before the conven tion met. No one wants TO DO INJ. STICK to a dead man, but they are worth no more than living ones, and living or dead, the reputation of a brave, pa uiotic and useful soldier like Gen Uo see rails should not suffer In the eyes or thoughts of our people by the words of such a man as Garflelo, who knew nothing of the sicenoe of war. and who was such a “jack at all trades” he knew little of anything any one need covet (Signed) Justice. Washington. March 9. And this was the man whom deinn gogues elevated to the presidency as the peer of Hancock! It Is time to blush, now.