THE LATE PRESIDENT GARFIELD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2331, 22 September 1881, Page 3

THE LATE PRESIDENT GARFIELD.

The following historical (Vetch of the lata President was contributed to the columns of the “Daily Times ” by “Jacob Terry ” a little over twelve months ago, just prior to the Presidential election; The Bopublican nominee is a self-made man, but, unlike men of his class, he is as modest and diffident as a girl. He is in his forty-ninth year, in the full vigour of manhood—tall, broad-chested, handsome —a gentleman and a scholar. His career is bj SO means exceptional in the United States, because one may meet men any day who have attained to ths highest positions by their industry and intelligence ; nevertheless, it is worth telling. When quite a little boy he was left fatherless in a small backwoods parish in Ohio, to the care of a widowed mother, who had two little girls and another boy to provide for. They were very poor—so poor that they all had to work with very scanty clothing, and without shoes and stockings. They could get no schooling, for in those days Ohio was nothing but a wild pioneer State ; but they came of a good New England stock, and they were honest and industrious. Frugal they had to be. At the age of thirteen, James got employment as a tow-boy on a canal-boat, and worked at that for some years, his ambition being to get to sea. He hod a desire to educate himself, however, and obtained a situation whore he could study a little. Still increasing his stock of learning, he toiled on, helping his widowed mother and pinching himself. Splitting wood and carpentering in the early morning and night, he mode enough to pay his school fees during the day, and in winter, when work could not be had, he taught school for his board. In hia eighteenth year it is related of him that he was so employed, his entire outfit consisting of a full suit of Kentucky jean, without underclothing, and that his pants had worn so that they tore across at the knee on one occasion when stooping. The young teacher, deeply mortified, complained to the lady with whom he boarded, and spoke bitterly of his poverty. "Nevermind,” said the good woman, “you go to bod, and I will darn them as good as tew. When you come to bo President you will forget all these little troubles.” Time wore on, and with it James A. Garfield's growth in manly independence, industry, and knowledge. Ho attended college, and paid his college debts by honest labor the following winter. Having graduated at Williams’ College, Ohio, with honors, he studied law and began practice, but the Civil War breaking out he volunteered his services, and was mustered in as colonel of an Ohio regiment. He was assigned to Kentucky, and there did good service, defeating at the head of his brigade the Confederate General Marshall, and driving him out of Kentucky. For this Garfield was made brigadier general, and appointed chief of staff to General Bosencrans, who commanded the army of the Cumberland. In that capacity he served with distinction at the battle of Chickanagua, between Rosencrans and the Confederate army under Bragg and Longstreet, September 19th, 1863. Through a blunder Rosencrans lost the battle and fled to Chattanooga, telegraphing that his whole army was beaten. This was not so, however, as General Thomas, who commanded on the Union left, repulsed all the attacks of the Confederates during the day, although Crittenden and McCook’s corps had been driven off the field. At this juncture Garfield was elected to Congress for his own State, and he retired from the army. He had previously served in the Ohio Senate, having early gone into public life. Since then he has been in Congress, and is now senator eloot from Ohio. In the House he has been the Republican leader since Blaine went into the Senate. Garfield is a poor man, although ho has been in positions -at the head of important committees—where he might have winked himself rich. He was charged with participating in the Credit Mobillier fraud, and Oak Amea did smirch him somewhat badly. At the time he was said to have taken bribes from the great corruptionist of the Union Pacific railroad he was as poor as a church mouse, and was known to be perplexed how to raise 300dol. to pay hia board bill. Of course all this has boon raked up against him by the Democratic papers, but the charges won't stick. Ho ia one of the most popular speakers in America. Garfield put Sherman in nomination at the Convention, of which he was a member, and when the break took place on the thirty-sixth ballot, and ho saw that he was nominated, he turned to Governor Foster, of Ohio, and, deadly pale, exclaimed, ‘My God, can it be possible that Sherman will believe that I have been false to him ’ But no one accuses Garfield of betraying his friends. When it appeared evident that neither Grant nor Blaine could get the nomination, the delegates looked to Garfield, who had charmed them with his manners, and had claims upon them for party services. He was the man to moon cile all parties, and the anti-third men took him up and made him the choice of the Convention. Grant’s phalanx stood firm, casting 306 vote* in the last ballot, so much influence had the machine. I should mention here that Garfield is a Christian man, of pure and spot-

less life. His aged mother lives with hi# family in their home in Ohio.” THE KIW PRESIDENT, General Chester A. Arthur, who succeed* to the chief magistracy of the United States, was born in Albany in 1831, and is consequently in bis fiftieth year, precisely the age of the President. Mr Arthur always took an active part in polities, his political life beginning whon, as a boy of fourteen, be proclaimed himself a member of the Whig party. paring the Puib-Clay canvass party feeling in favor of Henry Clay and against him rose 00 high that few were exempt from it* influence. Mr Arthur commenced bis business life by becoming a partner with Mr E. D. Culver as a lawyer in New York, and afterwards obtained considerable legal celebrity by his connection with tho Lemmon Stone case. He whs a Republican from the time of tho organisation of the party. He waa Quartermaster-General of the State of New York during the war, and, afterwards retiring into private life, he formed a law partnership with Mr Ransom. Hr Phillips, the district attorney of New York, was added to the firm, and G-oneral Arthur now stands at tho head of the firm of Arthur, Philips, Knevals, and Ransom. He always took a leading part in State and city politics. He was appointed collector of tho port of Now York by President Grant, November 21st, 1872, to suoceeed Thomas Murphy, holding office until July 20th, 1878, when he was removed by President Hayes because he was accused of being in the way of the success of tho reform of the oiv:l service. Being a warm personal friend of Senator Conkling, he has managed much of tho senator’s political business in New York State and city.