my memories of eighty years-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



The　good　things　Mr。　Evarts　said　would　be　talked　of　long　after　a　dinner。　　I　remember　on　one　occasion　his　famous　partner；　Mr。　Choate；　who　was　a　Harvard　man；　while　Evarts　was　a　graduate　from　Yale；　introduced　Mr。　Evarts　by　saying　that　he　was　surprised　that　a　Yale　man；　with　all　the　prejudices　of　that　institution　against　the　superior　advantages　of　Harvard；　should　have　risked　the　coats　of　his　stomach　at　a　Harvard　dinner。　　Mr。　Evarts　replied：　〃When　I　go　to　a　Harvard　dinner　I　always　leave　the　coats　of　my　stomach　at　home。〃

Mr。　Evarts　once　told　me　when　I　was　visiting　him　at　his　country　place　that　an　old　man　whom　he　pointed　out；　and　who　was　sawing　wood；　was　the　most　sensible　philosopher　in　the　neighborhood。　Mr。　Evarts　said：　　〃He　is　always　talking　to　himself；　and　I　asked　him　why。〃　　His　answer　was：　　〃I　always　talk　to　myself　in　preference　to　talking　to　anybody　else；　because　I　like　to　talk　to　a　sensible　man　and　to　hear　a　man　of　sense　talk。〃



VIll。　　GENERAL　GARFIELD

The　triumph　of　the　Democrats　in　Maine　in　the　September　election；　1880；　had　a　most　depressing　effect　upon　the　Republicans　and　an　equally　exhilarating　one　upon　the　Democrats。　　The　paralyzing　effect　of　the　simple　utterances　in　popular　elections　almost　makes　one　think　that　every　candidate　should　follow　Matthew　Quay's　famous　advice　to　his　candidate　for　governor：　　〃Beaver；　keep　your　mouth　shut。〃

In　the　campaign　when　General　Winfield　Scott　ran　for　the　presidency；　he　began　an　important　communication　by　stating　that　he　would　answer　as　soon　as　he　had　taken　a　hasty　plate　of　soup。　　That　〃hasty　plate　of　soup〃　appeared　in　cartoons；　was　pictured　on　walls；　etc。；　in　every　form　of　ridicule；　and　was　one　of　the　chief　elements　of　his　defeat。

When　towards　the　close　of　the　canvass　Garfield　had　succeeded　in　making　the　tariff　the　leading　issue；　General　Hancock　was　asked　what　were　his　views　on　the　tariff。　　（You　must　remember　that　the　general　was　a　soldier　and　had　never　been　in　politics。）　　The　general　answered：　　〃The　tariff　was　a　purely　local　issue　in　Pennsylvania。〃　The　whole　country　burst　into　a　gale　of　laughter；　and　Hancock's　campaign　had　a　crack　which　was　never　mended。

There　never　were　two　more　picturesque　opponents　than　General　Garfield　and　General　Hancock。　　Hancock　was　the　idol　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　and　everybody　remembered　McClellan's　despatch　after　one　of　the　bloodiest　battles　of　the　Peninsula　campaign：　　〃Hancock　was　superb　to…day。〃　　He　was　an　exceedingly　handsome　man　and　one　of　the　finest　figures　in　uniform　in　the　whole　country。

General　Garfield　also　presented　a　very　fine　appearance。　　He　was　a　large　man；　well…proportioned；　and　with　very　engaging　manners。　He　also　had　an　unusual　faculty　for　attractive　public　addresses；　not　only　on　politics；　but　many　subjects；　especially　education　and　patriotism。　　I　never　can　forget　when　the　news　of　Lincoln's　assassination　reached　New　York。　　The　angry　and　dangerous　crowd　which　surged　up　and　down　Broadway　and　through　Wall　Street　threatened　to　wreck　the　banking　and　business　houses　which　were　supposed　to　be　sympathetic　with　the　Confederates。

Garfield　suddenly　appeared　on　the　balcony　of　the　Custom　House　in　Wall　Street　and　succeeded　in　stilling　the　crowd。　　With　a　voice　that　reached　up　to　Trinity　Church　he　urged　calmness　in　thought　and　action；　deprecated　any　violence；　and　then；　in　an　impassioned　appeal　to　hopefulness　notwithstanding　the　tragedy；　exclaimed　impulsively：　　〃God　reigns　and　the　Republic　still　lives。〃

I　was　requested　by　some　friends　to　visit　General　Garfield　and　see　how　he　felt　on　the　political　situation；　which　during　the　campaign　of　1880　did　not　look　hopeful。　　I　took　the　next　train；　spent　the　day　with　him；　and　was　back　in　New　York　the　following　day。

When　I　left　the　train　at　Cleveland　in　the　morning　the　newsboys　pushed　at　me　a　Cleveland　Democratic　daily；　with　a　rooster's　picture　covering　the　whole　front　page；　and　the　announcement　that　the　Democrats　had　carried　Maine。　　The　belief　was　universal　then　that　〃as　Maine　goes　so　goes　the　Union；〃　and　whichever　party　carried　that　State　in　the　September　election；　the　country　would　follow　in　the　presidential　contest　in　November。

I　took　the　next　train　to　Mentor；　the　residence　of　General　Garfield。　I　found　at　the　station　a　score　or　more　of　country　wagons　and　carriages　waiting　for　passengers。　　I　said　to　the　farmers：　　〃Will　any　of　you　take　me　up　to　General　Garfield's　residence？〃　　One　of　them　answered：　　〃We　will　all　take　you　up　this　morning；　but　if　you　had　come　yesterday　you　would　have　had　to　wait　your　turn。〃

It　was　a　startling　instance　of　the　variableness　of　public　opinion。　Delegations　from　everywhere；　on　their　way　to　extend　greetings　to　the　candidate；　had　read　the　morning　papers　and　turned　back；　deciding　not　to　go。

I　found　Garfield　struggling　bravely　to　overcome　the　depression　which　he　felt。　　He　was　in　close　touch　with　the　situation　everywhere；　and　discussed　it　with　discrimination　and　hopefulness。

The　most　affecting　incident　occurred　while　I　was　talking　with　him。　His　mother　passed　through　the　room　and；　patting　him　on　the　back；　said：　　〃James；　the　neighbors　think　it　is　all　right；　they　are　raising　a　banner　at　the　corner。〃

Two　old　soldier　friends　came　in；　and　the　noonday　dinner　was　a　rare　intellectual　feast。　　The　general　was　a　brilliant　conversationalist。　　His　mind　turned　first　to　the　accidents　of　careers。　　He　asked　me　if　there　was　not　a　time　in　my　early　struggles　when　if　Providence　had　offered　a　modest　certainty　I　would　not　have　exchanged　the　whole　future　for　it；　and　then　continued：　〃There　was　a　period　in　my　early　struggles　as　a　teacher　when；　if　I　had　been　offered　the　principalship　of　an　endowed　academy；　with　an　adequate　salary；　with　the　condition　that　I　must　devote　myself　to　its　interests　and　abandon　everything　else；　I　am　quite　sure　I　would　have　accepted。〃

Of　course；　the　hopeful　application　of　this　incident　to　the　Maine　defeat　was　that；　no　such　offer　having　been　made　or　accepted；　he　had　made　a　glorious　career　in　the　army；　rising　to　the　head　of　the　General　Staff；　and　for　twenty　years　had　been　the　leading　figure　in　the　House　of　Representatives；　and　was　now　a　recently　elected　United　States　senator　and　chosen　candidate　for　president。

Then　he　turned　to　the　instances　where　victory　had　been　plucked　from　defeat　in　battles。　　After　citing　many　instances　he　gave　a　word　picture　of　the　Battle　of　Chickamauga　which　was　the　finest　thing　of　the　kind　I　have　ever　heard　or　ever　read。

After　his　two　comrades　left　I　told　him　of　the　interest　which　my　friends　were　taking　in　his　canvass；　and　that　I　would　add　their　contribution　to　the　campaign　committee。　　The　general　instantly　was　exultant　and　jubilant。　　He　fairly　shouted：　　〃Have　I　not　proved　to　you　all　day　that　there　is　always　a　silver　lining　to　the　cloud；　and　that　the　darkest　hour　is　just　before　dawn？〃

It　was　one　of　the　sources　of　General　Garfield's　success　as　an　orator　that　he　was　very　emotional　and　sentimental。　　He　happily　carried　with　him　amid　all　struggles　and　disappointments；　as　well　as　successes　in　the　making　of　a　career；　the　buoyant；　hopeful；　companionable；　and　affectionate　interests　which　characterize　the　ambitious　senior　who　has　just　left　college　to　take　his　plunge　into　the　activities　of　life。

So　far　as　our　State　was　concerned；　a　great　deal　turned　upon　the　attitude　of　Senator　Conkling。　　His　great　and　triumphant　speech　of　four　hours　at　the　Academy　of　Music　in　New　York　brought　all　his　friends　into　line；　but　the　greatest　help　which　General　Garfield　received　was　from　the　generous；　unseIfish；　and　enthusiastic　support　of　General　Grant。

General　Grant　had　been　the　leading　candidate　in　the　convention　which　finally　nominated　Garfield；　but　he　voluntarily　appeared　upon　the　platform　in　several　States　and　at　Garfield's　home。　　His　brief　but　most　effective　speeches　gathered　around　Garfield　not　only　the　whole　of　the　old…soldier　vote　but　those　who　had　become　disaffected　or　indifferent　because　of　the　result　of　the　national　Republican　convention。

There　probably　was　no　canvass　where　the　Republican　orator　ever　had　so　many　opportunities　for　the　exercise　of　every　faculty　which　he　possessed。　　His　candidate　had　made　an　excellent　record　as　a　soldier　in　the　field　and　as　a　statesman　in　Congress；　as　an　educator　and　a　popular　speaker　on　questions　of　vital　interes