Garfield's Power

The following remiuisoenco of Genera Garfield's power during the greatest crisis the country ever pass-ed through, has been handed us by a distinguished gentleman who was present, and shows the intellectual and moral iower ot' tlie republieau uominee for the presideucy ostr a surging .and maddened crowd : " I pliall never tbrget tho first time I saw (oneral liarfield. It was the luorning after President Lincoln' s a.-sassination. Thü country was excited to its utmost tensión, and New Vork city seemed ready for the scènes of the French revolution. The iutelligence of Lincoln's murder had been tiashed by the wires over the wbole lund. The newspftpfir Leadliues of the transaction were set up in the largcst type, and tlie h.,,li ¦u., aa uu v. .-,. nnii'? tnnmie roar took poneisiM of meu's minas as to the late of the goverument, for in a few hours the news caino on that Seward's throat was cut and that attempta had been made upon the lives of other governnient otficers. Posters were stuek up everywhere in great black letters, calling upon tha loyal citizens of New York, Brooklyn, Jersey City and neighboring places, to tneet around the Wall Street exchauge and give cxprec.-ion to tlitir bcntiinents. It was a dark and terrible huur. What might come next no onc could teil, and men spokc with batcd breath. The wrath of the workingmen was simply uncontrollable, and ievolvers and kuiveswerein the hands of thousands of Lincoln's friends, ready at the firt opportunity to take the luw into their own hands and avenge the dcath ot the martyred President upon any and all who dared to utter a word against hini." " Eleven o'clock a. ni. was the hour .-et for Uie reiidezvous. Fifty thousand people ciowded around the exchange building, crainming and jaruming the streets, and wedged in tight as; men could stand together. With a few to whoui a special iavor was extended, I went over froui Brook lyn, at '. a. 111., and even theu, with the utmost difliculty, fouod way to the reception room for the speakers in the front of exchange building, and looking out upon tho high and massive balcony, whose fiont was protected by a heavy irou railiug. We sat in solemnity and silence, waiting for Oen. Butler, who, it was aunounced, had started froui Washington aud was either already in tho city or expecU;d every uiomeut. Nearly a hundred judges, generala, tatemen, lawyers, editors, clergymen and others wero in that room waiting Butler's arrival. We stepped out to tho balcony to w.itch the feariully olcmn and swaying mass of people. Not a liurrah was heard, but for the most part doad silence, or a deep, ominous mutlering ran like a rising wave up tlie street toward Broadway, and again down toward the riveron the right." "At length the batonsof the pólice wero secn swingiDg in the air, far np on the left, parting the eruwd and pressing it back to make way for a carnaje tliát moved j-lowly and with difficult jogs througli tho compact multitude. Suddculy the silence was bruken and the cry of ' Butler ! Butler ! Butler ! ' rang out with tromendous and thrilliug efleet, and was taken up by the people. But not a hurrah ! Not one ! It wa.s the ory of a great peoplo, asking to know how their President died. The blood bounded in our veins, and the tears ran liko streauis down our faces. How it was done I forgot, but Butler was pulled through, and pulled up, and entered the room where we liad ju.it walked back to meet hini. A broad orape, a yard long, hung trom his left arm - terrible contrast with the oountless üaps that wero waviDg the nation's victory in the broeze. We first realized then the truth of the sad uews that Lincoln was dead. When Butler entered the room we shook hands. Sonie spoke, some couldn't. All were in tears. Tho only word Butler had for us all at the first break of tho silunce was : " (lentlomen, be died in the fullnessof his fame ! " and as hc spoke it his lips quivered, and the tcars ran tast down his cheeks. "Then, after a few moments, camc the speaking. And you can imagine the effect, as the crape fluttered in the wind, while his arm was uplifted. I)ickinson, of New York state, wa fairly wild. The old man leaped over the iron railing of the balcony and stood on the very edge overhanging the crowd, gensticulating in the most vehement manner, and next thing to bidding the crowd ' burn up the rebel seed, root and branch.' while a bystander held on to his coat-tails to keep him from falliug over. By this time the wave of popular iudignation had Bwellea to lts crest. Two men lay bleeding on one of the sidc streets, the ono dead, the other next todying; ono on the paveuient, the other in the gutter. Thcy had said a moment beforc that ' Lincoln ought to have been shot long ago ! ' They wero not ullowed to say it ngain ! Soon two long pieces of scantling stood out above the headb of the crowd, crossed at the top like the letter X, and a loopcd lialter p:ndunt from the junctión, and a dozen men following its hIipw motion through the masses, while 'Vengciince ! ' was the cry. "On the right, suddculy, the shoutrosc, ' The World ! ' ' The World ! ' 'tho office ol The World ! ' ' World ! World ! ' and n mqvement of perhups 8.000 or 10,000 turning their faces in the direction of that building began to be executed. It was a ritical moment What might come no ono uould tell.did that crowd get in front of that office, l'oliceand military wouid have availcd liulo ur Loen too 'late. A telegram had just been read f'rum Washington, 'Seward isdying.' Just then, at that juncture, a man stepped forward with a nuall flag in hls hand, and beckoned to tho crowd. 'Anoiher telegram Iroui Washington!' And then, in the awful htillness of' the critue, Uking advautage of the hesitation of the erowd, whose sttjpn had boen arrested amomout, a right arm was lifted bkyward, and a voice elear and steady, loud and distinet, spokeout: 'Fellow-citizens ! Clouds and darkness are round about Him ! His pavillion is dark waters and thick clouds of' the skies! Juatice and judpment are the OMublishtneut of His throne ! Mercy and tru-h nhall Ko before His face ! Fellow-eittseos ! od rcigns, and die government at n a-,hington ötilllives! ' The tffect was treniendou. The crowd stood riveti d to the gruund in awc, gazing at the motionlüss orator, and thinking of God and the seourity of the government in that hour. As the boiling wave subsides and settles to the sea when some strong wind Leats it down, so the tumult of' the people sank and became Hl. All took it as a divine omen. It was a triumph of elHiuence. inspired by the moment, sueh as talK to butoue mau'slot, aud that but OOce ia a century. The geuius ot Webster, Kverctt, Ghoate, or Seward, nevcr reuehcd it. IViiHisihi mus ncver equalled it. What might have happflued had tho surging and maddeoed ii.ob been let loose, none can teil. The man for thtí crisis was on the spot, more potent thau Napoleon' gunsat Paris. I inquired what was his name. The answer mmc in a low whi.sper, ' It is General Garöeld, of ühio ! ' "