1881 and the other for accepting it; and yet it cannot be denied that Blaine was one of the best, if not the best, qualified men in the Republican party for the office. Blaine promised that in the administration of the office he would ignore all differences and would conduct himself so as to bring about reconciliation. This should have satisfied the imperious senator from New York, but he refused to interpret the appointment as anything other than a deliberate attempt to humiliate him, and henceforth there could be only unceasing war between him and the administration. The appointment of Thomas L. James of New York as Postmaster General against Conkling's wish added further fuel to the flame. Hastening to the President's room upon receiving news of the appointment, Conkling charged back and forth for an hour in his dictatorial manner, accusing the President in the most vituperative language of treachery, falsehood and everything else. But Garfield never lost his temper or dignity, and listened to the whole tirade. He refused, however, to be deterred by Conkling's threats or to allow him to dictate the appointment of those who were to aid him in the discharge of his duties. A few weeks later he loaded the last straw on the camel's back by nominating Mr. Robertson to be collector of the port of New York. Robertson had been one of the seventeen New York delegates who had stood out against Grant in the Chicago convention and was, therefore, a bitter enemy of Conkling. Conkling was now furious, and claimed that he, as one of the senators from New York, had a right to be consulted. Appalled by the threatened schism in the party, some of the leading Republicans formed a reconciliation committee to establish harmony, if possible. But Conkling could not be pacified, and proposed to rule or ruin. With his colleague, T. C. Platt, he demanded that the appointment of Robertson should be withdrawn from the Senate and another name sent in that would be acceptable to the New York senators. Garfield felt that if he yielded the entire people would know that Conkling instead of himself was master, and so he refused. Seeing that the nomination of Robertson would be confirmed by the Senate in disregard of “senatorial courtesy," Conkling and Platt petulantly resigned their seats, returned to New York and asked the legislature to endorse their course by a reelection. This the legislature declined to do, and in their places two senators representing the anti-Conkling faction were chosen. 1881-1882 This was the end of Conkling's brilliant political career - a career brought to a premature close by his own folly and arrogance. Platt's loss of influence was only temporary, and after a long interval he was again reëlected to the Senate. Garfield had triumphed, but his refusal to defer to Senator Conkling in making his appointments had created a breach in the party. Those who thought and acted with Conkling and Arthur came to be called "Stalwarts"; those who followed Garfield and Blaine were known as "Half-breeds." Much feeling of bitterness existed between the two factions and ugly rumors of all sorts filled the air. At this juncture the country was thrown into consternation by the assassination of President Garfield. While standing in a railway station at Washington on July 2, waiting for a train to take him to Williams College, he was shot by one C. J. Guiteau, a disappointed office-seeker and fanatic, who for months had followed the President seeking an opportunity to murder him. The wounded President was borne tenderly to the White House, where all that skillful medical treatment could do was done to save his life. For many days anxious crowds watched the bulletin boards and prayed that he might recover. In the hope that the sea air would prove beneficial, he was removed in August to Elberon, New Jersey, but the benefit was only temporary. The nation hoped and waited while the sick President lingered on, but blood poisoning finally set in and on September 19 he died. The body was borne to Cleveland, Ohio, and surrounded by thousands of the President's old friends and admirers was laid to rest in Lakeview Cemetery, September 26. The day of the funeral was observed throughout the country as an occasion of general mourning in response to a proclamation of President Arthur. The people entertained a deep affection for Mr. Garfield, and he was now spoken of as another martyr President. His rise from the humblest of circumstances to the Presidency, his high character as a man, his patriotic course as an officer, and, lastly, his unyielding fortitude during his long sufferings were qualities which endeared him to the masses. On February 22, by direction of Congress, memorial services were held at the National Capitol in honor of the dead President, and in the presence of the President of the United States, members of Congress, the Supreme judges, the diplomatic corps and other high civil and military functionaries, Mr. Blaine delivered an oration on the life and character of the late chief magistrate. 1881-1882 Guiteau was promptly taken into custody, when he is said to have exclaimed, “I am a 'Stalwart' and Arthur will be President," and that the Republican party would be united and the Republic saved. His words went to show that Garfield's assassination was indirectly, at least, a result of the unfortunate dissensions in the party. Subsequently Guiteau stated that he had been inspired of God to do the act and that in "removing" the President to heal the breach in the Republican party he had only done what certain newspapers and politicians had urged. The assassin was promptly arraigned, and after a long trial of several months he was convicted in January, 1882, and hanged. His defense was insanity, and it was pretty well established that this was his real condition, but popular feeling against the assassin was too strong for the jury to disregard, and hence they brought in a verdict of guilty. III ACCESSION OF ARTHUR; CIVIL SERVICE REFORM; STAR ROUTE FRAUDS; NEW TARIFF LAW; INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS In the early morning hours of September 20, soon after Mr. Garfield had breathed his last, Mr. Arthur, at his New York home, took the official oath as President, Judge Brady of the State Supreme Court officiating. After accompanying the remains of the dead President to Washington, he was sworn into office in a more formal manner, before the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, on the 22d, and delivered a brief address in which he expressed his sense of the grave responsibilities devolved upon him. "All the noble aspirations," he said, “ of my lamented predecessor, which found expression in his life, the measures devised and suggested, during his brief administration, to correct abuses and enforce economy, to advance prosperity and promote the general welfare, to insure domestic tranquillity and maintain friendly and honorable relations with the nations of the earth, will be garnered in the hearts of the people, and it will be my earnest endeavor to profit, and to see that the nation shall profit, by his example and experience." Thus, peacefully and quietly and without shock or strain, did the government again pass from the hands of the elected President, who had been stricken down, to his constitutional successor. Thus, too, did it pass from the "Halfbreed" faction to the "Stalwarts." |