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"I have seen the sea lashed into fury and tossed into spray, and its grandeur moves the soul of the dullest man, but I remember that it is not the billows, but the calm level of the sea from which all heights and depths are measured."

James A. Garfield, 20th President, 1881 His Speech Nominating Sherman for President, 1880 "Bear with me a moment. “Hear me for my cause,” and for a moment “be silent that you may hear.” Twenty-five years ago this Republic was bearing and wearing a triple chain of bondage. Long familiarity with traffic in the bodies and souls of men had paralyzed the consciences of a majority of our people; the narrowing and disintegrating doctrine of State sovereignty had shackled and weakened the noblest and most beneficent powers of the national government; and the grasping power of slavery was seizing upon the virgin territories of the West, and dragging them into the den of eternal bondage. At that crisis the Republican party was born. It drew its first inspiration from that fire of liberty which God has lighted in every human heart, and which all the powers of ignorance and tyranny can never wholly extinguish." In a time where the nominating conventions really did nominate Presidential candidates, the convention of 1880 was especially tumultuous. The Republican party was in the midst of a power struggle where party bosses wanted to renominate U.S. Grant after he had been out of office for four years. Other Republicans wanted to move on and reform the party and political system. Garfield stood and gave an eloquent, convention calming speech nominating John Sherman of Ohio. The balloting continued for two days. After dozens of attempts, the tide turned away from the original candidates and Garfield, himself, became the nominee, much to his chagrin. He was eventually elected President and was tragically assassinated only months after taking office.