Book Review: "Destiny of the Republic"

One of my Christmas gifts this year (thank you, Sandy and Gary) was the book pictured at the right, "Destiny of the Republic" by Candice Millard. Sounds kind of dry, doesn't it, but check out the subtitle: "A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President." The book is the story of the assassination of President James Garfield in 1881 by a complete and total loon by the name of Charles Guiteau.

James Garfield is one of those American Presidents who has been pretty much forgotten by history, and part of the story that Millard tells is of Garfield himself. Born in abject poverty, Garfield was a brilliant man whose mother insisted he get an education. That he did, and he did it so well that he became a University president by the age of 26. He reluctantly entered into politics by serving in the Ohio state senate. He was soon after elected to the United States Congress, served as a commander for the Union army in the Civil War, returned to the U.S. Senate where he became a respected member of Congress, a key figure in battling for the rights of freed slaves, and a quasi-important figure in a Republican Party that was deeply split between two warring factions. This factionalism liked to a stalled Republican convention in 1880 that chose Garfield as a compromise candidate on its 36th ballot. Later that year, Garfield was elected as the 20th President of the United States, a job he never sought and didn't particularly want.

Charles Guiteau was a completely delusional person who felt that Garfield should appoint him ambassador to France. The fact that Guiteau was justifiably ignored by everyone in the government led him to the idea that God had intended him to kill the President, and on July 2, 1881, four months into Garfield's Presidency, Guiteau shot Garfield twice, once in the arm, once in the back in a District of Columbia train station.

So, there is the "madness" and the "murder" part of the subtitle, and for the "medicine" part, well, Garfield didn't die that day from his wounds. He survived for two months being treated by doctors who continually probed the President's wounds with their unsterilized fingers and instruments. Garfield didn't actually die from the bullet wounds, but rather from septic poisoning throughout his body, brought on by the doctors who treated him. During this period in medical history, English surgeon Joseph Lister was introducing the concept of sterilization of patients, doctors, and instruments when performing surgery and treating patients. American doctors, including those who treated Garfield, pretty much dismissed these techniques, and those practices might very well have saved Garfield's life.

As for Guiteau, he was tried, convicted, and hanged for the murder of the President.

You meet some pretty interesting people in the course of reading this book. Inventor Alexander Graham Bell, Republican power broker Senator Roscoe Conkling (the John Boehner of his day), Doctor Willard Bliss (docs with god-like complexes are not unique to this century), and Chester Arthur, the Vice-President who succeeded Garfield.

And, of course, there is James Garfield himself. Author Millard will by necessity paint a very glowing and favorable picture of Garfield for the purposes of telling this story. Still, you do wonder when reading about him as to what "might have been" had he survived. His presidency lasted a mere six months so he leaves no great legacy, but for this: his death lead to sweeping reforms in the Civil Service laws of the nation. The spoils system that produced a Charles Guiteau was eliminated by these reforms, so perhaps that is a pretty good legacy to leave behind.

A very good book for Presidential history buffs and assassination buffs as well.