The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-07-14
rhe washinrton Monnmer.


The ceremony of laying the corner stone of the
Washington Monument, took place on the 9TH inst.
From the Baltimore American, we extract the fol-
lowing in regard to it:
This interesting event took place in Washington
| on Tuesday last the 4th inst. On reaching the
city on that morning. in the early tram from Balti-
more, it seemed as if the entire population We're
making arrangements for some great event, and
from the active preparations going on at 0 clock
| IN the morning it was at once made manifest that
some highly interesting pageant was about to take
| place on this the seventy-second anniversary OF
| American independence.
| The city was filled to overlooking with strangers
from every section of the Union, many having lett
their homes hundreds of miles off, for the purpose
| of taking part in the ceremonies OF the day. Inc
| adjoining counties of Fairfax, in Virginia. ana
| Prince Georges, in Maryland poured forth almost
their entire population. Baltimore was represented
| by thousands; Boston, New YOrk and Philadelphia
| had also their delegations, and many other cites
and towns sent on their representatives to help to
swell the living mass that had assembled IN wash
! ingtOn to do honor TO the occasion. Persons VINO
| have lived in Washington lifetime, declare that
| the crowd of Tuesday was greater than on any
previous occasion, and that the procession was the
! most imposing that had ever taken place there
AT few minutes before II O'Clock, the various
| bodies composing the great pageant being an
| nOunced to the chief marshal to be In readiness,
| the procession began to move amidst the booming
| Of cannon and waving of handkerchiets IN the
| hands of thousands of ladies who filled the WIN
| dOws of every house in the handsome square IN
| which the City Hall is situated, and from which
point the military portion of it commenced It's line
| of march, as follows: Joseph Ii. Bradley, ESQ.,
Marshal, and his aids Maj. Gen. Quitman, in com
mand of the military, and his staff; Col Charles A.
| May, of the L. 5. Dragons, commanding the ca
valry, and his aids; Col. Capron's splendid troop
&c fanf urk
| troop Nrom Upper Marlboro; the Mounted Car
! bineers Capt. Murdoch, of Baltimore troops be-
| longing to the District of Columbia and AleXan-
| dria, Va; Col. Geo. p. Kanes splendid and well
mounted corps of Flying Artillery from Baltimore
Next IN order came the infantry, under the lInule-
| diate command of Gen. Cadwalader. The CIVIC
| portion of the procession followed and although
not quite as snowy as the military still the number
participating in 1t very large, and rendered II
! imposing in the highest degree The first division
was under Maj A. A. Nicholson, Marshal, assisted
| by Geo S. Gideon. Esq, and composed OF the Pre-
! sident Of the United States the heads OF Depart
ments, the Judges of the Supreme Court, the
Judges of the United States District Courts, tile
Judges of State Courts Ministers of foreign coun-
| tries, the reverend clergy, ETC., etc.
The procession marched from the foot of Capitol
| Hill up Pennsylvania Avenue to Fourteenth street,
thence to the bridge across the canal and thence to
the site selected for the erection of the monument
The rear of the line reached the ground at half
! past O'Clock. The entire space intended for the
| foundation has been excayated, and around two
! sides of it were erected large covered pav1ons,
capable of seating from eight to ten thousand per-
sons, and they were mostly occupied by the beauty
and fashion of the District and surrounding neigh
| borhOod. Seats one side were reserved for the
| President Of the United States and other dlstln-
gushed persons adjoining these reserved seats was
the stand for the orator of the day, and immediate
Ly opposite stand erected for speakers OF the Ma
sonic Fraternity. In front of the Presidents seat
! was a large triumphal arch through which the
! MasOns entered the excavation All things being
ready, the Grand Marshal of the Grand Lodge made
| proclamation to that effect, when the ceremonies
were commenced by the Rev. Mr.. McJiton, of the
! Episcopal Church, Grand Chaplain of the Grand
| Lodge of Maryland, who made an eloquent and
impressive PRAYER. After it was concluded, hymn,
written for the occasion, sung by the assembled
| multitude, to the tune of Old Hundred"
| The Hon. Robert c. Winthrop, of Massachusetts,,
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and
orator of the, day, advanced TO the front OF the
! stand, and commenced his address. For the space
of two hours he enchanted the GREATNESS attention
of the mighty mass around him. and at the conclu-
sion all seemed to regret that he had no more to say,
for Notwithstanding the heat of the midday sun, all
| present appeared DESTROYS to hear more from the
eloquent lips of the gifted speaker The orator was
frequently interrupted by loud peals of applause,
and when he concluded shout went up that fairly
rent the air.
The solemn ceremony of laying the corner stone
was then gone through with according to the estab
| lished usages of the Masonic Fraternity A list of
the articles deposited in it covered nearly SIX pages
of fOOlsCap and embraced all kinds of political and
statistical documents running through the entire
period from the formation Of the Government to the
| present time, portraits of Washington, magazines,
papers, history of all matters connected with the
Monument Association up TO the time OF laying the
corner stone, besides variety of other documents.
B. B. French, Esq, Grand Master of the Grand
Lodge of the District of Columbia, then rose and
made a very appropriate address, In the course OF
his remarks he said that the apron that he then
wore was the same worn by the Father of his COun-
try when he filled the office of Grand Master OF the
Alexandra Lodge, and the gavel which he then
held in his hand was the same which George Wash
ngtOn had formerly used in the same lodge The
apron was made and presented to Washington by
the lady Of that true friend of America, Lafayette
Dir. French further remarked that III conducting
the Masonic ceremonies of the day he had used the
Identical troWe which the iustriOus dead had used
for like purpose in laying the corner stone OF the
| Capitol. The ceremonies were then concluded by
benedction when the entire body returned TO the
city without the occurrence of the slightest accident
to mar the ceremonies Of the day. During the cere-
MONIES the military not being able to get within
hearing or even seeing distance, they We're drawn
off to an adjoining common, where they went
through company and field exercise the cavalry be-
ing drilled by SOl May, ana Ine iilidhuy ny Neil;
Cadwalader. The battery of Col Kane marched
to an adjoining height, where they fired national
salute, which was returned from the navy yard.
On their return TO the city the troops were drawn
up in line, and were reviewed by President Polk
and Gen. Twiggs, both Of whom appeared well
pleased with their appearance. After the review
the military were dismissed.
At night a splendid display of fireworks was
given on Monument Hill, under the direction OF the
celebrated pyrotechnists at the navy yard