New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-07-05
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, tue Historic EfoUHG cobSc-
Grated to the memories of the Contnena sag"s, was
filed MS early as o'clock while the procession Was
norins down Chesnut-st Directly in front of In
! dependence Hall vast platform had been con
structed II was admirably sheltered from the sun
by series Of awnings and was large enough to a.
cOmmodato coo guests. The front oi the platform
was neatly decorated with the national colors. The
seats were graduated and divided into sec
tons and there we're uShers at every turn
TO tell the people where their place, were.
The arrangements would have done credit 10
Franklin himself, who invariably acted upon
commOn-sense principles, and had profound ialti
in the philosophy Of order and system. even III small
things. Although tho sidewalks were thr5ngrd and
the streets filed with the military those who
had tickets 20 the platform had 10 difficulty ~
reaching the hail. Although the capacity Of the
platform was large, the number o; tickets Wa
wisely limited, 50 that the pressure OF The crowd
was not uncomfortable. 1t was Il perfcc, piece q
management from its; to last.
The platform filed rapidly, and there were thou
sands and thousands in the square. There were az
many as 40 or 90 men and boys pe.ched on o."
branches of tao Old trees in front Of che platform
Every moment the thfong increased in density. lt
manifested all the lest ohagactcistics Of an hmei-
can crowd. 1t was good hu,noTed for ono thing
everybody was in CAPITAL spirits and excellent
temper. II was, moreover an orderly crowd. lbcre
were no oaths; there was no scr"nihln1 for places
no violent pushing and tusgng ior sight aI'Gn-
tagcs Of position. 1t was 0cl-dfeastd and in!c'li-
gent crowd. Firay, II "as Itnotic and cnthu-
siastic crowd ready 10 appreciate whatever was
significant and 20 prove by cheers and shouts that
the spirit Of nc can safely be put into new botlca.
While the new bell in the old Stote House was
Striking the hour Of nine, the members Of the
Japanese Commission Appeared upon the platform,
aud were conducted to seats. They were not In
clned 20 drop foIlna.ies foT tLcy appeared in dress
suits with white waistcoatc. The delegation in
cluded Iert.-Gou. Saso, Y. IaHakI, N.
OmoIio, r. Tshida, NJ. Tsutchiya, Lieut.. Il.
Hdaku, T. Yoslo. and I. Yamao. The
orator and poe: OF tho day, Mr.. Eyarts
and Mr.. Taylor arrived quite early Gen. Hawley,
Senator Morrill,, Bishop Stevens, Bishop simpson,
Gov Bagley of Michigan with bis staff, Gov. Lud-
ngton Of Wisconsin with his staff Director
General Goshon, Secretary Cameron, Prince
Oscar of Sweden, Gov. Noycs Of Ohio,
the Rev. DIR. Somueryile Of Scotland
Gov Asten of New-Mexco, Bishop Howe aud
Col Marin Of Spain, John Ferine Of England, Capt
Ulner, Lieut.. Bousiyitz ard FdyIna,tcr Jsbrink Of
the Swedish fngatc Bladder; Capt. Ankarlrona and
Lieut. passe of the Swedish navy; Gov. Conner of
Maine. with his full staff; Gov Lippitt Of Rhode
Island, ex-Gov. Bipler of Pennsylvania, cx-Lieut-
Gov. Cox Of Maryland, came in one after
another and took their places. There also upon
the stand number Of foreign Centennial Com
lnissi0neTs and military AID naval officers
Judge Hoar OF Massachusetts came III quickly and
took seat in the newspaper section. Az
Gov. Hayes OF Ohio appeared on the edge OF the up
per platform Inc recognize by a hundred eyes
aud III q moment there was n storm of cheers. Cen
Sherman came in very quietly stopping To shake
hands warmly with an army officer whom he met
unexpectedly, but his name caught up by the
crowd and ne was Justify choered. Among tho last
to arrive was the Emperor Of Brazil and a splendid
welcome he received the spectators on and off the
platform rising and giving him hearty cheers.
Independence Hall itself was in gala costume
The arms Of the thirteen States were embla2oned
above the windows and the walls were so proiusely
decked with high colored bunting that the
statue OF Washington was fairly flushed
with the reflection. In the center was
a representation of huge century plant with
States for branches. The hall wherein tho Decara-
ton was signed il in the first story fronting Oh
Chestnut-st and for time the regular place of
meeting for the Second Continental Congress It's
| appearance vas much the same AZ on July 4, 177G
Since the est0ratOn Of the hall there have been col
lected ard hung upon its walls the portrait paint
nps OF the Signers of the Declaration. On the ep-
posie side of the corridor is the chamber formerly
occupied by tho Supreme Court Of Pennsylvania
and in which the Convention sat that framed the
Federal Constitution. 1t is now devoted TO tho
National Museum, in which are exposed many inter
esting relics of the old colonial days. These rooms
were not open TO the public to-day, but the corridor
with It's commemorative tablets was the main thor
! oughfare to the platform.
Franklns grave lay only few blocks down
Fifth-st, and it would not do to delay the proceed
ings and thus sacrifice his favorite vrtue-punctu-
ality-for the sake of gaming few auditors when
there were already many Thousands on the ground.
Accordingly, = few minutes after 10 O'clock, Gen.