Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-19
NEWBURGH'SC CENTENNIAL
Fifty THOUSAND PEOPLE PRE-
SENT AT THE CELEBRATION.


crowds are here to participate in
the centennial celebration. At sunset the
naval vessels fired salutes. which were
responded to from the shore by cannon
firing at WashingtOn's headquarters and
elsewhere, on both sides of the river, and
by the ringing of all the church bells
The city never presented a finer display
Decorations and flags are floating every
where. The weather is bright and beau.
tiful and the sky unclOuded. The towns
of the surrounding neighbOrhOOd have
emptied their population into Newburgh
1t is estimated that there are 10000
visitors here.
When the procession was over the vast
multitude wended its way to Washing
toms headquarters, where the exercises
of the day were to take place. There a
spacious grand stand had been erected.
The invited guests took seats on the plat
form. Among them were Governor CleYe-
land and staff, Mayor Edison, Of New
York, Hon. Vim. NJ. Evarts, United
States Senator Hawley, General Schoiield.
aged 9S years, and Secretary Chandler
At ) O'Clock the Seventh Regiment Band
played the overture to "William Tell,0 at
the conclusion of which Rev. DR.. Prime
offered patriotic prayer. The Te Deum,
I'VE Praise Thee o Cod was sung by n
chorus Of 800 voices. Senator
Bayard was then introduced, and
as President of the afternoon delivered
the following eloquent address:
"MY FELLOW COUNTRYMEN: | feel
sensibly the honor of having been select
ed by the citizens of Newburgh to preside
over the interesting ceremonies of to-day
CAS- native of one Of the thirteen
States which originally formed the Union.
| accept the honor of your selection i'm the
name Of Delaware, whose citizens treas
ure the memory of the bart their ances-
tors bore in our united struggle for ma
tlOnal independence and cherish the hon
est fame OF their fOrefathers, whose tdeli-
ty and courage were well attested on the
long line of battlefiedS which stretches
from Long Island to the Savannah river.
To-day we have here assembled from
our homes in States far distant from each
other, all drawn together by common
impulse of the brotherhood of American
citizenship; not as citizens of New York,
nor of New Jersey, nor Of Massachusetts,
nor of Virginia, nor of Delaware, nor as
citizens of any State, but as citizens OF
the United States, to commemorate with
Joyful gratitude the sacrifices, the tolls.
sutlerinSs and virtues of the band of
patriots whose united yalOr accomplished
what their separate efforts could never
possibly have achieved, and which have
made us to-day the happy inheritors and
possessOrs of liberty and independence
under Republican forms of government.
~ full century has passed, and now
that we lind ourselves in the midst of a
bOuntiiul harvest of prosperity, possess
ing all the elements of wealth and power,
let us gratefully cast our eyes in retros-
pect OF the condition Of things on this very
spot, whereOn we stand to-day-one hun
dred years ago.
''That was the seed time of American
liberty and independence: this is the har-
vest home, and it is meet and Just that we
who to-day reap in JOY and safety should
remember those who sOwed in toll and
danger.
"WhO can read the history of the eight
eVeuttul years of war from 1775 to 1888,
even at this lapse of time, without breath
less interest and agitation, mingled with
wonder at the result. He who can rise
from its persual without a realizing sense.
an absolute conviction of the presence of
the hand of an Overruling Providence in
human affairs, must indeed be strangely
and abnOrmally constituted, and he who
fails to comprehend the true value of the
virtues which marked the characters of
the men of that period. who were the
instruments of Providence in bringing
forth strength out of weakness and victory
out of defeat, can know but little of the
true origin of our present happy condition
of the methods by which it was attained.
and the conditions under which alone we
can hope to preserve it.
1T was the day on which the COntinen-
tai Congress issued its proclamation an
nOuncing the end of "a contest involving
the essential rights of human nature'
and invoked Divine aid 'tO give wis
dom and unanimity to our public cOun-
ellis, to cement all our citizens in the
bonds of affection and inspire them ali
with an earnest regard for the national
honor and interest,"
"When the news Of the preliminary
treaty of peace, which had been signed
at Paris, January 20th, 1888, was con-
veyed to this country by an armed French
vessel, well named eThe Triumph Con-
gress issued proclamation of the event.
under date of April 18th, 1888. and Wash
ington promulgated from these head
quarters his memorable order for the ces-
satlOn of hOstilities, and recalled the fact
that its date, April 18th, was the anniver-
sary of the battles of Lexington and Con-
cord, where the first blood had been shed
IN the struggle for American independ-
ence eight years before, and which was
now crowned with complete success.
on canvas true likeness in soul and
body Of this great man, the occasion of
his thus putting under his feet the sOlici-
tAtiOnS OF unlawful power and ambition
will surely be selected.
standing here i'll the sunshine of this
October day, with all the glOries of earth
and sky enveloping landscape singular
in its beauty, how powerful do the local
features appeal to us!
''This ancient mansion built by a
HuguenOt emigrant 1873 years ago, who
sought and found in this land religious as
well as civil liberty, was occupied for the
year next preceding the disbandment of
the army as the headquarters of the com
mander-in-chief. And, fortunately, the
arm of public protection and preserva-
tiOn has been thrown around it by the
State of New York, by whom it was pur-
chased. and since 1850 it has been i'm the
hands OF trustees to be preserved as near
" as possible in the condition in which
Washington left il, hundred years ago.
''lt is also subject of cOngratulatIOn
that the Congress of the United States
and the Legislature Of the State of New
York have joined in recognition and graf
ifcation of the wishes of the American
people by apprOpriating funds for the
erection upon these grounds of memorial
column. To-day, IN the presence of the
ltolhtHl vi luc llbcu CldltS, Ol lIle NION
ernors of many of the States, of repre-
sentative bodies of the volunteer sOldiery
and militia OF the several States, of de-
tatchments from the army and navy of
the United States, of this vast concOurse
OF American citizens, and beneath the
folds of our national ensign, its corner
stone is laid and soon it will arise. a con-
splcuOus and attractive feature. to which
the inquiring glance of every traveller
upon the lines of railway or the bosom of
the majestic river that flows past its base,
Will be lifted; and so may it stand forever,
pointing heavenward, to perpetuate the
memory of the courage and devotion of
the patriotic army whose last headquar-
ters were upon this spot.
''It is to be hoped that one result of this
and other cOmmemOrations of the historic
events of the revolutionary period may
induce among our c0untrymen a more
careful revision and study of those times
and a realization of the difficulties and
dangers which our fOrefathers surmOunt-
ed i'll their tOilsome journey to independ-
ence and national existence. In the words
Of Keys immortal song let us be
Ever mindful what it cost.
Chow can the influence of the example
set by Washington and his associates be
Overrated in giving tone of unSelfish
devotion and clean handed integrity in
public SerViceE'
GLOW high and clearly cut against the
sky Of history rises the column of the
personal character of these patriot sires,
crowned with strict honesty and clean
handed integrity: not one of whom ever
grew rich in office or attempted to fatten
at the public cost, but many of whom be-
came poor by devOting themselves to the
advancement of their country.