The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-02-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.
WASHINGTON, Feb'y. 23, 1885.

FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.
WASHINGTON, Feb'y. 2S, 1885
"The Washington Monument has been
turned over" was the startling announce
ment on the street yesterday at IL
o'clock. This did not mean that it
had been overturned, but that it had
been turned over-transferred from
the monument committee, who have
had it in charge for SO years, to the
people of the United States. The Ger.
emonial programme has now been
completed, and the monument stands
alone in its peerless grandeur, divinely
tall and most divinely fair, the noblest
tribute to the noblest man.
The six thousand who composed the
civic and military procession, and who
were out from 10 a. m, until about 2
p. m, standing for most OF the time
massed in square about the monu.
ment, had foretaste of the horrors OF
war. 1t was bitter weather and many,
chilled to the bone, were prostrated
with cold.
The procession from the monument
to the Capitol was we'll ordered and
imposing. have seen many procrs-
sions move along Pennsylvania avenue,
but never before have / seer police
succeed in keeping the streets clear,
and their success on this occasion ar
CUES well for the much larger process
sion which will move along the same
route next week, on the 4th of March
The side walks of Pennsylvania avenue
are very vide, but the spectators have
been disposed to encroach upon the
street, to crowd the column in process
sion, and break the view from all but
the front line. BY successful dispo.
sition of mounted policemen, the ave-
nue. was kept perfectly clear, and all
were enabled to enjoy the spectacle.
Major Dye, the chief of police received
letter of thanks from the President
for his success in managing the crowd.
First came General Sheridan in full
uniform mounted on black horse He
was followed by four aids, aud large
body of mounted men. Next in order
came the U. S. infantry and artillery,
and then the volunteer military and
civic organizations. These were fol-
lowed by long line of carriages, dec
GRATED with the stars and stripes, in
which were members of Congress and
Justices of the Supreme Court. The
President sat in carriage drawn by
four horses. Conspicuous at the lead
of the southern visiting military com
panies was Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, mount
ed on superb dark bay stallion.
The ceremonies at the monument
were very brief The weather was SO
cold that not even the speakers uncov-
cred their bald heads, aud the audi
ence sat with their hats on and moved
their benumbed feet constantly. AT
the Capitol, from which all but ia
vored two thousand were excluded, the
ceremonies were protracted, the speech
es were longer, but were endured by
the audience with fortitude. The first
oratiou was written by Mr.. Winthrop,
who was the orator thirty. seven years
ago, when the corner stone was laid II
was in the somewhat heavy redundant
style of rolling periods that was
considered the rhetoric of forty years
ago. MIR. Gladstone, Monsieur Gam.
beta, Lord Macauley, or Mr.. Villas
would have said more in half as many
words. The Grafton was read by Mr..
Long, of Massachusetts, the writer be-
ing too feeble to be present
The Grafton of Col Daniels of Vir
ginia was flowery aud brilliant, sopho-
morical and portentious. The best or
ators of the day practice different
style, and the orators OF the future will
not find models in the orations of last
Saturday, except of some faults they
should avoid. Life is too short, and
modern common sense and culture is
too practical to be cheated and tickled
by words, words, words. This view
does not exclude eloquence, but it does
exclude grandiloquence, which vaunts
itself and substitutes gaudy sentences
for chaste and simple expression of
thought If old Mr. Winthrop and
young Mr.. Daniels will take care TO re-
wise their orations before delivery, and
carefully cut out all the fine things
they have dotted on, they may yet
make pretty good orators, but the old
style of soaring the American eagle un-
til she is out of sight, and ma&iDg the
larks sing at the gat OF Paradise will
not do for these times.