The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-03
THE PRESIDENTS VISIT.
Attending the Virginia State Far
at Richmond.
Making a Speech to the People at
the Fair Grounds.


mond on the 2lst A Richmond dispatcn
gives the following account of his visit:
The President arrived here upon special
train at II: % A. NJ. to-day. he was accom-
panied by the Sc retaries OF state ana
War, the Postmasser-ieneral, the I9il-
missioner of Agriculture and Coionei La
mont. A committee from this city consist,
ing of General w. {. Wickham and Colonel
A. S. Buford met tie party at the station
in Washington and escorted them hlther.
The train consisted Of the new fullrnan
palace car "Presient' and one passenger
coach. Breakfast was serve on the tfain
Immediately after leaving Washington. Az
Fredericksburg, where ;,, tne sa,uta IRAN Sas a
fired and an assemblage Of several hundr'1
of the townspeople cheered the PRESIDENTIAL
party, A stop of five minutes was ma 10
during which the President appeared
upon the rear platform of his car, ana
being introduced to the crowd by zen
eral Wickha1n, shook hands with a many
of the people as could in the brlef time
crowd their way to the place severai {oItS 4S
women brought bouquets to be presented 10
him, but only two were able to reach him
At Milford, forty miles from Richmond. the
train was boarded by subcommittee Oh the
Reception Committee.
When President Cleveland alightei ana
was recognized he was greeted with cheers AS
quickly as possible he was escorted TO anu
seated with Governor Fit hugh Lee in q car
riape drawn by four white horses. The
remaining members Of the Presidential
party were placed in other carriages
and under the escort of the Governors staff,
Briga iier-General Charles j. Anderson and
staff the Stuart Horse Guard aud members
of the City Council and city officers in car
riages, the journey was made to the 1air
grounds At the fair grounds the mill
tary received them with sa-
the Richmond HowitzerS. The guests were
ushered into the Office of the PRESIDENT or
the Agricultural Society, where tho mem-
bers of the Reception Committee aud few
others were formally introduced Half an
hour later the President, taxing the arm Vi
Governor Lee. ma ie his way amid cheers
to the veranda Of the o:i:e building ana
faced the crowds. Colonel ROBERT EeVeriy,
President of the Agricultural Society,
stepped forward and introduced Governor
Lee, who delivered the address of we:come;
The President was then introduced by Colonel
Beverly, who in behalf of the farmers of
Virginia welcomed HIM to the State. Cheers
and waving Of hats and handEerchiefs
greeted the President. lu' a clear vote he
spoke as follows: ,.,
"Fellow Citizens of Virginia: While l
thank you most sincerely for your kind re-
ception and re .osnize in its heartineSS the
hospitality for which the people OF Virginia
have already been distinguished, am fully
aware that your demonstration Of welcome
is rendered not to an individual but to an in
cumbent of an Office which crowns tho
Government of the United States. Inc
State of Virginia, the mother of PreSi-
dents, seven OF whose sons have hl!td that
high office, to-day grects President who for
Viry mi,
soil, l congratulate myself that my first III
PRODUCTION to tn, people of Virginia occurs
at a time when they are surrounded ny the
exhibits Of pro1uctiveneSs and prosperity of
their State Whatever there may be IN
honor in her history and however mu IL
of pride there may be in her traditions
her true greatness is here exc nplitied.
In our siSterhood Of Srates the Leading and
most commaudiog place must be gained and
kept by that commonwealth which by the
labor and Intelligence OF her citizens eau pro-
duce the mort of those things which meet the
necessities of mankind. But the full advan-
tage of that which may be yielded to a
State by the tpil and ingenuity Of her
people is not measured alone by the
money value Of the products. The
efforts and the struggles of her farmers and
her artisans not only create new values in
tic field Of agriculture and in the arts aud
produce rugged, elfreliant aud Independent
men and cultivate that product which MORO
than all others enaob.es State-a patriotic,
earnest American citizenship. This will
flourish in every part of the American do
main; neither drouth nor rain can iniure it,
for it takes root in true hearts, enri :hed by
love Of country. Th:re are no new varieties
in this production; it must he tho same wher-
ever seen, and its quality is neither sound
RI 10 al nd
tify an entire and united Nation, nor unless
1t supports and sustains the Institution;
and the government founded tc pro.
tect American liberty and happiness.
The present administration of the Govern
ment is pledged to return for such husbandry
not only promises, bat actual tenders of fair
ness and justice with equal protection and
full parti; ipation in National achievements.
If in the aSt we have been esranged and
the cultivation of A neri 'au citizen ship has
been interrupted, your enthusiastic welcome
of to-day de- onItrates thai there is an end
to such arrangement and that the time
of SUSPICION and fear is succeeded by
an era of faith and confidence. In
such a kindly atmosphere aai b,
reath such cheering skies l greet the
people of Virginia as co-laborers in the field
where grows the love of our united country.
God grant that in the years to come Virginia
the Old Dominion, the mother OF Presi-
dents, she who looke1 on ths nation ut its
birth may not only increas, her trophies of
growth in agriculture and manufa ,t;,re, but
that she may be among the first Of all the
States in the cultivation of true American
citizenship"
The President was frequently interrupted
by the applause. Colonel Beverly then intro
iuced in the order named. Secretarie; Bay
ard and Endcott, Postmaster-Gene:al Villas
and Commissioner of Agriculture, Col
man, each of whom was greeted with
cheers which they simply acknowledged
by bowling t. the people Among
the ladies on the portico from which the
speaking took place were Mrs. Lee, the Gov
ernor's wife, and Miss Winnie Davis, daugh-
ter of Jefferson Davis, to whom President
Cleveland was introduced and with whom
he spent few moments in conversation.
The party then witnessed q review
of troops, white and colored. After
the review the President held public re"ep-
ton for over an hour and shook hands with
thousands. Between three and four o'clock
the visitors occupied seats on the grand
stand and witnessed several races, after
which lunch was partaken OF. The party
were then driven to the Confederate
Soldiers Home where they were received
with salute of artillery, by ths veterans.
The President was presented with souvenir
of his visit in the shape of basket of flow
ers and he shook hands with al the Veterans
The drive was then continued through tho
principal streets anl finally to ths
Governors mansion where the party
alighted and general introduction
ton to the ladies took place and some time
was spent in social talk. Miss Winnie Davis
was the centre of attraction. At $50 adieus
were spoken and the Presidential party were
driven back to the station, where they took
the train at GAO o'clock P. II. for Washing
ton.