The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-09
DIR. BURCHARD EXPLAINS
HIS HISTORIC LITTLE ADDRESS TO
MR.. BLAINE.
He Says 1t Was Spontaneous and the
Plumed Knight Heard 1t All-1he
Doctor Thinks Mr.. Cleveland Is Fres'-
dent by Gods Appointment


NEW YoRK. Jan. 3.-A thousand mem
bers of the Evangelical Alliance "hlcn re-
Gently held an extended conference Ill
Washington. called upon the PRESIDENT
during their stay there, and were cordlalIy
greeted by him. One of the members OF the
alliance was Rev. Dr. Samuel Burchard,
whose "rum. Romanism and rebellion
speech at the reception given to Mr., Blame
during the last Presidential campaign at
the Fifth Avenue Hotel 10y the ministers Of
New York. has made his name known from
one end Of the country TO the other
Or. Burchard was one of the first minis
ters in the line approaching the President,
and the crowd OF ministers in the room,
who Of course, knew the circumstances at
tending his speech and the effect on the cleo
ton with which the speech IS credited,
watched for the meeting between the Presi-
dent and DR. Burchard with considerable
interest, not unmixed with amused curl
oSity What was the amazement of every
body present to see the President step for
ward, with smile on his face, as Dr. Bur
chard approached, and, grasping bin
warmly by the hand, exclaimed, DIR Bur
chard / am very happy indeed to see you"
The incident became common talk in
Washington at once. 1t came to be known
that this meeting of the President and Dr.
Burchard was not the first one that had oc-
CURED, and that the two men had really
greeted each other as old acquaintance,
The previous meeting occurred last spring
in Washington.
The story of the earlier meeting, usually
accepted as the correct one in Washington.
is that DR.. Sunderland told Dr. Burchard
that the President would be very
GLAD INDEED TO SEE HIM
Whether or not the suggestion of the meet
ing came from Dr.. Sunderland or from
President Cleveland is not known. The
last report was that DR.. Burchard had
stated 10 Mr.. Cleveland that he had ex-
perienced an entire change of views since
Mr.. Cleveland's election, from those which
he had at the time of making his ''R. r.
r." speech at the Blaine reception. He is
reported t, have said also that it was per
fectly true, that he then looked forward to
a change of administration and the prob
able entrance Of the Democrats into power
as a public calamity, but he was now free
to state, after having watched President
[leveland's administration for two years,
that he regarded his election as a blessing
to the country.
A reporter called upon Dr. Burchard to-
day. The retired preacher lives in a very
handsome house handsomely furnished at "A
was stated to DR. Burchard he exhibited a
great deal If reluctance about speaking at
all. lie admitted. however, that he had
had a meeting and some conversation with
the President last spring, but that both the
President and himself regarded the meeting
strictly as a confidential one, and he did not
feel at all at liberty to state what had oc-
Cured He said the meeting was friendly
and an extremely pleasant one TO him, and
that it, of course, explained the cordial
character of the Presidents greeting when
he called upon MIN as a member Of the
Evangelical Alliance. He said that when
he shook hands with the President, and the
latter said he was
EXTREMELY GLAD TO SEE HIM,
a ripple of laughter went around the room,
which almost Immediately developed into a
hum and buzz of applause He did not know
that any stories of the previous meeting
had gotten out in Washington, as he him
self had mentioned the fact only TO a few
personal friends.
On being asked whether the report that
he had stated to the President that he had
experienced a change of heart altogether in
political matters was true, DR.. Burchard
said
II have always been Republican Re
fore the Republican party was formed
was all old-time Wing, but as soon as the
Republican party came into existence
Joined their ranks. | scarcely know what
IS meant by change of heart in politics. but
] may say so far as my political principles
are concerned that they arc about tho sam,
as they always were. As to my interview
with Mr.. Cleveland having altered them in
any respect, that is not true. | had watched
Mr.. Clevelard'S administration up to the
time | met him. and | must say that it hac
given me great deal of satisfaction. Tc
my mind il Is a safe administrat ion, and q
tsXrDtI nd
country has prospered abundantly"
Naturally you expressed these senti
ments to the President"
"Well, you may infer that did So But
as | have already said, the conversation
was entirely confidential, and neither the
President nor myself contemplated the pos
sibihty Of its ever being made public"
Did Mr.. Cleveland send for you!n
The meeting between US, may say, was
arranged through a third party The mes
sage that | received was that Mr. ClevelanC
would be
GLAD TO SEE ME-.
have been attacked by Democrats anc
Republicans alike ON the score of this very
brief speech of mine. II my words haC
any influence on tine election at all, and i
they helped put a Democratic President il
the White House do not quite see why tn
Democrats should so bitterly complain O
me; and so far as the Republicans are con
ceTned the three words which | made us
of at the time certainly embodied the gis
of all their attacks on the Democrat
party, and formed basis of all the cam
paign utterances of their most eloquen
and celebrated speakers from Blaine ava
down the liue to the most obscure stuml
orator speaking his way through the rura
districts. | understand now that Mr.. Blain
had been industriously catering for tn
Roman Catholic vote, but | knew veI"
little then about practical politics, and
know very little now Now, if | had know
the situation do not know how ! woul,
have been influenced
Have you SAID that you regard Pres
dent Cleveland's administration as bles
sing to the country, and that his electio
was in some sort providentialN
II say this God sits on a throne, and i
His wisdom He saw, evidently, that
change of administration in this countr
was desirable, and, to bring about this re
suit, He condescendef to use in me the hun
blest and feeblest instrument, to work II
divine will. Considering all the circun
stances in the case, / cannot now help +,
garding Mr.. Cleveland as President of til
United States by the
DIRECT APPOINTMENT OF GoDn
1t is reported that you have said tha
you will vote for Mr.. Cleveland in case h
is renonlinated for the presidencv.n
Now you are going into the future an
y H. . l.. IL IL.