The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-05-10
PRESIDENT MONROE IN PORTLAND.
How the Fifth Chief Magistrate
was Escorted into Town.
One OF the Biggest Parades Portland
Ever Saw.
A Swell Reception In the olden
Time.
EHon. william Goold.l


onies declared themselves free and indie
pendent nation, James Monroe. then In his
seventeenth year, was completing his CLASH
] cal education at the College of William and
Mary. Upon the formation of the American
Army, young Monroe, then only eighteen,
left college and repaired to Gen. Washing
| toms headquarters at New York, and en-
rolled himself as cadet In Col. MERGERS
regiment. He was with the army through
the disastrous battles of Flatbush, Harlem
Heights and White Plains. He was present
at the subsequent evacuation Of New York
and Long Island. and the surrender OF Fort
Washington. At the battle of Trenton, he
led the vanguard in charge upon the enemy
where he received a wound In his shoulder
the effects of which remained until his death
For his gallantry, he was promoted to be
captain of Infantry, served during the cam
paigns of 1777 and 1778 as aid de-camp on the
staff of Lord Sterling. He failed in an at
tempt to raise an authorized regiment for the
Virginia line. He then entered the Office of
Mr.. Jefferson, then Governor of Virginia.
and pursued the study of law; still holding
his place as a volunteer in the army.
At the close of the war young Monroe was
elected member of Congress, and In 1889 he
was elected to fill an unexpired term IN the
| United States Senate. He favored the OBJ
| ject of the French revolution, and violently
| opposed President Washlngtons prociama-
| tion of neutrality. At the expiration of his
| senatorial office, he was by Washington APP
pointed minister to France. he was re-
ceiyed in that country with splendid cere-
mony as one who strongly favored the revo-
luton. at the close of Washington's adj
ministration, he was recalled by President
Adams. On his return, he published a work
t.aA Id oh. -
forgiven by Washington. In 1903 Mr..
Monroe was appointed by Jefferson envoy to
France. The next year he was sent to Spain
with Mr.. Pinckney, where he remained five
months. In 1903. he was elected Governor of
Virginia and served three years. In 1911, he
was appointed by President Madison Secre-
tary of State, and in 1914 was appointed Sec
rotary of War. During the first two years
OF the war OF 1872, President Madison's
| spinal column sadly needed stiffening and
| Mr.. Monroe was the needed support At the
close of the war, new questions arose which
absorbed the former political issues. In 1877
| Mr.. Monroe was elected President, receiving
| 1873 Of 221 electoral votes. Massachusetts of
votes to Rufus King of New York, a native
i of Maine and a Federalist. William King,
| his brother, had the French mania, as did
Mr.. Monroe who was slave holder. We
can understand his opinion of the black
| mans rights from this utterance in his in
/ augural address.
If we look TO the condition of individuals, what
proud spectacle does it exhibit On whom has
4 oppression fallen IN any quarter Of the Union?
Who has been deprived of any right of person or
properiy?"
Yet SO adroitly did Monroe conduct his
4 administration, that the North conquered its
prejudices so far, that at the election in 1921
he received every electoral vote, but Governor
! Plummer's of New Hampshire. In mis- first
annual message President Monroe congratu-
| lated the cOuntry upon its immense revenues
amounting to twenty-four and half millions
| and on its enormous surplus of two and a
1 half millions which would remain in the
treasury at the end of his first year. What
a contrast with the state of the treasury
seventy years later.
On the fifth of March, 1917, James Monroe
was inaugurated President of the United
States. His first appointment was John
Quincy Adams to be secretary OF State.
After occupying the presidential chair three
months, it seems that Mr.. Monroe began to
think of personally looking after the public
interests, and counting the good will of the
North.
President Monroe left Baltimore July 8,
| 1917, in a steamboat for Philadelphia. Sun
| day the Sth, he attended church at Trenton,
| and proceeded In the steamboat Atalanta to
80, os fhe pa BE IaBasa u NE
Richmond. and rode white horse in review
| ing the military. He stopped at the Mer-
chants Hotel, Wall street. In the evening
| the City Hall was Illuminated. The next
| day General Scott showed him the fortifca-
| tions on Governors and Bedloe's Islands, the
| navy yard and Brooklyn Heights, and a re-
| ception was held at noon at his hotel, Wall
i street. On the evening of the 18th, the Presi-
| dent attended the theatre and saw Cooper
| play Macbeth and the same evening he was
| elected member of the New York Histori-
| cal Society.
item o'clock on the morning of the 14th,
| the President embarked on board the steam
boat Chancellor Livingstone and proceeded
| up the North River to West Point, where he
/ arrived at evening. Next day he inspected
| the military academy and Notifications. On
| the nth he returned to New York in the
steamboat Paragon, and went to Staten Is
| land, to the seat Of Vice President Tompkins
| On Wednesday. In a barge of sixteen oars, lhe
| was taken from the headquarters of Gen.
| Scott, to the steam frlgate Fulton, accom-
| panied by Gov: Clinton. The frigate pro-
| ceeded to the Narrows to visit the fortifca-
| tions, and then landed the President at
| Staten Island.
| On the 18th he was taken to New Haven in
| the steamboat Connecticut, and was received
| by Gov. Walcott. A storm prevented an in
| tended trip down the sound in a revenue
| cutter. He left Boston on the fourteenth of
| July for Portsmouth under the escort of a
| troop of horse.
| The President and suite left Portsmouth at
6 o'clock for. Portland on Tuesday 10Th.
| crossing the river in a barge there was then
| no bridge over the Piscataquis at Ports.
MOUTH At Kittery he was received by
/ John Holmes, and Albion X. Paris, mem
bers of Congress and VIM. p. Preble District
| Attorney for Maine, by whom he was con-
| Quoted to Portland. He was fifty eight years
old and was clothed in semi military suit
| with cooked hat as Commander-in-chief on
an official tour. 1t was said that he. was
| proud of his Revolutionary services and his
| title Of colonel, although he failed to raise
| regiment In his own State. The President
| made short stops at York, Wells and Kenne-
| bunk. where he took lunch with the widow
| of Joseph Storer-she was formerly Priscilla
dent called at the. residence Of Judge
| Thatcher of Biddeford, and dined at Marshal
| Thornt0n's at Saco by invitation,
After dinner the President and suite, under
| the escort of the Maine civil delegation, went
on TO Scarborough, where they were received
by Mayor Trowbridge of Portland with
company of cavalry. The cavalcade reached
Stroudwater at about six. There was a
rivalry between the Stroudwater people, who
were an enterprising community, and the
pike, for the honor of having the President
pass over their routes. The bridge and pike
were offered toll free to the entire cavalcade
but 1t was declined, Stroudwater interests
prevailed. The ancient Stroudwater bridge
was deliberately decorated with twenty
arches, nineteen of which bore the name Of
States and the twentieth was symbolic of the
Union and bore live eagle from the historic
utSb III DOlc WOOuS WHICH Supplleu u
similar representative for many years later
| when one was desired. There was an avenue
| Of evergreen trees one-fourth of mile long.
The cavalcade was expected at an earlier
| hour and large concourse of people had
| gathered at Stroudwater to getthe first sight.
| John Gordon of that village had expected to
have the President visit his fine farm, but it
| was so late that the President declined. He
| left his carriage and walked with stately step
| and uncovered head under the arches and
across the bridge to his carriage and pro-
ceeded, much to the disappointment of the
people. These elaborate arches were long
preserved at the old Broad tavern. and /
think some of them are there yet, with their
lettering remaining.
Isaac lsley and Woodbury. Storer
of the Portland committee had
waited upon the President at Ports
mouth to invite him to visit the town
and to mention to him the arrangements that
mad been made for his reception. After re-
entering his carriage at the Stroudwater
prldge the President and his escort proceeded
70 the town limits of Portland. With some
Sngnt omissions | shall con6ne myself to
the newspaper account of the reception.
For the official handful of the Committee
OF arrangements of the town / am indebted
to Mrs. l.. g. s. Boyd whose father Nicholas
Emery was the second on the Committee.
Not one of the thirty gentlemen on the com
mittee is now alive. Nathaniel Deering was
the last one.
The following is copy of the official hand
bill. The original, bearing the honorable
tint of age. may be seen in the Exchange