Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-06-14
A TRIUMPHAL TOUR.
WAsHINGToN'S "TRIP FRON MT.
VERNON no NEW YORK.
Making the Journey to be Installed
as the First. Prcsidcnt-Brill-
liant Receptions on the Way
A Grand Naval Parade.

tive Of the nation. Washington was in
deed ''first in the hearts of his country
men," According tn the pure and
unadulterated Constitution us it then ex-
listed, the second candidate in nomination
for the Presidential chair was declared
Vice-President. This honor fell to the
lot of John Adams, long prominent for
his wisdom in the halls of legislation.
His competitors were John Jay, Robert
H. Harrison, John Rutlcdge, John Han
cock, George Clinton, Samuel Hunting
ton, John Milton, james Armstrong,
Edward Telfair and Benjamin Lincoln.
Congress summoned the General TO
take the oath of office in New York. In
April, 1889, he left the peaceful retreat
in Mount Vernon. Ills coming was
heralded all along the route, and jubilant
thousands turned out to meet him. When
he arrived in the Quaker City the Phila-
delphans appeared to have gone wild
with enthusiasm. Among the many dis
tinguishcd citizens who greeted him were
Governor st. Clair and General Minlin.
'Long live George Washington, the
father of his people,, i" was the oft-rcpcated
joyous shout of the people us he passed
along the streets. He was present at II
grand banquet in his honor and adj
dresses were presented to him from every
class of people. And through il all he
bore himself with IL marvellous modesty
of dcmcanor that only dccpcned the re-
spcct and enlarged the admiration of his
countrymcn.
With equal enthusiasm he was received
at Trenton, to which city an escort from
Philadelphia had attended. Trenton
was historic in the Revolutionary War
Here once the embatlcd farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.
This place had been rendered memoir
able by the capture of the Hessians and
by the rcpulsc of the British troops near
the bridge over the Delaware, the night
before the battle of Trenton. Here his
path was literally strcwn with flowers.
The ladies' Of Trenton had erected a
triumphal arch on the bridge of twenty
feet span, supported by thirteen pillars.
The decorations were lavish and beautiful.
AS the chcftain passed beneath the arch
n choir of girls dressed in white and
crowned with wreaths and chnplcts of
flowers scattered roses and lilies and other
flowers before him. A sonata had been
composed for the occasion which began:
Welcome, mighty chief, once more.
And this the maidens sang. Subse-
quently General Washington remembered
them, especially, when he returned thanks,
in Il card, for his reception.
The day of embarkation, April 23d,
was lovely, clear and full of sunshine.
lnnumerablc craft, big and little, were
darling here and there preparatory to
taking their places in the aquatic cortege.
AS Washington's barge pulled out from
the Jersey shore the thunder of artillery
announced the departure, and from thou
sands of throats joyous shout went up.
When the picturesque fleet emerged from
the narrow pass Of the Kills into the
broad bay of New York the sight was Il
magnificent one and such us had never
been witnessed before Flags and all
kinds of nautical devices nuttcrcd in the
breeze, thousands of swift moving oars
flashed i'll the glorious sunlight, ncckinp
the blue waters Of the bay with glistening
foam, and every ship in the harbor was
gay with bunting, the Government shin.
the North Carolina, being the most con
spicuous. There was one vessel, how
ever, bare of decoration She was the
Galveston, Spanish man -of-war Many
n clouded brow was turned toward her.
Just ms the Generals barge came abreast
of her IL lightning change came over the
Spaniard. AS if by magic there burst
forth Il display of flags, bunting and
strcamcrs, AMI from her sides came bcch-
ing salute Of thirteen guns The com
plimcnt was acknowledged, and from The
Battcry and the North Carolina like
number was fired.
Early in the morning the streets in the
vicinity of Murray's wharf were crowded
with cXpectant citizens. The landing
was at the foot of Wall street. Stairs
were cut to facilitate the debarkation:
they were carpctcd and the wharf deco
rated. y detachment of artillery, under
Captain Van Dyck, was stationed near
the wharf, and there were in waiting
Governor Clinton, the principal officers
of the State and the Mayor and Corpora-
ton OF the city. When Washington's
barge touched the landing, band struck
up an air, the artillery fired salute, and
rolling louder than the artillery were the
thunderous shouts of the multitude:
''Long live George Washington, the
Father of his Country" The President,
as he stepped ashore, DOTTED his hat and
repeatedly bowed, Governor Clinton made
n congratulatory address and the General
briefly replied. a white haired old man,
says chronicler, rushed to the chieftain,
graspcd his hand and said:
81 have bcheld him when commanding
the American armies, saw him at the
conclusion of peace returning to the bosom
oil his family in his primcval habitation
and now behold him returning to the
chair of the Presidency. l have not now
another wish but that he may die as he
has lived, the beloved of his country"
The civic and military procession was
then formed. The military made gal-
liant show, and in the ranks were Captain
Stokes's handsome Dragons, the staiwart
German Guards of Captain Serbia, the
we'll accoutred infantry under Captain
Swartwout and Captain Steddigood and
Colonel Bauman's athletic looking artil-
lery men. The Corporation followed
with the public officers Gonaral IVos,,