Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-07
EXPERTS ON THE PARADE.
Views Of Gen. Hastings, Capt. Bourlxe,
Lieut.. Mason, and Gen. Coils.

II SOesASs
| ALL AGREE THAT THE TRAINING AND cAnBIAox
or THE MEN WERE OF THE HIGHEST onDHB-
| PENNSYLVANIA rRooPs CONCEDED tn. HoNoRs
OF THE DAY.
Warrington Correspondence New YORK Herald
After the dismissal of the inaugural parade
General Hastings, the chief Of stat Of the inau.
gural procession, received me in his chambez
ct the Riggs house, having been obliged to take
| to his bed with swollen ankle caused b. the
kick Of restless horse while in waiting at the
capitol
He said first that it was q real pleasure Ia
him to make acknowledgment Of the great as
sistance he had received from the excellent
accounts he had found in the Herald Of the Or
ganization, formation and movements OF
| the inaugural professions of 1881 and 1885, the
military value Of which he thought was appre-
| ciated by all regulars and national guardsmen
| who had seen them. It was from these &C
counts that he obtained much Of the knowl-
edge that he was enabled to lay before the
chief marshal rs to what should be looked out
for, both as to points of performance and avoid
| ance.
The order Of march, which he had found
critically reviewed in the Herald of Sunday,
| was intended to provide, and he believed did
provide, for an affective formation, movement
| and disarmament Of a great procession de-
| signed to do honor to a newly installed Presi-
| dent Of the United States on behalf OF the peo-
| pie of the whole Union. That order repre-
| sented many features of hard work on the part
! of the chief marshal and himself, and he could
been so laboriously planned had even exceeded
their expectation.
The procession to the capitol was started
promptly on time, its movement was made
without flaw, the column was ready to start
Immediately upon the conclusion of the cere-
monies at the capitol, and when set in motion
after a delay of forty minutes, due to causes
inhering within the capitol, marched at proper
time and interval, without a halt or break, till
the head Of the column reached the prescribed
where pause of fifteen minutes was made to
await the presence of the President on the re-
viewing stand at the front and center Of the
Executive mansion.
From the time the march passed until the
dismissal of the parade, after its review by the
receipt of kilograms from the officers ap-
pointed to the charge Of affairs in the vicinity
OF the Presidents reviewing stand, assuring
him that all had gone well there.
On the whole he felt warranted in saying that
the procession and review had been great and
complete success, and an affair of much value
to the citizen soldiery of the republic, who had
taken upon themselves so large O share of its
burdens and responsibility, as they would doubt.
less continue to do in the future.
Gen. Hastings had much to say in praise OF
various organizations and commands, whose
renown and efficiency had contributed espe-
cially to the impressive spectacle.
THE BATTLE WITH THE WEATHER.
Capt. John 6. Bourke, of the Third Unite
States cavalry, renowned as an Indian fighter
and engaging writer on Indian customs. served
on the staff of the grand marshal In an inter-
view with me he made the following remarks
which will be found of especial interest and
value to the National Guard OF New York:
The inclement weather of to-day which de-
prived the ladies of the great pleasure of look
ing upon our regular and volunteer soldiery in
gala dress, was in reality great benefit, in
supplying the best test, short of actual warfare,
of the efficiency of the different divisions in line
OF march. 1t would be unfair to single out any
particular organization or any particular state
as entitled to the greatest praise the fact being
that the acme Of excellence was so nearly at
tanned by each and every one that bystanders
could, without being accused Of Partially,
shower all their plaudits upon one regiment, OF
scatter them proportionally among all.
First, let it be stated that New York no
longer leads as the state turning out the finest
militia, and yet the militia of the Empire State
never appeared to better advantage than when
DlLlleSS.
cold drizzle on Pennsylvania avenue
in the morning. The secret of the
matter is that the example set by New
York in the past has been initiated with such
care and jealous attention to detail that her
regiments are now only glorious parts Of the
grand structure to which all other states are
furnishing equally glorious material.
PRAISE OF THE "sEvENTH."
"The seventh maintains its old-time prestige
for tactical accuracy. and when its column
wheeled In full company front around the
corner Of 18th street and Pennsylvania
avenue none were more enthusiastic in their
praise than the Office Of the regular army who
were observing it.
But for a fighting organization, trimmed
down to the buff and ready to move out at a
moments warning upon the skirmish line, there
was nothing in the procession comparable to
the division Of the Pennsylvania national guard
Its three superb brigades, aggregatiLg an
effective strength Of fully seven thousand men,
and having attached to each brigade a troop of
cavalry and battery of light artillery, looked
like veterans, moved like veterans and would
turn into veterans in less than no time, because
their officers are old soldiers to whom the
science of war is something more than a holi-
day pastime.
.Of the cavalry troops it might perhaps be
said that they are too small to be Of the great
est potentially, but this defect time and good
lators of the Keystone state will see the ad-
visibility of increasing these troops to 100 EACH
They are, however, well mounted, seem to be
under good discipline, and made a creditable
appearance.
The latter remarks are also fully deserved by
the batteries, although it was a matter of pain
to notice that they were armed with the old
fashioned Parrot instead of guns of more mod
dern make. But the Pennsylvania infantry
was simply a grand division, admirably
handled by competent officers. 1t was pleas
ure to the eyes to look down that endless avenue
and see those burrows of steel and blue stretch
ing into the dim fog at the front Of the capitol,
and to detect so little in the way of fancy uni
forms.
|" It is true that the weather was partly re-
sponslble for this, but the fact remains and OBJ
trudes itself upon the minds of every one at all
familiar with the militia organizations of the
past and those Of the present day that a marked
change has come over the tone and spirit Of the
variods state regiments there is now decided
decrease IN gaudness of uniform, but a notice.
ably greater earnestness Of purpose. and more
thoroughly correct military development.
rnE's CHANGES.
"The old militis-the Communism terrors
and Holyoke invincibles-were not infrequently
emblazoned with as many bright colors as the
cheap plaster poll parrots still vended by Ital-
ians in the Bowery; they delighted the gaze of
servant girls, but they were useless in campaign
until completely reclothed. Their day is gone.
Ali is now changed The volunteers who as-