The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-05-31
In A HISTORIC HALL
President Harrison's Address in
Philadelphia.
THE SERVICES AT GRANTS TOMB
Minute Guns Fired During the Ceremonies
The Country at Large Observes
Decoration Day.

cabinet were the guests of the George
Meade post, Grand Army of the Republic.
The President passed down the platform
between row of comrades of the post
drawn up on every side. Without the
gates, great crowd set up hearty cheer
to which tue President responded by rails
Ing his hat. Drawn up outside the station
was the historic city troop of cavalry, who
from the day that Washington entered
This city to take his inaugural
oath have acted as escort to every Presi-
dent who has been the guest of Philadel-
phla The party ordered carriages and
preceded by the escort took up the line of
march to Independence hall. The entire
route was profusely decorated with bupt-
Ing and lined with crowds of people, whose
| repeated cheering compelled the President
to go over most of the route with his hat in
his hand. When Independence hall was
| reached the President was introduced by
Mayor Stuart. In a brief speech Mayor
Stuart welcomed the President, who re-
Sponded as follows:
Mr.. Mayer comrades Of the Grand Army of
the Republic and fellow-citizens:
VI esteem it great pleasure to stand in
this historic edihce, in this historic city, to
take part to day as comrade of the Grand
Army of the Republic in these most in
structlve and interesting exercises which
nave Deen instituted to keep alive in our
hearts the memories OF patriotic devotion to
sacrince: 1t is eminently appropriate that
we should stand for little time before we
| go TO the graves Of our dead, in this edlfice
where the foundation of declarations of in
dependence and of civil government were
made and put into that course OF develop
ment which has brought our nation to its
present position of prosperity and of infu-
ence among the nations of the earth |
have recently, in an extended trip, been
able to see what the flower is of the seeds
that were planted here. We are here in
Philadelphia, commonwealth instituted
upon principles of peace and good will
among men and yet, in a community that
had given conspicuous illustration of the
TACT that the fruits of peace may sometimes
/ pc made to be defended by the valor of
soldiers. You did not at all depart from
! the great lessons which were taught by the
founders of this great colony, when uniting
with your comrades from all the states.
you went into the field to hold up this
! banner, 10 maintain peace which should
| be perpetual and all pervading in all states.
Obedience is the first element of domestic
peace and social order. You went out to
maintain that and have established, as |
believe, again in the affections of all our
I
/ have settled perpetualy the question of
loyal submission to the constitution and
law in all states. 1t has been settled to
! the great contentment and happiness of all
our people.
Il appreciate most highly this generous
welcome, and shall take part in these exer-
clses today with sense of their fitness
and OF the great events which they com
memorate. 1 have never been able to think
OF this Gay as one of mourning. | never
have been quite able TO feel that half masted
| flags were appropriate on Decoration day
l have rather felt that the flag should be al
I the peak, because those whose diving we
commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where
! their valor placed 1t. We honor them in
Joyous, thankful, triumphant commemora-
ton OF what they did. We mourn for them
as comrades from whom we have departed
but we feel the glory of their dying and
the glory OF the achievement covers all our
grief and has set them in the imperishable
roll of honor"
After the Preiident had concluded. the
doors We're thrown open and for an hour
the chief executive shook hands with a
large number of people. At the conclusion
of the public reception the President took
the train for Laurel Hill cemetery, where
he took part in the ceremony over the
grave OF General George G. Mead, the hero
of Gettysburg.
AT Laurel Hill cemetery, as the Presi-
dent passed between the lines of posts and
under the battle flags, he reverently re-
moved his hat and bowed his head in honor
OF the memories they represented. Along
the entire line of march to the stand i'm.
mense crowds of people greeted the Presi-
dent with demonstrations of respect After
the usual Memorial day exercises, Com
mander Sanger stepped forward and intro
duced Comrade Harrison as the honored
guest OF the day. AS the President stepped
to the front of the stand he was greeted
with cheers by the assembled multitude
In his speech he said in part:
I'VE rejoice now that grateful govern
ment has gathered together the bodies of
most all these comrades and placed them
in beautiful and safe places of honesty and
repose. l can't but feel if they could
speak to- day to US they would say, Put
the flag at the top of the mast [ recently
returned from an extended tour of the
states and nothing impressed and re-
freshed me as the universal display
of this banner of beauty and glory
1t waved over every schoolhouse, it
was In the hands of children, and as we
sped across sandy wastes, at some solitary
house some one would come to the door and
wave it as a royal greeting. Two years
ago l saw sight that has ever been pres
emit in my memory AS we were going out
of the harbor of Newport about midnight,
on the bay on dark night, some of the of
fcers of the torpedo station had prepared
for US beautiful surprise. The flag at
the top OF the station was unseen in the
darkness of the night, when suddenly the
electric search lights were turned on it.
bathing it IN a food of light All below
the flag was hidden, and it seemed to have
no touch with the earth, but to hang from
the battlements of heaven. 1t was as if
heaven was approving the human liberty
and human equity enjoyed by that flag
Let US take on this occasion new
draught of courage, make new vows of
conservation. Let US not forget that as
good children and good patriots it is our
duty always to obey the law and give it
our loyal support and insist that EVERYONE
else will do So There is no more mischie-
vious suggestion made than that the sold
iers OF the union army desire to lay any
yoke on those who fought against US, otaer
than the yoke of the law. We cannot ask
less than that in all relations they shall
obey the law and that they shall yield tt
every other man his full rights under the
law.
81 thank you for the pleasure of partici
pating in these exercises with you to- day
and give you, comrades, my best wishes and
com rade good bye"
At the conclusion of the Presidents
speech the crowd surged forward, sweep
ing away the line of police and for ten
minutes the President shook hands with
every man, woman and child who could
reach him. When the people were finall =
driven back, the march was taken up fol
General Meade's grave. Here the beautiful
and touching ritual of the Grand Army was