The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-05-20
At 7HE WHITE HOUSE.
Presbyterians Received by Presi-
dent and Mrs. Cleveland.
THE ADVICE OF MODERATOR CRAIG.

He Tells the Chief Magistrate TO be
obedient to His Presbyterian Wife.
The Presidents Views on Our Duty ss
o Chri.tlaa People.
WASHINGTON, May 20-President and
Mrs. Cleveland received the commissioner
Of and visitors TO the Presbyterian Gen.
nral Assembly in the east room of the
White House yesterday. They entered the
room in which the head of the procession
was already massed accompanied by Rev
and Mrs. Wilton Merle Smith, of New
York, guests Of the house, and Mrs J M.
Wilson Mrs Cleveland wore gray gown
OF soft clinging material, trimmed with
black velvet and looked the embodiment
OF good health, Dr. Craig moderator, was
presented to the president by DIR. Bartlett,
chairman of the committee of arrange
ments, and made a brief felicitous address,
in tho course Of which he suid:
'You know somewhat OF the Presby-
terian church. Many of these gentlemen
who are here had precisely the same gen.
eral experience that you had, perchance
reared amidst the plain living and high
thinking of that wonderful nursery of
strong men We have common experiences
which make us. though we may never
have come together before. to be, as 1t
were, friends because we know the things
which have, perchance, made us to be
worthy OF the esteem of our fcllowmen
and made you, sir, worthy to rule, with
the confidence Of your fellow citizens gath
cred close around you. the mightiest ma
tion of the whole world
Sir, let me congratulate you upon the
fact that sturdy Presbyterians now hedge
you round about, and that the sturdiest
Presbyterian of us all Is at your side, q
holy benedction to keep you straight to
the faith Of your ancestors which is not
only the great assurance of success, but is
the highway to the immediate presence Of
the living God. am not much inclined to
the common saying You must be ODE.
dient unto your wives" never was vet
enabled to do that, as have been officiat-
ing around the holy altar. But, sir, as you
are entitled to give us not only instruction
from your high place, but order, now /
have this little chance to give you an in.
struction, tell you be obedent to her.
Il have but one word more to say, sir,
and this gives me more pleasure than
most men who are addressing you in these
early, and am afraid, later hours. You
ought to he refreshed when you talk with
man who represents $500 people. who
don't want single Office"
In conclusion DIR. Craig delivered the
asscmbly's invitation to the president to
visit the assembly.
President Cleveland said in responses:
81 assure you 1t affords me much per-
sonal qualification to meet on this occasion
the representatives of that great religious
denomination which has done so much to
make our people better and happier, ard
which is associated with so many tender
and pleasing incidents q my Individual
experience. The thought is also in my
mind that, in the light of my public duties
and responsibilities, there is a propriety in
extending to you welcome to this home
OF the nations chief executive
ave still profess to be Christian peo-
pie. This means that no public officer of
high or low degree should be unmindfu of
the restraints of religious sentiment. 1t
means that the religious teachings of our
people should lead them to exact from
those who make and execute their laws
recognition o. these restraints. 1t means
that the rules which a popular religious
sense approves, should undcrlie the per
formanee of every public duty
"Hou, therhio ore, will. l hope, permit me
to say that though you do well to insist
upon the conscientious discharge of of
fetal obligations and though you ought
never 10 Slrlnk from tnc exposure OF Of
fetal shortcomings, The contribution You
owe towards accomplishing good govern
ment will not be fully nude unless you
teach the people by precept and example
that they will find their safety and well
fare enforcing upon their public servants
the observance of the mandates of Chris
tianity and morality.
There ought to be inspiration in the
thought that our country's destiny is in
our hands, and il ought to dignity our
Amercanism 10 feel and know that those
who teach, and those who govern, and
those in every walk of citizenship have a
share In our preservation as Christian
people, and in the guarantee this affords
of grand national achievements y
The visitors were then presented by
name to the president by Dr. Bartlett and
to Mrs. Cleveland by Colonel J. NJ Wilson.
The only matters of public Importance
at yesterdays session OF the assembly was
the appointment Of committee to con-
slider the attitude of the gathering on
Chinese exclusion and the adoption of
resolution, introduced by Rev. Charles A.
Dickey, submitting to the presbytcries a
new plan for church trials