The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-06-06
SECRETARY GRESHAM THE ON
LY NON.ACTIVE MILITARY
MAN WHO HAS BEEN
uONORED WITH A STRICTLY MIL
ITARY FUNERAL AT WASHING
TON.
Admiral Meade's Friends are Said to be
Working up a Sentiment of Martyr
dom for Him and Congress Will
Be Asked to Resolute.
Special correspondence.

| Special correspondence.
Washington, May 30, 1895.
Today has witnessed the most solemn
and imposing public ceremony that has
occurred in this city for many years. The
several hours prior to the time set for the
| funeral services at the White House
over the remains of Secretary of State
Gresham the streets and Lafayette
square between the White House and
| the Arlington hotel, the scene of Mr.
Gresham's death, were thronged with PEG
pie Ire route of the procession to the
Baltimore and Ohio depot was also lined
with a respectful and quiet host. AL
of the executive departments were closed
for the day as a mark of respect, and from
the roofs of all the public buildings in
the city the stars and stripes were flying
at half mast. The absence of the deer
and somber embems of mourning which
have in past years draped the various
departments on similar occasions was
cOnspicuously noticeable, the law having
been amended so as to prohibit such
decorations at the last session of congress
1t was said that the secretary preferred
the title general" to either "judge" or
"N1r. Secretary" and that he was prouder
of his record as a military man than the
reputation he had gained either as jurist
or as a statesman. For that reason the
funeral was purely and simply a military
one, the decorations of the East Room
in the White House, while they were of
the most elaborate kind being confined to
the national colors. In this connection
it is interesting to note that except in
the case of General John A. Logan the
regular troops have been called out to
attend the funeral of no other man not
in the regular army. Owing to the fact
that the number of regular troops station
ed at Washington is rather small the
funeral pageat was not large. What was
lacking in numbers was, however, amply
made up for by the wonderful precision
with which the cavalry squadrons and
artillery detachments executed the neces-
sary movements incident to the march.
A feature of the procession was the
mounted band attached to the cavalry.
ADMIRAL MEADE'S CASE.
Admiral Meade is going to be martyr
lied; at least his friends think so and
movement has already been started look
ing to that end. The scheme is to have a
concurrent resolution introduced in the
next congress, in the senate by Mr.. Frye,
and in the house by Mr.. Boutelle, recit-
ing in the preamble that the admiral has
been ill treated in that he was retired
with singing reprimand without a
trial or hearing of any kind and ending
with resolution rendering him the thanks
of congress for his distinguished services
in the late war.
The preamble will be offered just as an
excuse to allow the friends of Admiral
Meade to blow off steam. 1t will prOba-
bly, be withdrawn after it has served
that purpose. The resolution of thanks,
however, the admirals friends say, can
not fail to pass the senate as it would
receive the solid vote of the Republicans
and Populists and several Democrats.
The house being overwhelmingly Re-
publican it will easily be passed by that
body.
If the program is carried out as contem-
plated Admiral Meade will be entitled to
the privileges of the floor of both houses
of congress, an honor that has been
voted to but few men, except ex-senators
and eX-members.