The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-06

General Wesley Merritt, included q
battalion Of United States engineers,
the Seventeenth United States Infant
ry, foul batteries Of United States ar
tillery, a regiment Of United States
marines, 500 sailors OF the North At
lantic squadron made up from crews
OF the New York, Columbia and Indi-
ana, now anchored at Hampton Roads,
and commanded by Captain Sands, Of
the COlumb (whose appearance ,as
is always the case when the blue jack
cts come ashore. was welcomed with,
hearty cheers) followed a battalion OF
light artillery and a regiment of United
States "
THE MARCH TO THE CAPITOL
P~resident-elect Mckinley. who had
left his handsomely fitted up suite OF
rooms at the Ebbitt house sufficiently
early to pay his call OF ceremony on
the retiring president. was driven to
the White house. escorted by the SEN
ate committee appointed for that pur-
pose, where in one OF the state apart
ments he was received and welcomed
by President Cleveland and his cabi-
net. Then tie two presidents descended
the White house steps and together
entered q four-hourse carriage, Mr.
Cleveland sitting to the right. and amid
the booming of cannon, h clatter OF
cavalry, the deep hoars rumble OF ar
tillery. me measured tramp Of many
columns of infantry, and the blare OF
innumerable bands, the march to the
capitol began. In another four-horse
carriare following the president, rode
Vice President-elect Hobart, and the
senator's deputed to escort him t o the
scenes Of his future duties. Then in a
long stream Of carriages came the dis
tinguished guests. The presidents per-
sOnaI escort was Troop A, of Cleve-
land, Ohio, eighty cavalrymen mount
ed on coal black chargers, and, still
more interesting, a detachment OF
grizzled veterans from the Twenty
third Ohio volunteers, Major McKin-
ley's old regiment.
General Nelson Miles, commanding
the United States army, and Rear Ad-
miral George Brown, ranking officer Of
the navy, in full uniform, rode imme-
diately after the presidential party.
The second brigade of the first division
consisted Of the %superbly drilled and
handsomely equipped National Guard,
Of the District Of Columbia. A more
brilliant and inspiring scene than this
part OF the pageant presented could
hardly be pictured. The yellow plumesk
scarlet-lined clOaks n bright blue
tunices Of the cavalry; the huge black
bear skin shakos n snow white trou-
sers Of the national guard; the gaily
comparisoned and gold bedecked white
plumed officers of the staff; the vivid
crimson and gold laced coats of the
famed Marine band, contrasting with
the blue uniforms Of the marine corps.
and the picturesque sailor costumes OF
the jack tars, formed constantly chang
ing Kaleidoscope pictures Of flashing
light and color extremely beautiful to
witness
From a spectacular point of view the
parade was distinctly benefited by the
absence of some features which were
conspicuous in the corresponding pa
rades Of previous inaugurations. The
Pennsylvania militia, 5000 strong, who
marched to the capitol with Mr..
Cleveland, each company so exactly
alike the ones that were before that the
monotony tired the eye, and all attired
in the serviceable, but dull sombre-
looking regulation army blue, were not
ordered to Washington this time.
Tammany's 5000 braves, in black coats
and tall silk hats. who came over from
New York to see MI. Cleveland INSTALL
ed, had no interest in Mckinley and
stayed at home. This was not Tam
many's year.
The second division Of the parade
was not secondary to the first in pubs
lie interest except that it lacked the
presence of a president to be and a
president that had been. In lieu thereof
it presented to the admiring plaudits
of the crowd the governors of nine
great states, each escorted by a gor-
geously uniformed staff and detach-
ments from the national guards Of
their states. At the head Of the divis-
ions, a fitting honor to the state from
which the president-elect was chosen,
rode Governor Asa S.. Bushnell, Of
Ohio, a marshal. Then followed Gov
ernor Griggs, of New Jersey; Governor
Lowndes, Of Maryland; Governor
Black, of New York; Governor Brad
ley, OF Kentucky; Governor Grout. OF
nois; Governor Drake, of Iowa; and
Governor Schofield, of Wisconsin. Each
of these dignitaries was accompanied
by numerous aids and most of them
by regiments or companies OF their
state national guard. In this later
manner the states of Connecticut,
Massachusetts,, Virginia, North Caro-
lima, Rhode Island, Texas and Min
nesota were also we'll represented. AT
the head of the third and last division
Of the military parade rode one-armed
General O.. O.. Howard, and after him
marched the grizZled veterans of the
Grand Army of the Republic, many OF
whom had served under him at Get
tysburg and Chattanooga.
IN THE SENATE CHAMBER.
At HAS o'clock Assistant Door Keep
er Stewart announced: Ambassador
of foreign countries" The vice presi'
dent, senators and spectators arose
and remained standing while the foul
ambassadors from Great Britain, Ger
many, France and Italy walked dowr
the main aisle, made profound bow:
t the vice president a d o seat:
adjoining those reserved for The presf
dent and president elect. hat was i'm
mediately followed by the announce
| ment of ministers Of foreign coun
tries" and the same ceremony was OBJ
served, as the ministers entered ant
took seats behind chairs reserved TO
the chief justice and associate justice'
| of the United States. The ambassador
n ministers were respondent in thei
uniforms, sashes and decorations. Mex
to enter were the chief justice n as
sociate justices OF the supreme cour
of the United States in their blacl
silk robes. They occupied chairs within
the area in front OF the vice presi
dents desk. They were attended by tn
clerk of the court who held a boun,
and gilt o OF the Bible in quart
size, on which the oath of office was t
he administered TO the new president