New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-26
PRESIDENT IN VIRGINIA.
HE AND MEMBERS OF THE CABINET
ATTEND MEETING OF ARMY OF
THE POTOMAC-SPEECH BY
GENERAL SICKLES.

Fredericksburg, Va, May 25.-Fair weather
favored the Presidential party for its visit to
the memorial services Of the Army of the Poto-
mac here to-day. 1t was distinctly Confederate
weather, however with more gray than blue in
the sky The special train from Washington ar
rived lilo o'clock and found the whole popu-
lation of the staid old Virginia town grouped
about the station or massed along the main
street. with the National colors in evidence
everywhere.
The special train carried the President and all
the members of the Cabinet except Secretary
Wilson. There also were in the party General
Nelson A. Miles. his chief aid, Colonel Michler;
General Joseph Wheeler. former Adjutant-Gen-
eral Ruggles, who was colonel Of the President
old regiment in the war. and the Marine Band.
The train met at Quantico by a Reception
Committee from Fredericksburg, consisting of
Horace F. Crisman, Major T. P. Norris and
Postmaster John NJ. Griffin, who accompanied
the Presidential party to Fredericksburg where
it turned over to the Inequalities of the
local committee The procession formed at the
station and headed by the Marine Band. moved
at once to the courthouse. where the public ex-
ercises were held. and an official welcome was
rendered to the Society of the Potomac. The
address of welcome was delivered by st. George
r. Fftzhugh and the response made by
General Martin T. Mcmahon. The Grafton of
the day was then delivered by General Daniel K.
Sickles, who said in part:
The amenities of this fraternal gathering would
be violated by awakening memories of campaigns
in which military achievements and military COM
mands were conspicuous L shall fail to give just
expression TO the sentiments of my comrades if l
revive the aSperties which divided the old South
from the old worth. and do not appeal 10 the
broader and better sympathies which have restored
fraternal ties among former adversaries. If 1t be
true that the world had never seen such gigantic
conflict between people of nationality as
memory of millions of survivors, il IS equally
marka BILE that history chronicles example OF a
reconciliation so spontaneous. so prompt and so
complete as shown by the Spanish-Amercan
War to have followed the civil strife that shook
this continent only generation ago.
ContempOraneouS with the revival of our Ma
tlonal fraternity was the happy disappearance of
the strained relations between Great Britain and
less tension since War of independence
This fortunate concord between the two great
branches of the Anglo Saxon merchandising four
continents by their military and naval power-was
In the between the United States and Spain
Americans will not forget friend that alone in
Europe stood for us when others whose friendship
We looked for Indifferent hostile.
American nationality that 1t should have been coin
cident with of Nberation-a war to terminate
the hateful domination OF Spain in this hemisphere
that removed the last obstacles to self
government from the people of this continent.
When the Stars and Stripes blaZed the pathway to
Asia and hoated over the walls of Manila,
epoch of American development begun. Cuba
would have been ours to-day, as il should be ours
II we had not chosen to renOunce that island by
self-denying ordinance, in which wisdom was sacri-
feed to sentiment. But Cuba will come us. all
the same by the laws OF political and economical
gravitation.