Evening star., 1945-06-17
Purudes of the Past !
Also Were Notable
Star Files Contains Reports of
Many Great Professions
BIZ James Waldo Faucet,

NIdly oIchl L IOCeSSlOnS
By James Waldo Faucet.
The parade in homage to Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower tomorrow inevitably will
recall other grand professions of the
past. Unlike some of them, it cannot
be regarded as marking the end of
war. 1t will represent only the termi-
nation of fighting in the European
theater. For real, all-inclusive review
of the armed power of the United States.
the people of the Nation must wait until
victory over Japan has been achieved.
Tomorrow's event, therefore, will have
the character of dress rehearsal" of
the pageantry of an occasion of the
future. But that does not mean that
it will be lacking in the spirit of patri-
otic enthusiasm, gratitude and appre-
citation which earlier generations mani
tested to valiant heroes returning home
from the front. The precedent for such
demonstrations traces back for CEN
turies. Perhaps the most truly notable
display of the kind was the review of
the Federal Armies passing through
Pennsylvania avenue on Tuesday, May
%, and Wednesday. May "a, 1865. An
editorial in The Star for the former
date reflected the public reaction to the
spectacle while 1t still was in progress,
saying: Words will not suffice to ex-
plain or express the effect of the review
-" upon the public mind, The whole
population of the city, with the addi-
tion of strangers numbering many thou
sands on thousands, have been on Penn
sylvania avenue all day, the throng
being greater by far than on any previ-
Gus occasion. The different generals
who have become famous in the course
of the war were, of course, the observed
of all observers and each, as he passed,
was greeted with loud plaudits.
Their warworn veterans, too, attracted
scarcely less attention and received
nearly equal tokens of popular regard.
The scene was as deeply impressive of
the former dangerous power of the sup
pressed rebellion as of the military
strength of our great country on emerg-
ing from war Of such duration and
so destructive. The affair was mani
festly one of the grandest popular ova-
tions to the grandest and most efficient
patriot armies that ever was paid by
any people in either hemisphere"
A description written by the novelist
and historian Hamlin Garland summar-
lied The Stars detailed account in
these words: "At exactly 8 o'clock a
single cannon-Shot doomed from some
far place, and down the winding avenue
from the Capitol came the broad river of
blue and steel. 1t was the Army of the
Potomac, with Gen. Meade at its head.
The escort of cavalry, miles in length,
preceded the infantry corps. Sheridan
was not there-he was already on his
way to the Mexican border-but Gen.
Merritt, who led them, was cheered
warmly by the throng. The troops were
worn and dusty and dingy, their faces
bronzed by the wind and sun. For
nearly hours these swift and powerful
warriors swept by the reviewing stand,
and as each regimental color came
opposite him Gen. Grant arose and
saluted. and every cavalrymans eyes
sought out the face of the commander
whose word had been his absolute law
for the last year.
"The Ninth Corps of Infantry fol-
lowed, under command OF Gen. John
G. Parke. The columns filled the street
"a Niagara of men, streaming by end
lessly, their worn and tattered battle
flags calling for cheer for the dead as
well as the living. They came at right
shoulder shift in cadenced step, and
as they passed the chief their FURNISHED
muskets leaped to present and with
eyes left they passed the stand, many
of them looking for the last time upon
their great commander. The Fifth
Corps followed, led by Gen. Griffin,
marching in similar form, streaming by,
hour after hour, till the Army of the
Potomac, 10000 strong, had marched
on from war to peace.
"On the next day the heroes of the
West took up their triumphant march.
Gen. Sherman himself led his
hosts, erect, sinewy, bronzed Of skin, and
restless and naughty of eye. He had the
poise and action of an eagle about to
take wing. Beside him rode Gen.
Howard, with one empty sleeve pinned
to his breast. Gen. Logan fol-
lowed on a magnificent horse, his long
black hair and sweeping mustache real
izing the Eastern ideal of the Western
commander. ."
The Stars account of the big double
parade included reference to the fact
that the flag displayed at the Treasury
Building was the standard in whose
folds John Wilkes Booth caught his
spur as he leaped to the stage from the
box in Ford's Theater where he had
shot President Lincoln a few weeks
earlier.
Different in fundamental character
was the public reception to Admiral
George Dewey on his return from the
Philippines after the close of the War
With Spain. The hero of Manila Bay
did not arrive in Washington until Octo-
ber 2, 1899, and the first of two parades
staged in his honor on the evening of
that day was predominantly a civilian