[DAYTON, OHIO, MAY 14.]
A great assembly, numbering over 10,000 people, greeted the President on arrival at Dayton, Ohio, at 9 o'clock. The veterans of "The Old Guard Post", Parker Rusby Commander, were present in a body; also many veterans from Dister Post, Hiram Strong Post, Birch, and Martin De Lancy posts, together with a large representation of the Sons of Veterans. Among the prominent citizens and ladies who received the presidential party were Mrs. W. D. Bickham, Miss Rebecca Strickel, Charles and Daniel Bickham, Hon. Ira Crawford, Hon. Washington Silzel, Wm. P. Callahan, Fred G. Withoft, Dr. J. M. Weaver, E. B. Lyon, Dr. J. S. Beck, C. M. Hassler, A. L. Bauman, Dr. Joseph E. Lowes, B. T. Guion, Henry Kissinger, Hon. Dennis Dwyer, E. F. Pryor, Charles P. Garman, D. K. Hassler, Charles Auderton, N. D. Bates, John A. Miller, John A. Bell, C. Y. Osborn, Joseph S. Crane, Ed. Best, Daniel E. Meade, Samuel Craighead, Warren Munger, H. C. Harries, G. C. Kennedy, William Craighead, A. A. Simonds, S. Brenner, D. F. Giddinger, Simon Gebhart, George La Rue, D. E. McSherry, Charles James John Patterson, Dr. J. A. Walters, and Rev. Dr. A. A. Willett.
The President's appearance was the signal for a prolonged outburst of patriotic feeling, in recognition and response to which he spoke as follows:
My Fellow-citizens—We have journeyed now about nine thousand miles, and I have never been, in all this distance, out of sight of an Ohio man. [Laughter and cheers.] Everywhere we have journeyed, whether in the New South, awakening under the new influences of freedom to an industrial life that was not possible under slavery; whether on the deserts of Arizona or among the orange groves of California, or in one of those wonderful States that have been builded within the last few years on Puget Sound, some one, noting the fact that I was Ohio-born, would claim kin-ship, and so far as I could judge, in my limited observation of them, I think they carried the Ohio faculty with them to their new homes of getting their fair share of things. [Laughter and cheers.] I do most cordially thank you, citizens of Dayton, for this pleasant and friendly demonstration. I cannot talk long. This whole journey has been a succession of speeches. I have come to think it must be tiresome to you to have one of my speeches every morning with your breakfast coffee. [Cries of "No! no!" and applause.] But it has been a most cheerful thing to me to observe everywhere, even in those distant and sparsely settled regions of the West, that the American flag was never out of sight. I do not think I have ever lost sight of the Stars and Stripes since we left Washington. [Cheers.] Several times we have been deeply touched as we moved along over the sandy plains to see at some isolated and very humble cabin a man or child step to the door and unfurl the Starry Banner. [Cheers.] Everywhere I have met comrades of the Grand Army of the Republic, everywhere the atmosphere seemed to be pervaded by a magnificent spirit of Americanism. [Cheers.] We are one people—one in our purposes, aims and lives; one in our fealty to the flag, the Constitution, and the indissoluble Union of the States. [Cheers.]
Ohio has always maintained a magnificently conspicuous place in the sisterhood of the States—peopled, as she was, by the great patriots of the Revolutionary period; receiving, as she did, in this great basin, that overspill of patriotism that moved toward the West after the Revolutionary struggle was ended. She has given to the Government, in army life and in the civil service, a magnificent galaxy of great men. [Cheers.] In the hope that this journey, which has been full of toil, may not prove unprofitable to the people, as it certainly has not been unprofitable to me, I leave you to take up my public duties with new encouragement and new resolves to do the best I can for all the people. [Cheers.]
[XENIA, OHIO, MAY 14.]
It was nearly 10 o'clock when the city of Xenia was reached, but a large crowd greeted the tired travellers. A reception committee, consisting of Hon. Charles F. Howard, Mayor; Hon. John Little, Hon. N. A. Fulton, Hon. George Good, Charles L. Spencer, and F. E. James escorted the party from Dayton.
Judge Little introduced President Harrison, who said: