[THE RETURN TO WASHINGTON.]
There was no demonstration at Baltimore. As the train neared Washington—on the homestretch of its great run of 9,232 miles—the President gathered all the members of his party about him in the observation car, including the train employees and servants, and made a short speech, in which he thanked all who accompanied him for their courtesy and attention. He referred to the long journey—without accident of any kind and without a minute's variance from the prearranged schedule—as a most remarkable achievement, and paid a high compliment to Mr. George W. Boyd, the General Assistant Passenger Agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad for his successful management of the trip, adding that it was a superb exhibition of what energy and training could do for a man. He then returned his thanks individually to the engineer, conductor, and every employee.
The train reached Washington at 5:30 o'clock, exactly on time to a fraction of a minute. General Harrison was the first to alight to meet his young grandson, Master Benjamin McKee, and the latter's little sister. There was no unusual demonstration or speech-making. The President was met by Secretaries Foster and Proctor, Attorney-General Miller, Ass't Atty.-Gen. James N. Tyner, Assistant Secretary Nettleton, Assistant Secretary Willetts, Major Pruden, and Captain Dinsmore.
[PHILADELPHIA, MAY 30.]
On Decoration Day, 1891, President Harrison, accompanied by Postmaster-General Wanamaker, Secretary Proctor, Secretary Tracy, and Private Secretary Halford, visited Philadelphia as the guests of George G. Meade Post, No. 1, G. A. R., to participate in their memorial ceremonies. They were met at the station by a committee from the post, comprising the following veterans: Post Commander Louis P. Langer, Senior Vice-Commander Alexander M. Appel, Junior Vice-Commander James Thompson, Adjutant A. C. Johnston, Officer of the Day Robert M. Green, Guard Charles Harris, Chaplain Rev. I. Newton Ritner, and Past Post Commanders Henry H. Bingham, Joseph R. C. Ward, George W. Devinny, L. D. C. Tyler, Alfred J. Sellers, William J. Simpson, James C. Wray, John A. Stevenson, Alexander Reed, Lewis W. Moore, John W. Wiedersheim, Isaiah Price, W. Wayne Vogdes, G. Harry Davis, Charles L. Sherman, Henry C. Harper, Penn Righter, and Isaac R. Oakford. Department Commander George Boyer and Asst. Adjt.-Gen. Samuel Town were also present to welcome the Commander-in-Chief. The historic City Troop of cavalry—who, from the day that General Washington entered Philadelphia to take his second inaugural oath, have acted as an escort to every President who has been a guest of the city—escorted the President and the committee to Independence Hall, where in a brief speech Mayor Stuart, in behalf of the city, welcomed the Chief Magistrate.
The President, replying to the address of welcome, said:
Mr. Mayor, Comrades of the Grand Army of the Republic, and Fellow-citizens—I esteem it a great pleasure to stand in this historic edifice in this historic city and to take part to-day as a comrade of the Grand Army of the Republic in these most interesting and instructive exercises, which commemorate events which have been most deeply sunk in our hearts. I think it eminently appropriate that we should stand for a little time before going to the graves of our fallen comrades in this edifice, where the foundations of independence were laid and put into development to make this great Nation to-day. In my recent extensive trip through the country I was able to see the effects of planting these seeds of freedom, in the flourishing plants that have grown. [Applause.]
We are here in a community that was instituted on principles of peace and good will among men. But you gave a conspicuous illustration of the facts that the fruits of peace need to be protected.