New Hampshire Statesman And State Journal

THE STATESMAN.

CONCORD, SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1833

THE PRESIDENT AT CONCORD.

In pursuance of previous arrangements, the President of the United States visited this town on Friday last week, and was welcomed to the capital by a large committee of both branches of the Legislature.

The committee met the President in Bow, on horseback. The Chairman, the Hon. Warren Lovell, of the Senate, addressed him as follows:

Gen. Jackson—Both branches of the Legislature of New Hampshire, now in session, have appointed a committee, of which I have the honor to be the organ, to meet and tender to you in behalf of the government and citizens, their most cordial welcome on receiving you within the borders of the State. Deeply penetrated with a sense of gratitude and esteem for your patriotic services as a soldier, and your eminent success as a statesman and civilian, we are truly happy to receive and introduce you to the hospitalities of our citizens.

You will not, perhaps, expect to see all that gaudy show, the pomp and style of ceremony; the trappings of a more wealthy and dense population, through which you may have recently passed. But rest assured you will find yourself secure in the midst of an enlightened and generous people, who are ever ready to pay homage to the man who has "filled the measure of his country's glory."

The signal services you have performed, the battles you have fought, the glorious victories you have won, and your pre-eminent virtues are all known to the remote inhabitant of the granite State.

Your presence, then, must bring fresh to mind the brilliancy of your career and fill the hearts of all with unbounded and lasting pleasure.

To behold the man among us who has periled his life, and struggled against his country's wrongs, faced the cannon's mouth and bid defiance to the invincibles of Britain, and that man no other than the Chief Magistrate of this great and powerful nation, is an honor and heartfelt satisfaction of which we may be justly proud, and for which we may thank Him who rules the destinies of nations, and in the name of the Legislature and of the people of New Hampshire, we may hail you as the undaunted champion of our rights and liberties, and beg you again to accept of a hearty welcome to the State memorable as the home of the illustrious Sullivan, the daring Stark and a host of other worthies of the revolution.

To which the President made an appropriate reply.

This ceremony concluded, a procession was formed, which proceeded to the line of the town, where it was joined by a large cavalcade of citizens, and the whole came in in good style under the escort of a battalion of Light Infantry and Riflemen on duty for the occasion. The President, mounted on an elegant white horse, uncovered, continued to bow to the people around him.

The procession proceeded through Main Street, thence down State Street to School Street, through which it proceeded to the President's quarters, at the Eagle Hotel. The President, after taking a little rest, accompanied by the Vice President, and Secretaries Cass and Woodbury, appeared on the balcony and were severally announced to the people by Hon. Henry Hubbard.

On Saturday, at 9 o'clock, A. M. the President, on horseback, reviewed the battalion of light troops, and expressed himself highly gratified with the military appearance and soldier-like conduct of the troops.

It was in fact the best specimen of militia we have ever seen, and reflects the highest credit upon the military establishment which many are so anxious to break down and destroy.

After the review the President visited the Legislature which had assembled in Convention to welcome him, in the Hall of the Representatives, where he was addressed by the Governor, and introduced to the members of the different branches by their respective presiding officers. The addresses on this occasion will be found under the legislative head.

On Saturday evening, at 7 o'clock, the President and suite visited the area of the State House, where the former went through the ceremony of introduction to a large collection of ladies.

The President, on Sunday, attended church at the Rev. Mr. Bouton's in the forenoon, and at the Rev. Mr. Thomas' in the afternoon. He also attended a third service at the Brick Meeting House, where a discourse was preached by the Rev. Mr. Dow.

It is evident from the appearance of the President, that his health is in a very low state; every motion furnished a sign of extreme debility. In consequence of his illness he prudently concluded to discontinue his tour and left town Monday morning for Washington, by the most direct route. We learn that he arrived at Roxbury the same evening.

We should be chargeable with doing injustice to the several companies of light troops, selected by his Excellency the Governor to perform escort duty upon the occasion of the visit of the President of the U. States to this Capital, were we to let the occasion pass, by barely mentioning that such a body had appeared among us, performed the duty required of them, and departed again for their several places of abode.

The companies selected were eight in number—the Keene Light Infantry, Capt. Wilson; Lafayette Riflemen, Amherst, Capt. Converse; Hillsborough Light Infantry, Capt. Goodale; Derry Light Infantry, Capt. Choate; Jackson Guards, Goffstown, Capt. Craig; Bedford Grenadiers, Capt. Parten; Concord Light Infantry, Capt. Lang; and the Jackson Riflemen, Concord, Capt. Fowler.

These corps were desired to report themselves at the seat of government on Wednesday, and they severally promptly obeyed the summons. Soon after noon on that day, each paraded in our streets—and the grand and sudden manner in which they entered our town, (where, although the centre of the State, the military spirit is at rather a low ebb) with their powerful bands of music—the complete camp equipage of several of them—their every way handsome uniforms—and thoroughly martial appearance—created quite a sensation among all classes.

It is the common remark, that a finer collection of soldiery has never been seen at the Capital, than those present during the last week; and others go so far as to state that better companies cannot be found in the New England States. Those of the above corps, who (to their credit be it said) had provided themselves with camp equipage, took up their abode in the State House Yard—viz. the Keene Light Infantry, with eight tents, captured from the English, occupied the south-west corner—the Derry Light Infantry, with three tents, the north-west corner, and the Amherst Riflemen, one large tent, immediately east of the Secretary's Office. The parade ground was directly west of the tents. The troops were under command of Col. Peabody, of the 5th Regiment, with Col. Cross, of the 10th Regiment, as Lt. Colonel, and Lt. Col. Sanborn, of the 18th Regiment, as Major.

The exercise of these companies was almost uninterrupted from their coming into town up to Saturday, at about noon, when they were dismissed, and very soon left for their homes. They were paraded for review on Wednesday afternoon, when his Excellency the Commander in Chief, attended by several of his aids, assumed the duty of a reviewing officer, in presence of a very large collection of people. They were then dismissed until the next day. Several of the companies occupied a portion of Thursday forenoon in company exercise, and at about 11 o'clock were again in line, and were reviewed by Col. Peabody; and in the afternoon of the same day they were paraded, and reviewed by Adjutant Gen. Low, who made an address to them at its close, as did the Governor the day previous.

On the morning of Friday, the Regiment was assembled at 9 o'clock, and an immense concourse of spectators had the pleasure of being present at some further display of the field duties of this esprit du corps of the N. H. militia, after which they proceeded on their march to the southern line of the town, to await the approach of the President.

The utmost propriety which marked the conduct of this detachment while in town, is in every one's mouth. To the martial spirit of the soldier, the deportment of the gentleman was added—and if any one thing will contribute more than another to sustain the militia system of New Hampshire, in its vigor, it will be such military science, and such officers and soldiers as the late occasion drew forth.

There was none of the rum-drinking witnessed, such as was a constant attendant of former exhibitions and reviews. We saw scarcely any wandering about of the men in squads, when not on duty—heard of no evening revelry—no profanity—and in short, should feel as safe if our town was a general camp field, with such officers and men, as if residing in a village of Shakers.

The tents were quite an attraction to the visitors in town. These residences we had the pleasure of visiting, in common with many others—when we had an opportunity, through the politeness of the officers, of seeing the manner in which soldiers live: and to an inquiry whether great hardships and inconvenience were not attendant upon sleeping in such style, Col. Wilson remarked that money would tempt no one of his men to exchange their pallets of straw for the best feather beds in town.

Having borne witness to the good conduct, excellent appearance, complete equipment, military skill, and martial appearance of these several corps, we believe we shall not be thought "travelling out of the record," and cannot, in the view of any reasonable man, be blameworthy, if we embrace this occasion to make particular mention of the Keene Light Infantry.

This Company is commanded by JAMES WILSON, Jr. long a member, and for two successive sessions, Speaker of the N. H. House of Representatives—an individual who unites as many qualities calculated to endear him to all who come within the range of his acquaintance, as any other man—literally "a gentleman and a scholar"—generous, confiding, noble in his whole deportment; indeed, infinitely removed from illiberality or meanness—equally at home in the hall of legislation or in his fields—or, as on this occasion, in the routine of severe military duty—companionable, intelligent, benevolent—and who, in whatever station he may be found, discharges its duties with alacrity added to the skill of a master. The fame of his company had gone before it, but expectation had not come up to the reality; and a well lined street witnessed the grand and formidable array they presented, as with a most powerful band of music the corps paraded in front of the Capitol, within five minutes of the time designated, having come a distance of fifty miles. For every requisite constituting excellent troops, these, the best judges declare, are not surpassed. Every thing was conducted with the most minute exactness, during their protracted stay with us. Their tents were fitted for the immediate summons of their occupants to battle—and no soldier left it except by permission.—When any thing of particular interest in town, to which many of the men had come for the first time, was to be seen, the company proceeded en masse, headed by their commander—as the Prison, the galleries of the House, Senate, &c.; and so exact were the regulations, that the services of a village hair dresser were rendered at the encampment: and furthermore, the example of remaining with his men, subject to the same fare, sleeping in the same manner, and enduring the same privations, was set, and punctiliously fulfilled by Col. Wilson. The company embraced, we believe, about seventy men, and those, too, whose every motion evinced the knowledge of practised tacticians. The hands of both officers and privates were bared to the work. At the firing of the morning gun the reveille was beat, the men paraded, and the roll called. Next to the President, this company was the "observed of all observers." On Saturday afternoon Col. Wilson paraded his men, and went through a course of company firing in front of the State House, soon after which his baggage waggons were re-freighted, and he and his men took up their homeward march under a hearty round of cheers from a multitude of spectators, collected to witness the departure.

We observe that the municipal authorities of Portsmouth had proceeded so far in their arrangements for the reception of the President, as to buy furniture for furnishing the Broad Street House, to be sold at auction after the departure of their guest.

It is 'worth our while' to mention the order and decorum which prevailed among the multitude on the occasion of the President's late visit at this place, so unusual, and withal so commendable in popular collections. There was nothing like disorder or mobbery, if we may be allowed the use of such a word, if we except an occasional attempt to raise a hurra for Jackson or Van Buren, which we believe succeeded in no instance, notwithstanding the great exertions of several of the Marshals to raise the shout. There was nothing to degrade the character of the people. On Saturday several occasions were embraced, when curiosity to see the President had collected a considerable number in front of the Eagle, to bring forward the Secretaries for their applause; once, a single bacchanalian voice alone cheered Mr Van Buren; and the names of Miller and Cass received a more hearty response than any others. On one occasion when this sort of show was about concluding, Isaac Hill was called for; the people began to hang their heads and disperse rapidly. Mr Hill was in the house but did not appear.

While the procession was marching through the street, one of the marshals was heard to upbraid the people of the crowd because they would not 'hurra,' upon which some few full blooded heroines, as if to make up for any remissness of duty, shouted lustily. "Hurra, for Andrew the First!" The cry soon subsided and the procession progressed in peace and quiet.

A TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT. No spirit was provided in this town for the several companies during the late parade; neither was any called for or expected, that we are aware of. Pure "Orchard," and coffee, tea or chocolate, were the substitutes.

Among the great assemblage last week very few intemperate persons were seen—those wholly of the old crop; consequently no lives were lost, limbs broken, carriage shivered, nor was there any tumult.