USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Albany bi-centennial. Historical memoirs > Part 5
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Fourth. Wherefore, in obedience to ye Ancient and honorable custom, as set down in ye Book of Minutes
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aforesaid, it is ordered yt ye Manner and Posture of ye Procession be as follows :
ORDER OF YE COMPANYE.
I. Ye Constables of ye Citty.
2. Ye Crier.
3. Ye Marshall.
4. Ye Musicians with ye Drumms Beating.
5. Ye Mayor (with Sword.)
6. Ye Recorder and ye Justices.
7. Ye Aldermen and Common Council.
8. Ye Citizens' Bi-centennial Committee, and so many of ye Commonalty and Ancient Citizens as shall desyre.
9. Guard of Inhabitants in Arms.
Fifth. Ye sd persons shall assemble at ye Citty Hall at half past eight of ye Cloke on ye Morning of ye sd Monday, ye nineteenth day of July, and when all shall have been duly arranged ye Companye shall proceed to ye North-East gate of ye Citty, where- upon ye Fyre Bells shall strike three times after which all ye Bells of ye Citty shall be rung for ye space of two minutes, and after, ye Mayor in behalf of ye Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the Citty of Albany shall proclaim ye festival of ye 200th an- niversary of ye Charter begun, and shall express ye Satisfaction and Joy of ye Inhabitants for ye same, and in their name shall offer welcome to ye strangers both within and without ye sd gate, and in like man- ner proceeding, ye Companye shall next Goe to ye South-East gate, and after to ye West gate and so back to ye place of beginning.
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The sum of $2,000 was appropriated to cover the expenses of the Military Committee. It was also resolved that all persons subscribing the sum of one dollar or upwards to the All Nations' Day Fund be entitled to a Bi-centennial flag; subscribers to the amount of $20, two flags ; subscribers to the amount of $50, three flags; subscribers to the amount of $100 and over, four flags. The reporters of the various city papers who attended the meetings of the Citizens' Committee were each voted a flag, medal and memorial card.
The following communication inclosing a subscrip- tion was received :
BORELL BUILDING, 115 BROADWAY, NEW YORK.
HON. JOHN BOYD THACHER :
Inclosed I send you my check for $500, to be expended in your discretion upon the occasion of the celebration of the Bi-centennial of Albany.
Very respectfully yours, EDWARD VAN NESS.
July 10, 1886. The following communication was received :
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. C., July 9, 1886. 5 TO THE EDITORS OF ALBANY :
I wish I could claim a greater interest in the Bi-centennial of the charter of the city of Albany. I mean the interest which springs from long residence and intimate association. Confessing that I cannot lay claim to either of these inci- dents, which produce a kind of proprietary interest in a locality, and modestly, though reluctantly, taking my place among those whose relations with your grand old town are limited to a short period, I insist that no man of my class has or ought to have more pleasant and grateful recollec- tions than I of the city of Albany and its people. I entered the city a stranger, oppressed with the fear and trepidations
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incident to the assumption of new and grave official responsi- bilities. I found strong, staunch friends ready to counsel and assist in my performance of public duty, and kind friends anxious by their considerate courtesy to temper and relieve the exactions of perplexing labor. Under such circum- stances, a short residence gave rise to an attachment which one can only feel for a hospitable home. Two years suf- ficed to cause me to leave the city with sincere regret; and in present surroundings, and in all that the future may have in store, I must revert to the time I lived in Albany as the happiest period in my life. Others will speak of its history, but I can only speak of my pleasant association with its present, and express the hope that in every centennial time of its existence there may be found many whose tribute to what it is may be as sincere as mine.
Yours, very truly, GROVER CLEVELAND.
July 13, 1886. Mr. Parker, from the Legislative Committee, reported and presented the following address :
CAPITOL, ALBANY, N. Y., July 13, 1886.
At a joint meeting of the Senate and Assembly Com- mittees, appointed by the Legislature to make provisions for the suitable representation of the present and ex-Mem- bers of the Legislature at the Bi-centennial exercises to take place in the city of Albany, July 22, 1886, it was unanimously
RESOLVED, That the Senators and Members of the present Legislature and all previous Legislatures are hereby cordially invited to meet the committees above-named, at the Dela- van House, Albany, Thursday, July 22d, at 9 A. M. of that day. The committee's head-quarters will be open at the same place on the previous day.
Senate Committee.
Amasa J. Parker, Jr., John Raines, James F. Pierce,
J. Sloat Fassett,
Edmund L. Pitts. Assembly Committee.
James W. Huested, George L. Erwin,
George S. Batcheller, Henry D. Hotchkiss,
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George W. Lyon,
William F. Sheehan,
Michael F. Collins,
Thomas Mccarthy, George W. Green, Edward D. Cutler.
July 15, 1886. A sub-committee reported arrange- ments had been effected for the erection of a grand stand on the Capitol grounds opposite the City Hall, capable of seating twenty-five hundred persons.
Mr. Towner offered the following which was unani- mously adopted by a rising vote :
The Committee on Monumenting and Decorating desire to testify, hereby, to the efficient services of their Chairman, Mr. Walter Dickson. To his painstaking archaeological researches, industry and skill in design, the city is indebted for the accurate location and architectural beauty of the memorial tablets which well serve to recall the Bi-centen- nial celebration long after the festivities of the week have been forgotten and those who have participated in them have passed away.
RESOLVED, That the thanks of the Citizens' Bi-centen- nial Committee are hereby tendered to Mr. Walter Dick- son as Chairman of the Committee on Monumenting and Decorating.
July 20, 1886. A communication was received, as follows :
GREYSTONE, YONKERS, N. Y., July 19, 1886.
GENTLEMEN-I have to thank you for your invitation to assist in commemorating the two hundredth anniversary of the granting of a charter to the city of Albany. I regret that I cannot be personally present at ceremonies so worthy of your ancient and renowned municipality. Albany is a his- toric city, and has long occupied a prominent place in the annals of the State and nation. It was the scene of the early struggles which determined whether the colonization of the vast country tributary to it should be of a Dutch or English type. Albany formed a centre of the great natural highways, connecting on the south by the majestic and placid Hudson with the Atlantic ocean; on the north by Lake Champlain with the waters of the St. Lawrence, and
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on the west by the great plateau that stretches to Lake Erie. It thus becomes the objective point in military oper- ations during the protracted contests for supremacy upon this continent between England and France, and afterward between England and the rising Republic of the United States. The same geographical configuration which caused it to be a strategical point of such importance made it after- ward the gateway of a continental commerce. It was Al- bany which, twenty years before the Declaration of Inde- pendence, was the seat of the first conference looking to the formation of a union between what afterward became the Independent States of America. It is eminently fit that by such a celebration as you propose, the momentous events with which Albany has been associated should be kept in the memory of the present generation and of posterity.
S. J. TILDEN.
THE OPENING OF THE BI-CENTENNIAL LOAN EXHIBITION .- July 5, 1886.
The day itself was all that could be desired, and a clear sky and an occasional breeze served to recon- cile all as far as possible to perfect July temperature.
Shortly before nine o'clock, the regular and official celebration of the day was initiated by the Jackson Corps, which left the armory on Beaver street and proceeded to the armory of the Burgesses Corps, on Broadway. The Jackson Corps was under the com- mand of Major Macfarlane, and numbered forty-three muskets, six staff officers and four officers of the line, a total of fifty-three. The Burgesses Corps, com- manded by Major Van Zandt, presented a rank of forty-six muskets, nine staff and three officers of the line, in all fifty-eight. The two companies presented a fine appearance as they proceeded up Broadway to Livingston avenue, to Ten Broeck street, to Clin- ton avenue, to Pearl street, to State street, to the City
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Hall. Here, the customary Fourth of July exercises took place.
At their conclusion, the concourse moved to the Academy Park where the Bi-centennial Loan Exhi- tion was to be opened. First came the Albany City band, then the Jackson Corps escorting the Loan Commission, Mr. J. Howard King, Chairman; J. Townsend Lansing, John J. Van Valkenburgh, Douw H. Fonda, Charles Tracey, Professor Boss, Samuel B. Towner, Henry J. Ten Eyck, W. O. Stillman, James T. Gardiner, Geo. D. Miller, W. W. Crannell, Craig McClure, Captain Henry Cushman and others.
Then came Doring's band in front of the Burgesses Corps, which acted as escort to the Mayor and Com- mon Council. There were in this party, Mayor Thacher, accompanied by President Patrick McCann, Aldermen Hitt, Greagan, Fleming, Norton, Klaar and others, preceded by City Marshal Thos. H. Craven.
The column was formed on Eagle street, right resting on State street, and the following was the line of march: Eagle to State, to Swan, to Washington avenue, to Boys' Academy.
The opening exercises of the Bi-centennial Loan Exhibition were held in a tent, which had been erected in the rear of the academy. Seated on the stage, waiting for the procession to arrive, were Mrs. Erastus Corning, Jr., Mrs. Marcus T. Hun, Mrs. Gen. Farnsworth, Mrs. V. P. Douw, Mrs. Dr. Bartlett, Mrs. John Boyd Thacher, Mrs. Philip Ten Eyck, Mrs. Jacob H. Ten Eyck, Mrs. James P. Boyd.
About twelve o'clock, the mayoralty party and the Loan Commission arrived at the tent and took places
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on the stage, and soon after the exercises opened to an audience that tested the capacity of the enclosure. When composure reigned, General King, Chairman of the Loan Exhibition, stepped forward and said :
The exercises will now commence with a Bi-centennial march, specially composed for this occasion by Mr. Frank E. Greene, and rendered by the Philharmonic Society, a recently-organized amateur association, of which we are all justly proud, and whose contribution to enhance the pleas- ures of this day, is now, and hereafter will always be most thoroughly appreciated, and to them will rightfully belong the honor of the opening act of what we hope and confi- dently believe will prove a glorious celebration of our city's 200th anniversary.
After prayer by the Rev. Wesley R. Davis, General King then addressed Mayor Thacher; and on behalf of the commission, turned over the exhibition to the city.
Mayor Thacher, in response, said :
Mr. King, I accept this work so wisely initiated and so happily completed. As Chairman, and acting for the Bi- centennial General Committee, I assume control of the Loan Exhibition, and for myself and in behalf of our citi- zens, I return you our grateful and emphatic acknowledg- ments for the efforts you and your skillful associates have made in gathering into one convenient reservatory the curi- ous relics and precious memorials of many ages. You have provided us with a pleasant diversion and a most instruct- ive entertainment. Believe me, sir, we cannot forget the patient toil, the persistent exploration into half-forgotten fields, the sifting discernment and the tireless energy which have distinguished the exertions of the ladies and gentlemen forming your committee and which shall, henceforth, raise, almost beyond the reach of others, the standard of love's sweetest labor and the measure of the most exalted gen- erosity.
Citizens, we are assembled upon historic ground. It was here in the second month of the year 1864 that the Army
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Relief Bazaar was opened. Into its coffers our people poured their wealth to strengthen and maintain the noble work instituted by the Sanitary Commission of the war. In 1856, this place witnessed a brilliant scene. The benevo- lence of a few men and of one woman had given Albany a watching-place for the stars, and the dedication of the Dud- ley Observatory was celebrated here with enthusiasm and with splendor. Massachusetts loaned us her Everett, and that gifted orator bore his audience up into the heavens and sustained the flight for two fascinated hours.
In 1831, in a room in yonder building was born the electro-magnetic telegraph. When Joseph Henry rang a bell over a wire more than a mile in length, it was an an- nouncement to commerce and to the world that the light- nings were harnessed and were ready for their use. Henry was born in Albany, received his education in that building, there carried on his experiments and there made his dis- covery. Surely we owe the memory of this great man a mighty tribute and a brave reward.
On the 26th day of July, 1788, the State Convention agreed to the adoption of the Federal Constitution. Two weeks afterwards, our city signalized the event with the most imposing ceremonies ever known in America up to that time, and which even now, after the lapse of a hundred years, we may not hope much to surpass during our Bi- centennial celebration. The procession was an hour and a half passing a given point, and in it every trade, profession and calling was represented, while our best citizens patriot- ically molded themselves into tableaux upon moving floats. Where we now are was the climax of the hill, and so it was of their efforts. Here, the multitude sat down and feasted, drinking innumerable toasts to the compact of the States.
It was here, in 1689, that Jacob Leisler's assumption of the Governorship of New York was rebuked by the stub- born patriotism of the burgers and the fidelity of our Indian allies. Leisler sent his son-in-law, Milburne, with four ships and a company of armed soldiers to force a recognition of his authority and to take from us our charter, which was declared null and void, because granted in the time of King James the II. The Mayor was shut up with a small force in Fort Albany at about the point where St. Peter's Church now stands. Milburne marched up to the fort and de- manded admission, which was denied him, whereupon he
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prepared to fire. Then a company of Mohawk Indians, encamped where we now are, sent word to Milburne that if he did not at once withdraw, they would destroy him and his men. The New York usurpers retired and our charter remained safe in its seal and in its integrity.
So, I say, the spirit of historic interest inhabits the spot chosen for this exhibition and it is our duty to recall its glories, hallowed as they are by charity, dignified by benev- olence, immortalized by scientific discovery, made sacred by fidelity and patriotism, and now in these latter days dedicated forever to the great cause of education and the advancement of learning.
The Mayor introduced the poet, Mr. William D. Morange, who read
THE POEM.
All things combining, urging and inviting To make the hour auspicious and delighting - The gentle cracker and the tuneful gun ; The small boy's cannon, bursting with its fun; The drum that's beat by every Jackey Horner ;
The horn that's heard -or taken at the corner ; The gay parades, this marvelous display, This courtly audience honoring the day, All things persuading, prompting and inspiring The intellectual gun to do some firing- Here, on this sweet and restful day, old Time Comes up, to be put down in prose and rhyme. Oh ! that the men of vanished days could see The eager present, big with history, Debating over famous spots and nooks Located variously in various books ! Oh ! that the men of vanished days could hear The stories of the past that now appear !
By some whose minds upon the past are bent, It might be thought in order, to present On this occasion, something like a show Of all the past we read about or know ; Great Scripture memories, served with solemn phrase, Allusions to the classic Roman days, The lives, the big events, the joys, the tears, Comprised within our past two hundred years ; The birth of empires and their vast dissensions ; Enormous wars and wonderful inventions ; The strange exploits and mysteries of crime Encompassed by that period of time ; Others might think their bounden duty lay, To fairly revel in a mixed display
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Of feathers, beaver skins and telephones, Cocked hats, mould candles, gas and cobble stones, Steamboats, old wigs, pipes, krout and fancy stitches, Flint locks, bows, Gatling guns and leather breeches, Street pumps and scalping knives, electric lights, And clubs and hatchets used in various fights, Including clubs that in these times of peace Are sometimes used by our discreet police. And so, contrast the past with present days, And show each epoch's various whims and ways. Others, again, might urgently insist, On filling out a long and labored list Of customs, laws and facts, from Hudson down, That make the story of our grand old town ; The style of Indian and the things they wore, When Hudson's vessel glided to the shore ; The style of Dutchmen that prevailed, when fate Made them the rulers of more recent date, And ringing through the hills and valleys round, Old Dutch made Indian warwhoops weak in sound. Others might want, to give the subject life, Some fiery notes of Dutch and Indian strife ; Some thrilling tales of those long-buried days When old-time water earned its meed of praise ; When moving proudly to the river's side, The Halfmoon people mixed their drinks with pride, And taught the Mohawks, waiting at the shore, Ideas of Indian corn not known before. Some more might ask, as requisite and just, To lift our glory out of common dust, All things pertaining to our busy past ; The push and fire that made us grow so fast ; A business record of the changes made In churches, burial grounds and haunts of trade ; The truths, the fables in the guise of truth, In print, or whispered of our city's youth ; The sounding titles of the potent race That early held dominion in the place ; The lovely women and the daring men ; All these might tribute claim from voice and pen ; Have genuine interest and charming power, Give History's garden many a blooming flower, But well may wait some other brilliant hour.
We simply celebrate that long gone time, When stout young Albany began to climb The hill of fame; to note that famous hour, When clad with chartered right we rose to power ; To glorify the date we won our name, Albeit in modern style, we start the game With great display and many a sounding word, A little while before the thing occurred.
Two hundred years ago, that is to say,
'Twill be two hundred at some future day,
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One Thomas Dongan - famous Irishman - Bestowed home rule on Dutchmen, and began The chartered town now here, and linked his name Forever with the story of our fame. To found great cities, was a cherished thought, That through all ages mighty wonders wrought. Prophets and poets, seers and gifted men, Were never more sublimely known, than when On bold imagination's rapid wing, They, o'er the living present hastening, Cleft the far future, and with proud delight, Announced some dream of undeveloped might ; Declared some spot of small renown to be The favored choice of wond'rous destiny. When from the sparkling and majestic tide That fronts our town the shipmen saw with pride The scenes of marvelous beauty all around- The pleasant vales, the hills with splendor crowned- Some dreams of future glory must have marked The quiet region where they disembarked. Well might they bear their glowing stories back, Of the fair place that charmed them in their track, And tell the people of the dams and dykes - Van Rensselaers and Schuylers, and Van Dycks- How fame and fortune hovered round these parts, And fire with eager hope their souls and hearts.
We have no special evidence that when The tale was told to those old Holland men, They dreamed what empire here might be displayed, Or held it other than a place of trade ; Vet, ere the charter came, a fort was here, A church, a market, lumber mills, and beer. A sketch of present times, although the place Has changed a trifle since those days of grace, As those who recollect, and from the Dutch Bought newspapers and ale, cigars and such, Will readily concede, when looking round, They note how now such luxuries abound. When, as the gift of time, our charter came, And gave the watchword for our future fame, From that date onward, down to present days, The record of our home commands our praise. The story of our progress may not show Impetuous haste-these days might call it slow - But all along our line of march there comes, Now through the noise of war and roll of drums, Now through the days of peace and quiet hours, The evidence of sterling worth and powers. The honest traders who began our life, And came to meet the club and scalping knife, Wise with the maxims, habits and intent, That through all ages marked their own descent, Brought with them to the savage solitude
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A stately form, a friend that grandly stood, Their guest, protector, source of strength and might, Their herald to true glory based on right ; Wearing their garb, and speaking in their tongue, In tones that through all later times have rung ; Bearing the legends, grand and eloquent, " In Union Strength "-"Taxation by Consent " - " Free Right to Worship God." The friend I see Was civil and religious liberty !
Intolerance shadowed not with gloomy wing Our early soil, nor thrust its deadly sting; Our young life blood of progress felt no death From the foul poison of its vampire breath. Such is our record, though our title be Fort Orange, Beaverwyck or Albany!
Satiric fancy, dealing with our past, Might make some glory hunters stand aghast, And hardly realize our claim to glory From certain features noted in the story.
If to be quaint and whimsical in plan, With odd streets, staggering like a drunken man, Accord but strangely with the proud renown That lights a classic or historic town- If the old place, a hundred years ago, Might lack in certain things we moderns know - If Holland brick in clumsy structures piled, With curious roofs fantastically tiled, May not exhibit Architecture's throne With all the wonders later times have shown - If to be hallowed ground, the crimson trace Of grand exploits must illustrate the place, And the immediate soil we tread must bear Ensanguined evidence- then seek elsewhere ! But if to be the teeming source of power ; The fount of bold device that rules the hour ; The theatre of wise suggestive plan And schemes of blessing unto fellow-man ; If to have gloried in and hailed with praise A throng of heroes since the early days ; If martial ardor glowed with splendid fire Compelling even foemen to admire; If to have been and still remain to be The home of gentle hospitality, Refinement, lofty aims and generous hearts, The patron, lover, friend of all the arts - If such a record may a glow impart To local annals -let us all take heart !
I envy not the man whose honest glance Takes in our past-war, business or romance - Our martial annals, or the large display Of genius, beauty, serious life or gay,
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Who cannot recognize all through our story, Our genuine claim to real substantial glory.
Here our great Cooper found attractive themes That filled his speaking page with glowing dreams ; Here, where his pungent satire grew more bright Our Irving gathered flowers of rare delight ; Here, Franklin for the first time promulgates The plan which makes us now United States ; Here, like the planets circling round the sun, Old chivalry took light from Washington. And gallant Schuyler, ardent Lafayette, And kindred souls familiar moved and met. Here, the great central seat of power and law, Came those whose just renown the nation saw ; The men of splendid rhetoric and brain, Whose eloquence could every heart enchain. The magnates of the past, whose genius shines And later history brightens and refines, From time to time found here abiding place, And felt the charm of genuine social grace. I need not make a catalogue display, Nor more than merely mention the array Of great men, of our own or other nation, Who found old Albany a pleasant station ; Nor try to run the glorious list all over From George, first President, to later Grover ;
Nor yet, anticipating history
Complete the splendid line with David B.
If some may find our progress too sedate, Too slow and tedious, for the headlong gait, Whirl, fire and dash, that yields such sudden birth To younger cities on our western earth -- Cool judgment still may find a deal to praise, In what the cynics call our old Dutch ways. We are no longer Dutch in power or name ; Our acts, not lineage, merit praise or blame. New men, of different race and various clan, The Saxon, Frenchman, Scotchman, Irishman, The German, with the down-east Yankee, rear Alike the standard of dominion here ; Urge, coax and guide us on with rapid pace, And make the future of this old Dutch place. For what old Dutch ideas control us still - Sound judgment, conscience, prudence and right will - Thank Heaven ! and may the kind benignant fates Arouse and strengthen more such old Dutch traits! Time's potent finger may with sudden change Deck other spots with life more rare and strange, But if sedate and less impulsive, we Just simply waddled, we might thankful be, If with the consciousness that things begun, Exhibit prudence, justice, right, when done ! One hundred thousand souls go far to prove That progress here is surely on the move.
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