Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-06-25
gREHy8 J0WRYr Az
OF PRESIDENT WASH
INGTON

We copy the following interesting account
of the installation of George Washington as
President, by a living eye witness, from Mr.
Cists Cincinnati Daily Advertiser. tits from
the pen of the venerable Judge Burnet, of
Cincinnati; and in publishing the communica-
ton Mr.. C. well says {" 1t is one of those rare
articles, of which the value and interest are
increased rather than impaired by its length,
and that of the very few surviving witnesses
of the memorable scene described there is
probably no individual living SO we'll qualiti-
ed as Judge Burnet, to write out his impress
sions and recollectiOns of the sublcCt.'
Mr. Cist-In a recent conversation, you
requested me to give you an account of the
installation of President Washington, after his
first election to the Presidency, which | had
the pleasure of Witnessing
You will recoIlect that the first Congress,
chosen under the Federal Constitution, assem-
bled at New York, early in the month OF
April, 1899 and that after the houses were
organized, they proceeded in the manner pre- :
scnbed in the constitution, to open and count
the votes given for President and Vice PresI-
dent of the United States; when it was ascer-
tanned that George Washington, Of Virginia.
was elected President by the unanimous vote
of the nation, and John Adams, the elder OF
Massachusetts, by an Overwhelming majority.
A certificate of the election of George Wash
ington, signed by the President of the Senate
was Immediately transmitted to him by Chas
Thompson, Secretary of the Congress, and
delivered at Mount Vernon, on the 14th OF
April.
Having determined, after serious delibera-
ton, to accept the appointment, and beng a.
ware that the affairs of the nation required
his presence at the seat of government, he bid
a reluctant adieu to Mount Vernon, and COM
menced his journey to the seat of government,
on the second day after the arrival OF MIR.
Thompson.
Here the writer enters into a description OF
the manifestations of popular enthusiasm in
his progress, with which most readers are
probably familiar, and we therefore omit it'll
The Governor of New Jersey joined him at
New Brunswick, and accompanied him to
ELlzabethtown Point On the road between
those places, the President was met by the
Committee of Congress, who received and
conducted HIM and his suite with military
honOrs to the Point, where they embarked on
a magnificent barge, built and decorated for
the occasion, and rowed by thirteen branch
Pilots, selected from different harbors, and
dressed in white uniforms.
Writers of that day have represented the
incidents of the journey, from its commence
ment to its close, as being equal in splendor,
and far exceeding in sincerity, kindness OF
feeling, and unfefgned admiration, the trium-
phal procession of the great conquerors OF an
tiquity.
New York bay was literally white with
vessels and boats of all sizes, filled with ad-
hiring mulitudes, both male and female, clad
IN their richest attire Many of these vessels
had bands of music on board, and all of them
displayed flags painted for the occasion, each
having an alluson to some interesting event
in the life of this great man. The bay, a
broad sheet of water extending eight or nine
miles, seemed to be animated with grateful
and happy multtudes, competing with each
other to do the first and highest honors to him
they idollzed, and regarded, not only as the
greatest, but the noblest and the best of the
human family. 1t was understood that the
city would be crowded with people from eve
~ section Of the country, on which account it