The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-03-22
From The N. Q. Picayune Of snnday.l
Swearing In of the Vice President.

rtVu 5tue ~. VI ilcayune OF sunday. 81 &
Swearing In of the Vice President.
We have been favored with tho fol.
lowing extract from a private letter
from Matanzas, received in this city by
the Crescent City:
"For the first time in the history of
the Republic has the man chosen by
the people for the second post of hon
or taken the oath Of office in q for
eign land. William Rufus King was,
on the 4th instant, sworn i'm as Vice
President Of the United States. at the
Cumbrc, near Matanzas.
"The day was most beautiful one,
the clear blue sky of the tropics ov-
or the heads, the emerald carpet of Gu
ba beneath our feet, and the delicious
seq breeze Of these attitudes sprinll-
ling its GOODNESS over all of us. Early
in the morning Consul Rodney, depu-
ted by Judge Sharkcy to administer
the oath: left town on horseback for
the Cumbre, accompanied by sever
al American gentlemen. A pleas
ant ride Of three miles brought us to
the estate where Mr.. King was resi-
ding, called La Cumbre, (the peak)
from its situation on the culmna-
ting point of the hills that imm ediate
ly surround Matanzas. The view from
here is one of the most beautiful tho
eye ever looked upon. Far as the
vision could reach in this clear blue cx-
panse the beautiful valley of the Yu-
muri extended with its windi. g river,
its varying fields of green and gold,
dotted here and there with white
sparkling buildings that looked like
pearls set upon emerald, and the
brown hills stretching far, far away in
the distance. No more lovely i'm
pressive spot could have been found in
the whole world for the ceremony, and
the solcn grandeur Of the act and Of
the scene shed it's spirit over us.
"Ihe oath was administered by Con-
sui Rodney to the Vice President,
who was ready and waiting our ar
rival. The volante was brought up to
the door, and Mr.. King stepped into
it, in order to ride into Matanzas be-
fore the sun should be too high to
make it pleasant. The whole caval-
cadc: consisting of some twelve or fiE
teen American gentlemen, Immediate
ly mounting, and forming as an cs-
cort around the carriage, accompanied
the Vice President to town.
"Ihe Creolcs who had gathered on
the lawn round the house, uncovered.
and many heartfelt Faya at con dos
(God be with you) broke from their
lips rs they rode away. On the road to
town the natives, wherever we met
them, silently uncovered as we ap-
preached, and as we passed sped af-
ter us the same universal saluta,ion A
few Spaniards, standing in gloomy ire
at the doors Of their shops, viewed US in
silence, or muttercd sullcn aio as
the dust from our horses feet flew in
their faces.
"Mr. King left Matanzas on the
same day for the estate of Mr.. Char
tain: in the. partido of Limonar, about
eighteen miles from here. His health
is very poor, and no one accustomed
to see patients with pulmonary dis
case i'll this climate, but knows he can
not survive very long. He may
live for m.onths in this mild climate. but
he can never be better The old states
man views his coming fate with calm
ness, as one who has fought the
good fight, and will lay hold of ctcr-
nal life"