St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-04-14
THE FOURTH OF MARCH, 1879.
BY EDWARD EVERETT.

At length the Fourth of March,
lIS9,-thc appointed day, which was
to give an Organized Constitutional
existence to new Confederate Re
public, about to enter on an equal
footing into the family of the nations,
arrived bnt on that day there as
scmblcd at the seat of the new gov
crnmcut at New York, Of the Senate,
only the two Senators from New Iamp-
shire, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania,
and one each from Massachusetts and
Georgia. These eight punctual men
met and adjourned from day to day
for a week, without any addition to
their number. On the llth of March
they "agrced that circular should
be written to the absent members re-
.qucsting their Immediate attendance"
Another week passed with the same
result, and it was again agreed, that
another circular should be written
to eight Of the nearest absent mem
bers, particularly desiring their at
tendance, in order to form a quorum.
On the 10Th of March a Senator from
New Jersey dropped in on the 2lst
senator from Delaware made his APP
pearancc, and then for another mortal
week no increase of the number Of
Senators in attendance took place
The other Senator from New JERSEY
came in Oh the 2Sth. No one else
made his appearance till the 9th of
April, when Richard Henry Lee of
Virginia appearing, took his seat, and
formed quorum Of the whole Scna-
tors OF the United Statcs,' viz twelve
in number the States which had as
yet ratified the Constitution being but
eleven. Such was the tardy organiza-
ton of the Senate, which at first sat
with closed doors, as well for legisla-
tive as executive business.
OF the Representatives,, of whom
the whole number from the eleven rati,
| flying States, was but titty.ninc. thir.
teen only assembled at New York on
the 4th Of March, viz four from Mas.
sachusetts, three from Connecticut,
four from Pennsylvania, one from Vir
ginia, and one from South Carolina
On the following day one more arrived
from New Hampshire, one from Mas
sachusetts, two from Connecticut, and
one from Pennsylvania. No one else
came in till the l4th of March, the
House adjourning from day to day fol
want of a quorum. nthat day James
Madison, Jr., and two other members
from Virginia came in, but there was
still no quorum. On the 18th and
18th of March two more members
from Virginia appeared and no further
arrivals took place till the 23d. Or
that day two members came in from
New Jersey, and on the 25th another
from Virginia. No additional mem
bers arrived until the 30th of March
when one member from Maryland anc
one from Virginia appeared. On the
first Of April, another member each from
New Jersey and Pennsylvania came
in, and quorum was formed. 1t wa'
five days before quorum of the Sen
ate was present, and the FIRST Congress
of the United States was organized
On the 2lst of April, the Vice Presi
dent, John Adams, appeared, and tool
his seat as President Of the Senate
In his address on taking the chair, 1t
paid an emphatic and eloquent tribut
to the newly elected Chief Magistrate
Expectation now dwelt on the al
rival of Washington. He receive,
the official notice of his election OF
the oath of April at Mount Vernon
and Immediately started for the sea
of Government. Attended from cit,
10 city by the joyous and grateful
salutations of the people, he reachc,
} New York on the 23d of April. Th
: necessary arrangements for his inau
guration occupied week, and a
length, on the 30th of April, in tn
gallery in front of the Federal Hal
Just erected in Wall street, in tn
presence of the newly organized Cor
! gress. of the Municipal authorities c
l New York, and her sympathizing pop,
lation, he took the oath to preserve
! protect, and defend the constitution {