The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-03-05
THE INAUGURATION

morning. AS the dial of the clock pointet
to l 2 o'clock and the Sabbath gave way t.
Monday the 4th of March, the Senate cham
Der presented curious and animated ap
pearance. The galleries were crowded Il
depletion. The ladies, gallery resembleC
from the gay dresses of the fair ones there
/ congregated some gorgeous parterre Of How
/ ers, and the gentlemen's gallery seemed one
/ black mass Of surging, heaving masculines
! pushing, struggling, and almost clambering
over each others backs in order to get a
| good look at the proceedings. Some Of the
most ludicrous scenes were the result of the
intense desire of the outsiders to get peep
into the Senate Chamber, and the pertinaci-
ty with which the applicant for admission
to the overlooking galleries would urge that
he had come all the way from indiana, or
Vermont, or some other place, afforded the
seated ones intense amusement. On the floor
Crittenden, Trumbull, Wigfall, Wade, Doug
las, and others kept up running fire of de-
bate, while those not engaged in discussion
betook themselves to the sofas for com
Portable nap during the session, which it
was known would last all night. AS morn
ing advanced the galleries and floors be-
came gradually cleared out. In the grey
morning light the Senate took a recess un
o'clock but few remained.
The morning was clear and beautiful
Buildings, schools, places of business, &c,
were closed throughout the day. The stars
and stripes foated from the City Hall, Capt.
toll, War Department, and other public
buildings, while not a few citizens hung
out flags from their houses or across the
principal avenues. The streets were
thronged with the volunteer soldiery hasten
ing to their respective rendezvous. Three
or four hours elapsed before there was the
least chance of entering the Capitol. Penn
sylvania Avenue was thronged with people
vending their way to the famous East
front. For four hours the GRO Nd pushed or
poured on towards the Capitol in one con-
tinuous stream of old and young, male and
female. large majority were northern
men, end but few southerRers, judging
from the lack of long haired men in the
crowd
The order of arrangement as settled by
the Committee was as follows:
To the left of the Vice President were
the Committee of Arrangements. Imme-
diately behind them were the heads of the
various departments of the Government,
Senators, members and members elect of
the House, officers of the Army and Navy,
Comptrollers Auditors, Registers an ID Solicit
tors of the Treasury. To the right of the
Vice President were the Judges of the Su-
preme Court Senators, members of the Di-
plomatic Corps, Ex-Governors of the states,
Assistant Secretaries of Departments, As
sistant Post Masters General, Assistant
Treasurers, Commissioners, Judges and the
Mayors of Georgetown and Washington.
Previous to the arrival of the procession,
the Senate Chamber did not present a
very animated appearance; many of the la
dies waiting to see the display, did not ar
rive until late and the officers with gay uni
forms and flashing epaulets relieving so
we'll the soberness of the national black
were with the Presidential cortege during
the passage of the procession to Wizards
Hotel and the march thence to the Capitol
Senator Bright killed, in the most approved
manner, a certain gas bill, to- wit: talking it
to death. This not proving very interest
ing, matters wagged somewhat dull in the
interim.
At three minutes to 2 o'clock, Vice Presi-
de- --,siifge and Senator Foot of the
cUI-..-.E'. . o arrangements entered the
e 8 - O.ser4 escorting the Vice Presi-
dent elect--n0n. Hannibal Hamlin-whofn
they escorted to a seat Immediately to the
left of the Chair of the Senate. As the
hands of the clock pointed to the hour OF
II o'clock the hammer fell and the second
session of the Thirty-sixth Congress come to
an end. Vice President Breckenridge babe
the Senate far well in touching and well
chosen terms:
Mr. Hannibal Hamlin rose and replied.
Mr. Breckenridge then administered the
oath of office to Vice President Hamlin.
Mr.. Breckenridge then announced the
Senate adjourned without day. and left the
chair, to which he Immediately conducted
Vice President Hamlin.
Hon. Mr.. Clingman was then sworn in as
Senator from the state of North Carolina,
Clark from New Hampshire, Chase from
Ohio, Harris of New York, Harlan of Iowa,
Howe of Wisconsin, Breckenridge of Ken
lucky, Lane of Indiana Nesmith of Oregon,
and Mitchell of Arkansas. At this juno
ture the members and members elect of the
House of Representatives. entered the
Senate Chamber, and occupied places to the
left of the Vice President A corps of dip
lomats also entered the Chamber at the
same moment at the right of the Chair. 1t
was the subject of general remark that the
corps never were so fully represented as on
this occasion, perhaps to be the last time
all to be again assembled.
The ministers, attaches, and others num-
bered in all some so or over, and in brill
fancy of dress, the number of decorations,
crosses, &C, added much to the imposing ma
ture of the scene. Some of the uniforms
were gorgeous and attracted much atteu-
ton. The scene in the Senate while wait
ing the arrival of the Presidential party
seemed to realize the lying down of the !
lion and the lamb together, or the ming
ling of oil and water. Messrs. Chase, Wig |
fall, Crittenden, Wilson and others were
opposite, hob nobbing with the utmost cor
diality. Senator Breckenridge conyersed
Familiarity with the EXTREMIST man of the
Republicans, while ladies of all political af-
fnities, Mrs. Hamlin among them, looked
smilingly down on the animated scene be-
low. The attendance of the Senators was
unusually full, the only absentees noticed
being those of Hon. sir. Mason and the
Hon. Mr.. Hunter of Virginia.
Here for some TO us) unaccountable
reason the line ceased to work.