The Placer herald., 1865-04-15
AN INAUGURATION SCENE.

OF March: "During all this time Andrew
Johnson-for such he simply was lhen-not
having taken the oath of office (would to
Heaven that i: could be said in behalf of the
country that he is still only A Andrew Johnson)
continued his speech. Such speech! 1t
might have been appropriate to some hus-
tings in Tennessee; but it certainly was far
from being appropriate on this occasion. 1t
was not only n;nety>ninth rate stump
speech, bat disgraceful in the extreme. lie
had not proceeded far when Senators on the
Republican side began to hang their heads,
sink down in their seas, Look at each other
with significance, as much as to say, is he
crazy, or what is the mat,er? They exhb.
tied in every feature great uneasiness. There
was no misaking the fact that the Senators
were mort'tie in the extreme. The Demo.
cratic Senators leaned forward and appeared
TO he chuckling with each other over the
figure made by the Republican party through
their Vice President elect. The Foreign
Ministers showed unmisakable signs of
anazenent as the ncoherent sentences came
from Johuson's lips. Republican Senators
moved around in their seats unable to sit
still under the exhibition before them. Some
Of the Senators sat SIDEWAYS others turned
their backs, as if anxious to hide themselves
Luckily for the members of the House of
Representatives, they did not reach the Sen
ate until several minutes after twelve, and
they were not subjected to but small por-
ton Of this scene. The speech was discon.
nected, the sentences so ncohereDt that it is
impossible to give an accurate report of his
speech. AS his sentences came up in the
reporters gallery, the statements tnat your
President is pIebian-I am pleban, glory
in it--Tennessee has never gone out of the
Uuion-l am going to talk two minutes and
and ahalf on that point-I want you to hear
me. Tennessee always was loyal-we all
derive our power from the ope-Chief JUS
tice Chase is but creature Of the people
| want you to hear me two minutes on that
point-you, Mr.. Stanton, Secretary Of War,
derive your authority and power from the
people. (Who is Secretary of the Navy?'
was then heard, in voice of less volume
Some one responded Mr.. Welles) You Mr.
Wel!es, Secretary of the Navy, get the pow
er from the people. This was the strain and
tone of the whole speech, mixed with lee
ture to the Senate on the action Of the Sem
ate on the rebelIious States.
''It was impossible to give full report sit
ting in the gallery. The constant cater of
voices in The rear, declaring, 'Wnal slamer
will have mercy upon HING Tell him to
stop and save the country further disgrace,
were so numerous that it entirely vented
full report being made. The only full
report was that of the official reporters of
the Globe. The Senators, however, were so
chagrined at the speech that they notified
The Globe reporter to suppress his copy and
wait until Mr.. johnson could write out a
speech, that this affair might not 90 before
the world in that form. It is charitable to
say that bis condition was such that he was
unfit to make speech. He evidently did
not shun Bourbon county, Kentucky, on his
way here. Mr. johnson finally concluded
his Speech wI,ereupon Vice President Ham.
Mr.. lanlin cad the oath by sentences, and
Mr.. Johnson repeated it after him. The
effort of the Vice President elect to 90
through with the form of repeating the sen
tences as read by Mr.. IIamlin, was painful
in the extreme. lie stumbled, repeated sew
eral portions Of it several times over. The
moment that he concluded this task, Mr..
johnson turned to the audience and cons
menced another speech, giving those assem-
bled his idea Of the oath which he had Just
taken. lie had uttered but two or three
sentences when some of the officials stapdng
near him had the good sense to stop him, he
having already occupied some nineteen min
ues in his former speech, and delayed the
proceeding beyond all usage. They were
unwilling that they should be any longer
new official. 1t has heretofore been the
custom to close all speeches the moment
that the Judges Of the Supreme Court and
Diplomatic Corps reach the Senate chamber
Mr. Hamin, in accordance with this usage,
closed his speech in time to give Mr.. john
son some seven minutes to make his remarks
before the arrival of the above dgntares.
Blu, Mr.. johnson did not appear to under.
stand the usages on such occasions, or else
was not inclined to follow them, for the di-
pIomalc gentlemen heard the bulk of his
speech, and, unfortunately, the worst part of
il. The moment that The new Vice Presi
dent had cen silenced, Mr.. IlamIin declared
the old Senate adjourned. Thus expired the
SeNale OF lhe Iniity'e'Shtn congress, NJ
fifteen minutes past 2 o'clock. Mr. Johnson
Immediately called the new Senate to order.
The clerk of the Senate, John w. Forney,
then read the proclamation of the President
convening the Senate in extraordinary ses
sion. The new y elected Senators were or.
dered to approach The clerks desk and take
the oath of office as their names we're an,
nonnced. The following gentlemen, at this
call, stepped forward: Msssrs. Anthony, F.s
sender, Cragin, Howard, Yates, Norton,
Guthrie, and Lane, and took the oath. Here
Vice President Johnson made another faux
pas. He stepped forward with the Bible,
held it out, and motioned to the new Sena
tors to touch the Bible, bow their heads in
assent, and then molioned them away with
ont renaalinu the oath in any furm Most of