Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-03-04
Saturday Morning, March 4.

OF the OniLeQ StAfes. NE ven IemSWoeG
the scene this ICON four yesrs ago. No
spectator is likely to forget it. Al that
hour the President elect entered the Senate
chsnber of the United States arm in arm
with the retiring Chief Magistrate. The
one was leaving position full of all that
man need not envy at that time. The
other was about to enter upon it. They
took their seats among what We could well
fancy to be the most death-like asssmblage
that ever met in the National Capitol. Not.
word, not . whisper scarcely, was heard.
The representatives of foreign uationswere
PresentiH full costume. The judges Of the
Supreme Court, the members of the House,
and distinguished visitors at Washington,
were all sittisg or standing in the cham
Der. Mr.. Buchanan was there alone
OF all his cabinet save two-stanton.
and Holt. Cobb, Floyd, Thompson
were il the rebellion. Oass had
resigned and gone homeb while Black
and Toucey, poor miserable allies Of
the rebellion, did not apparently dare
chow their faces. Breckenridge had
but 3 few moments before vacated
his position as Vice President and
taken the oath to be true to the United
states for Elk years as Senator from
Kentucky. WigialI WAS there. Tho night
before he had spoken Of Congress as the
"Rump Parliament" and tainted the
whole nation with the fact that the Star
of the West had been driven in disgrace
from Charleston hsrbor without firing .
shot in return, Douglas was in the seat
from which he had day after day. and
night after night, through weeks, fought
the rebellion as be only could fight it, by
all the power of eztenpore speech of
which be was so great master. Bright,
the traitor from Indiana, was there.
Andy Johnson, who little expected to
take his seat to day as Vice Pre-
sident along with that same man,
Abraham Lincoln. as President, was
also among: the Senators. His col
league had gone to join the rebellion. A
reporter of the New York Ezpress, a ft
representative Of the course since, and
even then, pursued by tkat paper, said as
be looked down from the reporters gallery,
upon the scene below, "see the shadows
Of departed nation" No body of men
seemed to eye the solemn pageant more
thOuRhifully than the we'll disciplined men
who stood in that gallery. James Watson
Webb, the Tsterau editor of the rev rorK
Courier and Enquirer, was affected almost
TO tears. Thayer, of the New York Post,
who died since in Egypt as our Consul
General, said to those about him, "how do
you suppose Lord Lyons aud Count Mercier
1.-THE ministers from England aud France)
suggestive enquiry, which no one ans
wered. One restless figure on tho floor
often attracted the attention of the
gallery-Senator Baker, of Oregon
who sWAyed back aud forward step or
two near the dais of the Vice Presidents
place, with his hands in his pockets, his
mind all agIsW, as we can we'll Imagine.
with hot indignation that great people
should have been brought to such hu-
initiation. He it was who only few hours
before, at the midnight session, in his
prophetic way, had quoted the passage,
"'hey that take the sword shall perish with
the sword" he sealed his testimony
with bis blood at Ball's Bluff.
1t was a relief when the great crowd
that had througed the Senate Chamber
moved out to the East porIiOo of the capt.
toll. The open air and the genial sunshine
were welcomed indeed. There were some
who fully believed that moro than ON,
lurking conspirator In ths great crowd
fronting the portico, would attempt th.
assassination of Mr.. Lincoln. What would
not the demons at Baltimore dare do
General Scott, however, had so placed
his military aud his military police as L
guard against surprise. ItWould b glfihir
BOUNDS t0 say th,at Jbs President ajlJi5 u
ten thousand people. Never weF6 VOID
mOrsPainfully weighed, syllable BY sylla
BILE, than were Mr.. LiDOOln's, by every ont
the vast tbrOug within range, all through
his inaugural. Mr.. Douglas. on rough
bench, close by the man be had made Pres
ideut, seated on the knee Of the reporter o
the New York Herald, had graceful,
reached out and took Mr.. Lincoln's ha
when thOiatter, as be rose to speak, seemed
at loss WhergtO plaza 1t. Chief Justic,
fancy, in his black robes, Who had sworn
in six Presidents Of the United States, 90,
opposite, waiting as he NO doubt thought
to swear in dOubtful occupant ofa place
soon to be made forever vacant. When be
died he believed that the United S.atso had
persisted in his day. wighu was ono Of
the few chiefS of the rebellion that had re-.
mAiued to view tho scene. he stood hold.
ing by the iron railing as you go down the
steps, with one foot swinging out from the
balustrade. BE hraEannd The rhnln. ,l,,..