Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-02-13
THE CHRONICLE.
The Fourth of March, 1865.
A True and Authentic Account of the
Way Andrew johnson got his Whiskey
on Inauguration Day.
washington COrre.pOndsnOs Cincinnati Con

I.
A correspondent of the Boston Com
monwealth has recently started and
attempted to settle the important his
torical question, where Audy got the
brandy that made plebisn of him on
the 4th of March, 1865. He goes on
to say that Mr.. Vice President Ham.
lin told somebody, who told somebody
else, who in turn told him all about it..
and he proceeds to tell the public
Now, know something of this matter
from personal observation, and here it
is. The Capitol buildings was closed
against strangers and visitors at q very
early hour on the morning of the 4th
of March, as is customary, believe, in
order TO prepare for the Inauguration
ceremonies. The doors are opened at
10 o'clock, but only 10 such as have
been previously supplied with tickets
of admission by the Sergeant-at-arms,
and these generally include none but
the families of Congressman, men,
bers of the press, and special court IA
vorites. On the occasion l refer TO,
both Houses had been in session, all
night, and had adjourned at about 6 a.
m, for breakfaSt and a nap, to reas-
semble at 10, and finish out the re-
naming two hours of the Thirty eighth
Congress. 1t was after this adjourn
ment that the Capitol buildings were
closed against outsiders even angels
from heaven, they said, couldn't get
in till after ten, and then only if he
had ticket. However, as this class
OF visitors seldom stop in Washington
on their mundane travels, there was
no opportunity for testing this particu-
lar case. Ihsd been up all night, and
was determined to see all that was to
be seen, despite the red tape and"rules"
OF the SergeaDt-at-arms. Before leav-
ing, after the six o'clock adjournment,
l had left one of the Committee room
windows, in the rear of the building,
in condition to be opened from the
outside, and returning after breakfast,
at about eight o'clock, fianked the
doorkeeper, and made my way into the
Senate wing in spite Of them. Andy
had arrived in town the night before.
tight as a brick, they said, though
guess that's Radical Slander now, as
it was Copperhead slandersd then
At any rate he had not provided him
self nor been provided with a ticket of
admission, and so rigid we're the orders
that even he could not get in till the |
proper lime came though the play was |
the melancholy Dane, and he was the |
star Hamlet of the occasion. Andy |
got tired Of waiting in the outside; |
suppose, for before the doors opened
he began to practice one of the tricks
he had no doubt learned from the
"breechy" cows down in GreenVille,
only using hands instead of horns,
and upon wibdows instead of fence
bars. He had tried a good many to no
purpose, when finally he reached the
window OF the Senate post Office on
the east front. Fortunately he saw 2
friend behind il, and knocking, it was
opened unto him. l was there at the
time and saw him climb in. He was
accompanied by friend, who was ad-
dressed - Doctor" and who advised
him to be seated and rest himself
The Doctor then enquired if there was
any good liquor in the building, saying
that the Governor" was quite i'll and
needed something to stimulate him.!
And he was i'll, too, but from what
cause. not being a DOCTOR, 1 can't pre-
tend to say, though the symptoms were,
to the unmedical eye, very much like
those which follow an injudicious mix
ture of liquors. Andy was really sick,
like An aspen leaf, pale and
billiouI-looking for all the world like
that most miserable of all human be- !
ings, man who suffers all the nausea |
of seasickness, but can't get the heaE- '
emily relief of . square Vomit. Mr.. 6
Forney was then sent for, and came to
see Andy. He expressed almost tear 6
ful compassion for thesufferer, and took |
him into his private Office, where the
bottle was produced and handed to {
poor Andy. Vice President Hamlin 3
was there, believe, and tho bottle r
was passed to him but he didn't {
drink, whether from conscientious scru- I
pies, or because Andy had taken all. {
however, can't say. Andy felt much I
he said-so did the bottle, /
dare say. Pretty soon it was suggest
ed that Andy had better take another s
dose, as the first had done him so much 7
good. His doctor friend did not like ]
this idea; he evidently thought "the |
had had enough already; ]
but he said nothing and the bottle, or r
another of the same sort was passed.
Andy seized it like q man who was ,
perfectly at home on the subject, and ,
smptied the depth of about four fingers .
IF it into a tumbler, and thence into /;
MS throat. That was enough He =
vas a plebian thenceforward for the :
,est of the day. He didn't carea con- !
mental for foreign ministers, cabinet !
officers, or chief justices-and he soon )
old them SO in plain English.
Forney soon discovered the mischief
ne had unwittingly done, but it was =
90 late to repair it. 1t was drawing :
lose TO twelve o'clock, and the last =
shot" had struck Andy right astern, b
his rudder and cut his til /
er ropes all to pieces. He couldn't o
navigate, could hardly even ''waddle" t
lcross the little room in which he had =,
been "medicsting." And yet he must n
Do in the Senate Chamber, standing +
Up at u precisely. Forney took fast 8
lold of him as best he could to the a
Vice Presidents desk, and there seated 4
lim by the side of Mr.. Hsmlin. So b
ar, his weakness was known only to Q
i few, and there WAS no reason why n
he knowledge of it should extend be- h
Tond that select circle-but that "un- n
uly member" which has since got its Y
'wner into so many scrspes, was des-
ined to betray him thus early in his
:areer. Ordinarily the Vice President
makes no Inauguration speech. He
axes the oath of office, and proceeds
With the duties of President of the I;
senate as if had he been there life -
ime. But poor Andy thought he u
would be recreant to his trust If he II
lidn't say something. Just as he had n
macked the Bible in attestation of his
owe and services to the Constitution,
lie looked Mr.. Hamlin square in the "
ye, and said, ayes sir, can conscien- L
iously take the oath before God."-i v
Here was the first scene in the little o
mimic tragedy about to be enacted q
The galleries were filed with ladies, G.
nd such chsttering as they set up Sc
Vhen they heard the enchanting re-
mark, so out of place on such grand c.
has never before been heard
nd never will be again, | guess, until 81
iabriel wakes up all the magpies that cl
lave lived and died since the year one. OF