The New York herald., 1869-03-03
The Gathering ut Washington-The Contrast
Between 1861 and 1863.


There will be a gathering unprecedented
"a multitude which no man can number"-in
Washington tomorrow to assist In General
Grants Inauguration. The city is already full
of strangers, and every train from every point
of the compass increases the number by hun
dreds and by thousands. The hotels, board
ing houses, shopkeepers, restaurants, faro
banks, &C., are already reaping their harvest
from the pilgrims and dreaming Of the millen-
mum. The general cash account of Washing
ton for the first week Of this merry month of
March will be enlarged to the extent of two or
three millions in net receipts. The volunteer
followers of General Grant down Pennsyl-
vania avenue tomorrow, in and out Of line,
will probably exceed in numbers the combined
armies Of Grant and Sherman, bummers and
all, which, returning from the war, marched
up that avenue in the spring of 1865, occu-
pying two days, twenty men abreast in the
passage of the mighty host.
What contrast will be the spectacle in
Washington tomorrow to that of Lincoln's in
auguration of 1861! A civil war, the most
gigantic and sanguinary in the annals Of man
kind, and political revolution the most re-
markable, decisive and comprehensive since
the great upheaval and reconstruction Of
France are the grand historical events which
fll up the interval from 1861 to 1859. In 1861
the President elect in convenient disguise,
reached Washington in safety, though waited
for en- route by an organized band of assassins,
and in the city of Wilkes Booth. So much
had been gained. But Southern confederacy
had been organized and was preparing for
war, and thousands Of men in Washington,
Maryland and Virginia were deeply involved
In the great conspiracy. General Scott had
information from which he feared an armed
attempt to take the life of Lincoln and to cap
ture the national capital on Inauguration day.
His means and forces of defence against the
apprehended raid of some ten thousand men
were ridiculously small, but SCOTS arrange
ments for the crisis were admirable. He had
his little squads of troops here and there, scat
tered judiciously about the city and on the
line of the inaugural procession; he had his
sentries posted from point to point on the
housetops, while his scouts were stationed at
all the approaches from the suburbs. He had,
too, his couriers and the telegraph to carry
his orders and bring him information. He had
the Treasury barricaded. On the route from
the White House to the Capitol-called
mile-the President elect, with the outgoing
President Buchanan by his side in the same
barouche, and surrounded by squadron of
dragons, was comparatively safe; but at that
time after descending from his carriage Lin
coin would have to walk within the Capitol
enclosure hundred yards or so to reach the
door assigned him. General Scott, however,
had provided for his safety here covered
way, SO that after leaving the carriage the
next that was seen of Lincoln and Buchanan
by the outside crowd was on the raised plat
form on the eastern portico, twenty feet above
the ground. There, as safe from the surging
multitude below as if in fortress, and in the
midst Of party Of distinguished men and
beautiful women, the Inauguration ceremonies
were performed and the great danger was
over.
That was q day of mystery, danger, doubt
u
day of law and order; for the precautions of
General Scott covered all contingencies of
alarm, and, with his handful of troops, it was
seen at sunrise that he held the city. Only
few weeks before Iverson, of Georgia, on the
floor of the Senate, in dilating on the glories
of his Southern confederacy, had said, sub
stantially :-'.As for our Confederate capital,
sir, this viii serve our purposes; for this Dis
trict with Maryland and Virginia, must 60
with the South" Henry A. Wise had made q
similar threat in 1856 and was supposed to be
actively involved in the conspiracy for the
capture in 1861. General Scott got his specific
information concerning it mainly from the
loyal Maryland Governor, Hicks.
That was eight years ago. Cotton then was
king and negro slavery was his prime minis
ter. Lincoln, established in the White House,
was so enveloped by enemies that he had to
temporize before he could strike What
change! Slavery abolished, the cotton oil
garchy demolished, negro suffrage established
on the ruins Of Iverson's confederacy and
''carpet-bagger' in his place in the Senate
luC icsICu oOiuicTy WIN Woo
quietly, in March, 1861, at his lanyard at Ga
lena, listening to the rumbling Of the coming
tempest, will tomorrow, as the successor to
unfinished work handed down from Lincoln,
be the hero of an ovation such as never, 80
far, has been known on this Continent. Grant
has said ''let us have peace" and all sections
and parties feel that peace it is to be, and all
recognize his authority and his strength as the
nations choice. All feel, too, that his advent
marks o new era in American history and
new age Of progress, prosperity and power to
the United States. And so 1t is that the in
auguration Of General Grant will be the most
glorious to the American people Of any Presi-
dent since the first Inauguration Of Washington.
But with all this we have not fully accounted
for the gathering multitude Of Pennsylvania
IA T.. N ..-r- ~