The Portland daily press., 1869-03-06
A GOOD OMEN.


4 things n--.------- ----------------'-y---
GOOD OMEN.
The sReafher which was 50 b9e. baasPie.oS ~
ne aiborpine 1briehtened 40 the Preslqent elect
the Capitol, and wnen ne rever-
,nty took sths oath 70 Pnessrye project t and
'adant glory, the grey rain clouds rolled
,wav. and the sky was soon, clear and blue.
rhe omen was favorable, especially as the his.
orians tell us that the weather was similar at
he frstinangpEation Of Washington.
- A REMINIsCENCE OF BOOTH.
The procession, headed by the Supreme 4
1ourt' moved from the Senate q Chamber /
3 aSsP1fa bo!S hs RstSF% e. s IL ess
'ecall scene which occurred fonr yearsa ago.
J. Mikes Bonth, for, whom 9, New England
senator had procured q ticket, attempted TO
pass the pt6cession, but was raef At the door of
the nrotunda by Major, B., b. FRENCH, then
0f PgRIG SglSing 9g s.sad and made
WhaShis intention then was NO man knows,
nlins sSTHEiPRocKEDINosyIN IN GHE SENATE sshi |
! NheI Boston AdNertiser's Washington dls,
patch says the Senate Chamber was arranged
as usual on Inauguration day. Between the
Senators were placed ADDITIONAL chRirs, and IN
the vacant. space, behind the semicircle were
other chairs and sofas for the accommodation
of Invited quests. Iarge arm-chairs were also
those on the right for the justices. Of the Su-
preme Court, and those on the left for Mr..
Johhsoil and his cabinet. The audience of the
day,was as, fneta one as Washington ever saw.
1t was more than half composed of ladies, and
tie contrasting and harmonizing colors of
their gay attire made up picture very pleas
ant to the eye and brilliant in the extreme.
The throng was SO dense that one could hard
ly individualize any one, although it was pos
sible to mark in one group the faces OF Mrs.
Wade, Mrs. Matthews and Mrs. Colfax.
The diplomatic gallery was filled with for
reserved for Mrs Grant, which, as already
stated, she did not occupy, admission to one of
the cloak rooms having been given her and her
friends. The floor of the Senate Chamber,
five minutes before noon. presented sight not
soon to be forgotten. The Senators were all
Immediately in the rear were the Senators
elect. The diplomatic body had gathered in
the marble room a short time previous, and
there, chatting with one another, or looking
out upon the crowd north of the Capitol, they
waited the time for their entrance. They came
in on the right with Baron Gerolt at their
head, and took the Senatorial seats on that
side of the chamber. 1t was such a group as
Republican eyes rarely see. The seat of honor
was occupied by Baron Gerolt of the Prussian
legation, who has been longer in this country
than any other member of the diplomatic
corps. At his left one saw the placid face of.
Mr.. Thornton, the English Minister, and be-
hind him sat M. Berthemy, the French Minis
ter, with dozen decorations on his breast.
Farther round to the right was the tall form
of the Russian Charge dAfairss, decorated
with broad green sash and two OF three med
ais, and behind him was the swarthy face of
the italian minister. Every man of the body
was in full uniform, and the breasts of many
of them were completely covered with gold
lace and braid. In the back part of the cham
Thomas, Hancock and Terry all on one bench,
with Admiaal Farragut in front. On another
bench sat Generals Meigs, Briec, Eaton,
ingalls,, Dyer, and Admiral Dahlgren. Back
near the doorway, sat Generals Sick
les. Townsend, Holt, Butterfsld and
on the left were General Harvey and the bur-
ly form of admiral Goldsborough By one of
the side doors stood the stout, full blooded
negro, Bishop Campbell of the African church
and near him were Ex-Governor Geary, Bish-
op Ames, and Thomas Mast, the artist Over
the floor, DR.. Mary Walker, there by virtue of
having received the thanks of Congress just
after the close of the war. Not far away were
Messrs. Welles and Rollins of the Internal
Revenue Bureau, General Howard, Jay
Cooke, the Rev. Mr.. Punshon, and Bishop
judges of the Court of Claims and of the Su-
preme District Court, while between Judge
Carter and Mr. Sumner sat the historian Mot
leyl On one bench were grouped the officers
OF General Grants staff, and on another the
chief clerk and heads of bureaus in the Navy
Department
THE oATHs ADMINISTERED.
Into the chamber at the moment designated
came the judges of the Supreme Court two by
two, and arm in arm, with Chase and Clifford
in 'front.' They took the chairs assign.
ed them at the Secretary's right. The
chairs on the left, as before stated, were to
have been filled by Mr.. johnson and his cabi-
net, but they remained vacant all day. Gem
eral Grant and Mr.. Colfax, received from the
procession by Senators Cragin and MeCreery
of the committee, were in the rear rooms and
now came in with Mr.. Wade and Mr. Cragin,
another Senator being in the chair for the mo
msnt to relieve the presiding officer. There
was buzz of delight at their entrance, which
subsided when Mr.. Wade took his place, rap
ped to order, aud true to himself, instead of
asking Mr.. Colfax to come forward and take
the tas.o oath % Of office, directed him to
ssNna advance and be inaugura:ed, whereat
Mr.. Colfax took the oath modestly, and
with feeling said the few words he had to say,
and then Mr.. Wade declared the Senate ad-
journed without date. Mr.. Colfax took up the
gayel as it was laid down by his predecessor,
and at once called the new Senate to order.
General Grant, dressed in plain suit of black,
had taken chair in front of the Chief JUS
tice, facing the whole house, and was appar-
emily as calm and unmoved as if in his own
office. The new Senators came forward in
groups of three and were sworn, and then the
Vice President directed the officers to lead the
way to the rotunda and platform. The per-
sons on the floor went over in accordance with
the order of the day. The galleries rushea
headlong down stairs, only to find that nobody
could go inside the line oil policemen until the
floor was cleared. In ten minutes, however,
the chamber was empty above and below, and
the platform, portioo and rotunda were crowd
ed. The rain had ceased, and there were many
promising breaks in the clouds. 1t was q
thrilling view from the portieo, but no words
plateau in front of the Capitol was filed with
infantry, cavalry, artillery, civil clubs, and or
ganizations of all kinds and many thousand
citizens. From the roof the Capitol hundreds
of men looked down on the scene below. The
top of every house within quarter of a mile
was covered with spectators. Every window
was open and filed with eager faces, and flags
and bannors were flying in every direction.
The Hash of gold braid, and the glitter of sa-
bres and Emuskets caught every eye. A mass
OF hacks and private carriages thronged the
the streets on the right and left. The
House and Senate porticos were az dense
bodies of humanity, and ten Thousand men
and women were in the grassy park beyond
the military. The wide street was filed as
far as one could see, and near the railing of
eno pid1toIA SUOOu Geueral dfant taxing the
oath of office as President of great people,
Or the instant this ceremony was completed,
the new President and the Chief Justice
standing bareheaded, the immense concourse
broke out Tito mighty cheer, the bells in all
the neighboring churches rung out a joyful
peal, dozen military bands struck up ma
tional air, and battery of artillery roared out
its glad welcome to the Chief of the Armies,
now become the Civil Ruler of the Nation
THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
The new President stood for six or eight
minutes, until the splendid outburst of ap-
plause had died away, and then stepped for
ward and read lhis inaugural addresslfrom his
own manuscript in clear tone, without the
slightest apparent nervousness, either in voice
or manner. The wind was blowing briskly,
and of course there was good deal of confu-
sion. The persons about him were quiet
enough, but lie could not be heard twenty feet
distant. 1t made little difference to the
crowd. They took him on his record, assured
that what he said must be good, and chesred
him again and again. Wnen he ceased there
was more ringing of bells, more firing of can
non, and more cheers from. twenty or thirty
thousand throats, echoing and reverberating
tnrougn the halls and rotunda of the Capitol
"a glad acclaim welcoming the now President
to his duties, and ushering in the new dav Of
tne nation IN which all men look for a larger
and better life.
A PARTY OF GENTLEMEN who started to
come East on the Union Pacific Railroad. got
biockaded at way station for ten DAYS. and,
as thew rQnracant xvara ,,o.&