The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-03-28
~ Presidential Inauguration.

cIaed over the parade with which the
President was inaug guratedf The Chicago
I Times has dwelt upon the alarming spec
tacle ,wlth indignant emphasis, and other
papers have joined in the cry against it,.
They seem I'd think that the head of the
President will be, turned by SO much
magnifcence, and point to. the brilliant
4 parade rs sorrwfll auguary for the
Republic, Now we have little doubt that
the marching and countermarching the
firing fblat,k cartridges, and the footing
Of brass horns, was as much of bore to
the President as it Is a fright to the
Times, hut the shrewd landlords and the
ten thousand boarding house keepers of
Washington had determined to draw q
crowd, and how would they do it without
show, and what kind Of an exhibition
could they have unless the President had
consented to hunor them ? q The gaudy
display of a hundred companies Of raw
militia, though EXCESSIVELY warlike and
'franght with, vast importance to tirhid
Democratic editors, is small and in
many respects a very ridiculous affair to
a man like Grant, who has seen the
smoke of hundred battles, and rode
through shattered lines begrimed with
powder, greeted by the cheers of an
hundred thousand men. The display at
Washington. can add nothing to his repu-
tation as soldier, iand was hardly suffi-
GENTLY imposing to fatter his vanity.
| But it an innovation upon the set
tied custom of the Republic? The Mo-
bile Register, speaking of the eere-
monies, Says: ~ We do not propose, to
quarrel with the gilt and tipsel that the
Presidents sIlrrounders dazzle the coun-
try with-only the idea suggests itself,
what would George Washington have
thought of all tlns2'' Sure enough, what
,Douid no have thought? Taken in con-
nection with the fact that the chair in
which the first President sat at his in
auguration was sent on to WASH
ington to figure in the ceremonies, and
occupied by Gen. Grant, it may be inter-
esting to know Just how the father of his
country was inaugutated. His biographer
says: "On the second day after receiv-
ing. the notice of his election Washington
set ont for New York The road was
thronged with people. Escorts of MALTA
and gentlemen of the highest rank at
tended him. Grays bridge, over the
Schuylkill, was beautifully decor
ated for his passage with laurels and
evergreens. At each end of it splen-
did arches were erected composed
of laurels, and on each side was
q laurel shrnbbery. As Washing
ton passed the bridge boy from above
dropped crown upon his brow. An
immense concourse of people lined the
road from Schuylkil to Philadelphia.
Through these he WAS conducted to the.
CITY. He was rowed across the bay hys
thirteen piIets III an eIeganU rntIge. All
the vessels in the harbor hoisted their
flags. He was conducted to the house
prepared for his reception, followed by
procession of militia in their uniforms
and large number of citizens. In the
evening the .houses of the inhabitants
we're brilliantly illuminated. On the
day of Inauguration the different con-
gregations assembled in their respective
places of worship and offered up prayers
for the President of the United States.
About noon procession moved from
the Presidents House TO Federal Hall
When they came within short distance
of the hall the troops formed line on
both sides of the way, through which,
accompanied by the Nice-P President, MIR.
John Adams, Washington passed into
the Senate Chamber The oath of Office
was administered by Chancellor Liy-
ingstone, who then proclaimed him
President of the United States. This
was answered by the discharge OF can
non and the joyful shouts of assembled
thousands. In the evening there was
brilliant display of fireworks, and this
concluded the ceremonies of the first
inauguration In view of this display
the Mobile Rigister need not remain in
very much doubt as to what Washing
ton wonld think of the present cere-
monies. He would probably think we
had changed very little in the eighty
four years that have elapsed since he
took the oath of Office. They had pro-
cessions then; we have them now. They
had salvos of artillery; so do we. They
had soldiers ligged ont in their most
gorgeous uniforms; we have the same
In fact, We are following the example
set us by the good fathers very closely
in this matter. Hardly an Inauguration
has taken place since that of Washing
ton during which the capital has not
witnessed similar demonstration.
Jachson's, Van Burens, Harrison's, and
Pierce's were examples of this.
We are a pretty sensible people, and
on most subjects intensely practical, but
we do like our little finery, and now and
then want an opportunity of displaying
it like other folk. When the wise found
ers of the Government thought so much
of citizen-soldiery as to incorporate
clause in the Constitution asserting that
ga well-regulated militia being neces-
sary to the security of free State, the
right of the people to keep and bear
arms shall not be infringed," we GER
tainIy ought not to object to their COM
ing together in sort OF competitive
drill once in four years. These law stu
dents, and dry goods clerks, and what
not. with their bear skin caps and red
breeches, will look grim and deadly
enough to-day, no doubt, when they
bring their shining muskets to g pre-
SENT as the President passes; but
they'll be back studying the Constitu-
ton or the common law of England, or
measuring book-muslin and Japanese
siIk Tomorrow. and the crisis will all
have passed We beg our Democratic
friends. therefore, to take courage. There
is no violation of established precedents,
and no danger of the Immediate dissolu-
ton of the Union, though the cannons
roar never so loudly, and the trumpets
blow never SO brazenly as when to-day,
for the second time, Gen. Grant takes
the oath of Office and enters upon his
second term MS President OF the United
States. Be of good courage.-Latey-
Ocean.
.s The New Administration. n