The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-10-09
THE ~ AND +fANI

tales but Gen. Scott, Seward. Cameron,
and others, knew their ~falsity and are sus-
nected of PLAYING on his tearS To enhance
their own influence. Although thee was
not an armed >ecesslOnIst within ten day ;
trave!. lall the border States. including
even North Carolina and tennessee, having
declared against SECESSION, Gen. Scott had
not only filed Washington with troops, bus
posted them N such a manner as TO SIGNIFY
apprehensions Of 4 battle at any moment.
On the morning Of the Fourth of March,
mounted scouts secured the roads leading
Southwark armed sentrys paced IN front
81 Lincoln's hotel; picked rifleinen We're
posted on the house-tops at intervals along
the avenue and the black muzz.cs Of a bat
talon Of artillery posted on Cap:to! llLl
frowned defiance to any number OF IRE
eaters.
Old Fuss and Feathers was in his element.
The hero OF two wars, the chief OF the army,
and perhaps Il little sensitive under stray
hints that he had passed the years OF active
service, the old warrior was shrewdly sus-
pected Of magnifying the danger;which nee
cssarily magnificd the importance OF his own
duties. The movements of large bodies of
troops. with tuttcring flags, and braying
bands, aud al the pomp and circumstance
OF war were to him like the wine OF New
Youth, after fourteen years of peace.
Early on the 18th he appeared at the head
of the avenue, near the capitol gates, su-
perbly mounted upon a champlng steed,
whose rich comparisons were surpassed only
by his own plumed chapcau and heavy gold
epauletts: his brilliant staff curyetting
around him; while q small army OF Aides
and Orderleys, mounted upon marvellous
chargers borrowed from the livery stable
hacks and omnibusses, oalloped wildly up
and down the streets, III mOmentary peril OF
"a cracked skull, or other equine catas-
trophe.
And now the bands burst loose, and the
sentrvs present arms, as Mr.. Lincoln, attired
in an il-ftting suit of solemn black and
fresh from the hotel BARRIERS hands, chambers
into a barouche, while a squadron OF caval-
ry, dashine up with sabres drawn, form IN
hollow square around him and thus for
the first time in American history a Presl-
dent, after reaching his capital III disguise,
goes to his Inauguration amid armed guards.
Truly the times are out of Joint.
Gen. Scott, having pompously escorted
the procession inside OF the capitol gates.
Electrically exclaims, THANK God all has
passed off safely" But hold, look, yon-
der is a man up a tree pointing an alr-gun
at the President! There is a rush, a clatter
of swords and clubs, and the astonished as
SdSSlil 10 dUOuU ~ NC IL IL plCCCS. tild 10,
until it turns out he is adrunken Nermonter,
who has been yelling for Lincoln all the
morning, and was merely gcsticulating with
his black walking stick And SO there was
no danger after all. Not a single secession
list sneezed. Not a single blood-thirsty bed
bug dared squint at the man from illinois.
1T there were any fire-eatcrs III the neigh
borhood, they kept within their rat-holes,
or other places OF resort.
TIE RAIL SPLITTER AS A Id
Public disappointment with Mr.. Lincoln's
way-slde speeches was not apeased by his
carefully drawn inaugural address. 1t had
been supposed the day Of hesitation
and clubbing in the State House
were over; that the new President
would not lack decision and def
of purpose, whatsoever else he
lack. General surprise, therefore,
greeted the discovery that Mr.. Lincoln would
follow the same non-committal policy for
which Mr.. Buchanan had been cursed high
and low, treating all troubleson,c topics quite
as %gingerly as his predecessor could have
handled them. 1t was plain ne had not
come to any decision as to his own course,
much less any settled plan for cE, .icating the
from It's difficulties.
The only positive declaration in his adj
dress was 50 nullified and neutraulel by other
that 1t served chiefly u give of
to the Southerners, without winning
confidence from the Northerner<. This re-
was as follows
The power conided to me VIII be use3 to occupy and
"possess the property and places belonging to the Gov
''ernment. and collect the duties and imports; but be-
''yond what llay be necessary tor these objects, there
will be no invasion, no using of force against or
among the people III! where
Stript of equivocation, this became a dec |
OF war on the entire South; for ey-
Southern State declared it should not
to any interference with the seven
States consequently any attempt
to OCCUPY and possess" the forts. custom
houses, etc, In the COntederated States, or
to collect duties and imports from the
people thereof, would require the subiuga-
ton OF the whole South. Lincoln knew
this, and probably had at that period no
intention of attempting any such aggression.
Numerous expressions running through the
address, SO clearly limited at non-action, and
Buchanan-like Mastery Inactivity,' that
the howl of the Northern extremists almost
the defiance of the South. Possibly
tho chrnu-l D,-1c,I+t0, 49,